A summer youth employment program in Chinatown was overwhelmed with applicants and was forced to turn away hundreds of young people looking for work.
More than 1,800 applicants, mainly Asian Americans, applied to the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP), its officials said. Due to the limited amount of slots available, only about 1,000 of the applicants actually got the chance to participate.
The outlook for many of youths in Chinatown looking for a job through SYEP is bleak but the Chinese-American Planning Council, which works with the youth employment program, is trying to fight for a contract that will provide more slots for next year.
“A lot of Asian Americans know of our program and what we have to offer but we can’t offer a spot for everyone. If it was up to me I would but I can’t,” said Peter Chang, the program director at the Planning Council. “They turn to our program because they are more comfortable working with other Asian Americans and we are the largest known Asian services program.”
The city youth agency, Department of Youth and Community Development, has been funding the youth employment since 2002. The program strives to help youths between the ages of 14 to 21 to find jobs. The program includes a brief introduction on work ethics, financial literacy training, and college and career exploration. It gives young the opportunity to do something productive over the summer.
With the new term beginning next April, non-profit organization such as the Planning Council is competing with other non-profit programs for the city’s money. This is a big opportunity for them because it can mean a bigger funding for their program. This will increase the amount of slots available for applicants in Chinatown to be picked and to participate in SYEP.
“This is a do-or-die situation. This contract means a lot,” Chang said. “If we don’t get the contract, we’re not only losing our jobs but also taking away opportunity from the youth in our community especially since we’re a part of the minority.”