Dr. John E. Warren – Publisher
Once again summer is upon us without a summer job for many of our youth. Fifty years ago we had national and local commitments to hiring a youth for the summer. We had commitments from cities and members of Congress and from business. As a matter of fact, it was then that the National Alliance of Businesses made dollars available to ensure that the programs hired as many young people as possible. I received my first job on Capitol Hill at the age of 17 and it changed my life forever.
While the Workforce Partnership has played a major role in making a limited number of jobs available through outreach to schools during the school year and limited grants to a few organizations charged with actually providing work sites, the effort is not enough when one considers the size of the need. I’m suggesting as a start, that the cities in San Diego County and the County Board of Supervisors, create within the departments of their units of local government, positions to employ one youth in as many departments as possible for at least 4 hours a day for a minimum of three days a week during thee summer periods and that programs be established to hire a young person for a few hours a week during the school year.
These ideas are not new. In the 1960’s and 70’s, we had such programs as the Neighborhood Youth Corp and after school programs for many between the ages of 16 and 21. Today we must move beyond touching and few and go for reaching many.
In the City of San Diego, we must move beyond the Commission on Gang Prevention and create a fully funded Department of Youth Affairs and Employment. Those young people who do not have gang affiliations should not be omitted because they are trying to be good citizens. If the City does not know where to start, then it should contact the Voice & Viewpoint for assistance. The issue is no longer just one of this summer. We must look beyond.
