A summer employment program for youth in Hunterdon and Somerset counties is seeking interested candidates to fill 80 summer jobs in both counties. The youth participant’s stipend will be $15.00 an hour for 25 hours per week for an eight-week internship/work experience. That means each program participant will earn $3,000.
The deadline for application is May 15.
The program, hosted by the Greater Raritan Workforce Development Board (GRWDB), will run from June 5 to Oct. 30. Youth participants must be between the ages of 16 and 24 and can be in school or out of school. Each participant will work 25 hours per week over any eight-week period. Of that weekly total, 21 hours will be with the employer; the other four hours will be spent on specially designed career-readiness training using the SkillUp Greater Raritan online learning portal, which is overseen by the GRWDB staff.
Eligible youth interested in taking part in the program can obtain an application by visiting the home page of www.thegrwdb.org or by using this link. The application deadline has been extended to Monday, May 15.
In this year's program, among the employer participants from Hunterdon and Somerset Counties are county and municipal governmental offices including finance, economic development and engineering departments, nonprofit administration, facilities maintenance, local animal shelters, a private salon, retail businesses and more. In total, 38 different employers applied to be part of the 2023 program.
“We know this program offers a valuable introduction to career pathways and good work habits. It also can lead to other opportunities. Five participants last year continued to work with their employer after the summer ended,” said Jeanne Cassano, the GRWDB’s job developer and coordinator for the GRWDB Summer Youth Employment Program.
This marks the fourth consecutive year that the GRWDB is sponsoring a Summer Youth Employment Program with funding from the New Jersey Department of Labor. For 2023, the GRWDB received a state grant of $193,500 for 60 positions. Somerset County allocated funding for an additional 20 positions using American Rescue Plan funding for a total of 80 positions.
Questions? Contact Cassano at jcassano@co.somerset.nj.us or call 908-541-5785.
The Greater Raritan Workforce Development Board (GRWDB)
The GRWDB oversees federally and state-funded career and employment services for businesses and residents in Hunterdon and Somerset counties. Weekly text alerts highlight career and job opportunities in Somerset and Hunterdon counties. Text “onestop” to 565-12 to sign up. Contact GRWDB Board Director Paul Grzella at grzella@co.somerset.nj.us, or 908-203-6044.