Application For 2024 Summer Youth Employment Program Is Now Open
New York City Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) Commissioner Keith Howard today announced the opening of applications for the 2024 Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP), providing 100,000 summer jobs and other paid opportunities to young people ages 14-24.
SYEP applications can be completed online or through participating community-based organizations found at nyc.gov/syep, during the application period from Monday, January 22, through Friday, March 1, 2024. Applications also opened today for employers who would like to provide paid experiences for SYEP participants by becoming a worksite.
“Programs like SYEP give our young people the right skills and opportunities they need to succeed,” said New York City Mayor Eric Adams. “Today, we are thrilled to open the application for summer 2024 to expose our youth to new ideas, new people, and new possibilities to experiences the greatest classroom in the world: New York City! Our administration has invested record amounts to maintain and expand these programs, and, for the third year in a row, the Summer Youth Employment Program will reach 100,000 young New Yorkers.”
SYEP runs for six weeks in July and August. The initiative provides youth with paid opportunities to explore potential career interests and pathways, allowing participants to engage in learning experiences that help develop their professional, social, civic, and leadership skills. Participants aged 14 and 15 receive a stipend for the summer; older youth aged 16-24 are paid the prevailing minimum wage.
Last summer, participants got a jump start on their careers at nearly 18,000 worksites in industries such as business/finance, fashion, philanthropy, technology, arts/culture, engineering/construction, healthcare, legal services, real estate, transportation, advertising/marketing, hospitality/tourism, media/entertainment, and retail.
Ladders for Leaders, a professional internship component of SYEP, connected high-achieving young New Yorkers to pre-employment training and access to competitive internships with leading companies. Member firms of the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY), such as SL Green, Rudin Management, Cushman & Wakefield, and others, hired Ladders for Leader interns. Ladders students also had the opportunity to intern across science and technology companies and organizations, including the New York Stem Cell Foundation, Google, FLO, the Information Lab, and others.
Additionally, SYEP offered tailored experiences to thousands of young people who are:
- At highest risk of gun violence
- Served through Cure Violence
- NYCHA residents
- Living with disabilities
- Justice-involved, experiencing homelessness, in foster care, or attending DOE District 75 schools (SYEP Emerging Leaders)
- Participants in CareerReady SYEP, aligned with high school academic learning
As part of the administration’s commitment to expanding SYEP:
- Mayor Adams announced SYEP Pride during his 2023 State of the City Address to connect LGBTQ+ youth and allies to unique career exploration opportunities through industry-leading companies/organizations and their employee resource groups, along with placements at diverse worksites that offer support from LGBTQ+ employees and allies. More than 3,500 young people were matched in the inaugural season, with worksites and career exploration hosts ranging from Louis Vuitton and the Stonewall Inn to Kirrin Finch and Equality New York.
- DYCD again worked with City agencies, NYC City Council, and other public sector organizations to provide an unprecedented number of internship opportunities in local government. More than 1,000 youth interned with the NYPD, learning about careers in law enforcement and forging positive relationships with police officers.
- Last summer, Lyft once again offered free Citi Bike memberships to SYEP participants, with participation growing by more than 76 percent over the prior year. This resulted in 20,000 rides that gave young people more options to get to and from work.
- SYEP also offers workshops on work readiness, career exploration, and financial literacy. Financial literacy curriculum equips young people with the tools to build a positive and healthy relationship with money. Through more than four hours of content, youth identify their financial values; learn concepts related to banking, saving, taxation, and investing; and develop practical skills to achieve financial wellness.
- SYEP participants have the option to receive their wages via direct deposit to a bank account of their choice. Last summer, more than 70 percent of participants received their payment through direct deposit accounts. The multi-year initiative, Summer Jobs Connect, is funded by the Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund (CFE Fund) and the Citi Foundation.
Studies indicate SYEP participation improves school attendance, offers new skills, reduces incarceration rates, and keeps teens and young adults safe — including youth who wouldn’t otherwise have access to paying jobs. Research shows summer jobs save lives, cuts crime, and strengthens communities. A 2021 study found that SYEP participation lowered participants’ chances of being arrested by 17 percent, and by 23 percent for felony arrests. Additional research has found that SYEP youth are significantly less likely to be incarcerated in New York State more than five years after their participation in the program.
