Applications are open for Somerville’s annual summer job program for teenagers.
The application for the Mayor’s Summer Jobs Program is available until April 30. Students must be 14 years or older by May 4 and live in the city or attend school in Somerville to be eligible. Students graduating this summer are also welcome to apply. Most placements run for six weeks over the summer from July 6 to Aug. 14, and all pay $18.85 an hour.
“It’s a very competitive program because there is a lot of interest in it,” Youth Services Director Caitlin Kelly said. The city receives hundreds of applications each summer. “We’re only able to place close to 200 teens each year.”
There are more than 30 job placements this summer across over 20 city departments and Somerville Public Schools, as well as some external placements enabled by grant funding, said Kelly. Those include positions with Mystic Learning Center, VillSide Customs, Somerville Media Center and Parkour Generations.
Office hours will be held Wednesday, April 8, from 2-4 p.m. at Somerville High School for teens wanting application guidance. There will also be an interview workshop April 29 from 2-3 p.m. at the high school. Interviews are expected to begin May 4, with onboarding in early June. Students are permitted to work up to 20 hours per week.
The city has run the mayor’s summer jobs program for over 25 years, but previous initiatives with similar goals existed, Kelly said. It aims to provide area youth with career advancement opportunities and skill development.
The city of Cambridge runs a similar program, the Mayor’s Summer Youth Employment Program. Its applications are open April 15 to May 8.
This story is part of a partnership between Cambridge Day and the Boston University Department of Journalism.
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