Henry Carlisle, a sophomore at ETHS, wants to get a summer job so he can earn his own money. With his resume, identification and other required documents in hand, Carlisle waited patiently in line at the Robert Crown Community Center for his job interviews with local businesses.
“Ridgeville [Park District] and a couple of food catering businesses sound good,” said Carlisle.
Carlisle was one of hundreds of Evanston high school students who registered in advance and attended this year’s Mayor’s Summer Youth Employment Program (MSYEP) Job Fair, which brings together teenagers and local businesses for summer workforce experiences and valuable learning opportunities to obtain real-world skills. The fair, which took place March 1, began more than 30 years ago as a youth violence prevention program, slowly growing into an event that offered up to 500 summer jobs last year.
“It’s an opportunity to connect young people with a bunch of institutions, governments, nonprofits [and] for-profits, which I think is a really nice way to get to know aspects of the community that might otherwise be invisible,” said Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss. “It’s about learning how to conduct oneself in a professional environment, and it’s about strengthening community ties as well.”
The city’s Employment Program provides skills and work opportunities year-round for thousands of teenagers ages 14-18. It gives participating youth up to nine weeks of work experience, with opportunities to career instruction, guidance in financial literacy, occupational skills training and social-emotional growth.
This year, representatives from several dozen businesses set up tables draped in orange and blue tablecloths and interviewed students. The businesses and organizations ranged from the city of Evanston to C & W Market, Actor’s Gymnasium, Soul & Smoke and the JCC Chicago Apachi Day Camps, with jobs such as sales associate, camp counselor, custodian and product marketing intern.
Once students attend the fair, interview with employers and are offered positions, they will attend a hiring session, which includes drug screening, fingerprinting and other resources to help them through the entire onboarding process. Students can receive pay ranging from $12 to $18 an hour, up from $10 in previous years, depending on the position.
“Every year, we strive to make this program more robust so that every student has an impactful experience,” said Gregory King, who oversees the MSYEP program.
The summer program provides students with up to nine weeks of work experience, allowing them to develop job skills that are crucial to their future paths and the community.
“I have 350 kids for summer in my camps, and I can’t give them camp if I don’t have great counselors,” said Angela Allyn, coordinator of the city’s Community Arts Program.
Others agreed. Employees with BMO Bank, for instance, held interviews for students to apply to be summer bank tellers, among other positions.
“It’s really important at this age to have that finance background,” said Husna Ahned, a bank network employee. “By the time you’re 18, you’re ready, and you know how to balance and manage your money.”
During the Saturday event, the interview room buzzed with excitement as students lined up at tables to converse with employers and talked amongst themselves about job opportunities they planned to apply to.
Arianna Tamayo, a freshman at ETHS, said she enjoyed the chance to scope out jobs that she may want to apply for after college.
“Some jobs look really interesting to be honest, like the lakefront gate attendant,” said Tamayo.
That’s the kind of response city officials said they hoped for.
“Positive youth development is at the center of everything,” said Mayor Biss. “Making sure that Evanston youth have great, constructive, productive opportunities that put money in their pocket and keep them on a positive track and help them grow new skills and capabilities.”
