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Earn and Learn is still taking applications for the upcoming summer through May 27. (NNS file photo)
It’s not too late for young people to get a summer job through the city’s Earn and Learn program.
While Earn and Learn is no longer taking applications for its Summer Youth Internship Program, it is accepting applications for its Community Work Experience component, which matches young people with part-time summer jobs. The Summer Youth Internship Program places young people in roles with city government
Earn and Learn jobs that are open pay $7.50 per hour for up to 20 hours per week over seven weeks. In addition to job placement, young people (ages 14 to 24) in the program also receive paid professional development and job-readiness training every Friday.
Leaders from Employ Milwaukee, which administers the program, could not say how many jobs will be available this year or what proportion of those jobs will have a virtual option. Before COVID-19, the Community Work Experience program supported 800 to 1,200 jobs.
Employers in the Community Work Experience program include Milwaukee Recreation, Holy Redeemer Church of God in Christ, City Kids Wrestling Club and TransCenter for Youth.
To apply, fill out an application online by 4 p.m. Thursday, May 27.
Three things to know
But what makes a good application, and how can you get help if you need it? We asked Employ Milwaukee’s Vanesa Carmona-Lewis, vice president of programs and business solutions, and Suzanne Reinstein, associate data manager.
- Completely fill out the application.
Reinstein said the biggest and most common mistake applicants make is not filling out the application completely. Reinstein said Earn and Learn jobs are meant to be entry level, meaning you do not need to have experience in the industry you want to work in.
“We look at what industry applicants say they want to work in and try to do our best to get them into something they will like and will learn from,” Reinstein said.
2. If you need assistance, call or visit Employ Milwaukee for help
If you’re running into trouble on the application or want some guidance on how to get started, help is available. You can call Employ Milwaukee at (414) 270-1700 to speak with someone on the phone, or you can visit Employ Milwaukee at 2342 N. 27th St.
Staff are available to help with application questions from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. Monday through Friday until the May 27 deadline. The office will also be open from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 22.
No appointment is necessary, though masks are required if you are visiting in-person.
3. Once you begin your new job, be open to new experiences
Because these are entry-level jobs, Carmona-Lewis said that the most important thing is to learn while on the job.
In addition to on-the-job training, the Earn and Learn program also hosts professional development and job-readiness training every Friday throughout the program. This year, that training will include a mental health component, focused on mindfulness techniques.
“Something different this year will be adding the mental health component, which was motivated by COVID,” Carmona-Lewis said. “Now we’re more mindful of what youth have been through this year and we’re adjusting to accommodate that.”
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