Teens and young adults looking for paid opportunities in Milwaukee can find them through the Earn & Learn Summer Youth Employment Program. 

But time to apply is running out. Applications are due Friday, May 1. Here’s what you need to know about the program and how to complete the process.

Learning life skills through working

Earn & Learn is a seven-week program that gives Milwaukee youths and young adults between the ages of 14 and 24 the chance to work at organizations and other small businesses. Jobs in the culinary and medical fields and other industries are included with an hourly wage of $12.21. 

“Youth application data shows that the most popular interest areas are hospitality and health care this year,” said Julie Cayo, president and CEO of Employ Milwaukee. 

Participants are expected to work 40 hours a week, which is meant to prepare them with real world skills like communication, money management, professionalism and basic readiness. 

According to Cayo, 682 youths participated in the program last year and 80 organizations provided worksites. 

“This year as a part of the Wisconsin Biohealth Tech Hub, there are new biohealth experiences being offered at UW-Milwaukee, MATC and with private-sector employers,” she said. 

Cayo also wants interested individuals to know that there are worksites that may be more competitive than others due to some organizations having structured training with curriculums and experienced supervisors.

Knowing the application’s requirements

To apply for Earn & Learn, interested participants must be a resident of Milwaukee County, eligible to work in the United States and fall between the ages 14 or 24 by June 29. 

Additional documentation is needed to start the process, including showing one proof of residency and one form of identification. 

A form of identification, especially for individuals under 18, can be the following:

• School picture ID with birth date, if you are under 18 
• Your immunization record
• Passport
• State ID or driver’s license  

Proof of residency for individuals under 18 can also include the parent or legal guardian’s name and can be the following:

• Piece of mail 
• Utility bill
• State ID or driver’s license  

For youths and families who may be struggling with homelessness or housing insecurity, Employ Milwaukee works closely with participants to ensure that showing proof of residency is not a barrier in the application process. 

“Our team has worked with many unhoused youth over the years and has been able to verify residency on a case-by-case basis,” Cayo said. 

Any youths or families concerned about this can receive personal assistance by emailing Earn.Learn@employmilwaukee.org.

When you have all the requirements, click here to complete the application. 

After you submit your application, you should receive a confirmation. Final selection will occur between mid-to-late May. 

If you have any questions or need assistance, contact Employ Milwaukee Inc. at earn.learn@employmilwaukee.org

Click here for more information.

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Deadline is approaching for teens to join Earn & Learn paid summer program

by Chesnie Wardell, Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
April 23, 2026

<h1>Deadline is approaching for teens to join Earn & Learn paid summer program</h1> <p class="byline">by Chesnie Wardell, Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service <br />April 23, 2026</p> <p>Teens and young adults looking for paid opportunities in Milwaukee can find them through the Earn &amp; Learn Summer Youth Employment Program.&nbsp;</p> <p>But time to apply is running out. Applications are due Friday, May 1. Here’s what you need to know about the program and how to complete the process.</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Learning life skills through working</strong></h2> <p><a href="https://www.employmilwaukee.org/Earn-and-Learn.htm">Earn &amp; Learn</a> is a seven-week program that gives Milwaukee youths and young adults between the ages of 14 and 24 the chance to work at organizations and other small businesses. Jobs in the culinary and medical fields and other industries are included with an hourly wage of $12.21.&nbsp;</p> <p>“Youth application data shows that the most popular interest areas are hospitality and health care this year,” said Julie Cayo, president and CEO of Employ Milwaukee.&nbsp;</p> <p>Participants are expected to work 40 hours a week, which is meant to prepare them with real world skills like communication, money management, professionalism and basic readiness.&nbsp;</p> <p>According to Cayo, 682 youths participated in the program last year and 80 organizations provided worksites.&nbsp;</p> <p>“This year as a part of the Wisconsin Biohealth Tech Hub, there are new biohealth experiences being offered at UW-Milwaukee, MATC and with private-sector employers,” she said.&nbsp;</p> <p>Cayo also wants interested individuals to know that there are worksites that may be more competitive than others due to some organizations having structured training with curriculums and experienced supervisors.</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Knowing the application’s requirements</strong></h2> <p>To apply for Earn &amp; Learn, interested participants must be a resident of Milwaukee County, eligible to work in the United States and fall between the ages 14 or 24 by June 29.&nbsp;</p> <p>Additional documentation is needed to start the process, including showing one proof of residency and one form of identification.&nbsp;</p> <p>A form of identification, especially for individuals under 18, can be the following:</p> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>School picture ID with birth date, if you are under 18&nbsp;</li> <li>Your <a href="https://www.dhfswir.org/PR/clientSearch.do?language=en">immunization record</a></li> <li>Passport</li> <li>State ID or driver’s license&nbsp;&nbsp;</li> </ul> <p>Proof of residency for individuals under 18 can also include the parent or legal guardian’s name and can be the following:</p> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Piece of mail&nbsp;</li> <li>Utility bill</li> <li>State ID or driver’s license&nbsp;&nbsp;</li> </ul> <p>For youths and families who may be struggling with homelessness or housing insecurity, Employ Milwaukee works closely with participants to ensure that showing proof of residency is not a barrier in the application process.&nbsp;</p> <p>“Our team has worked with many unhoused youth over the years and has been able to verify residency on a case-by-case basis,” Cayo said.&nbsp;</p> <p>Any youths or families concerned about this can receive personal assistance by emailing <a href="mailto:Earn.Learn@employmilwaukee.org">Earn.Learn@employmilwaukee.org</a>.</p> <p>When you have all the requirements, <a href="https://employmke.wufoo.com/forms/earn-and-learn-2026-youth-participant-application/">click here to complete the application.&nbsp;</a></p> <p>After you submit your application, you should receive a confirmation. Final selection will occur between mid-to-late May.&nbsp;</p> <p>If you have any questions or need assistance, contact Employ Milwaukee Inc. at <a href="mailto:earn.learn@employmilwaukee.org">earn.learn@employmilwaukee.org</a></p> <p><a href="https://www.employmilwaukee.org/Earn-and-Learn/Participants.htm">Click here for more information.</a></p> <p>This &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://milwaukeenns.org/2026/04/23/deadline-is-approaching-for-teens-to-join-earn-learn-paid-summer-program/&quot;&gt;article&lt;/a&gt; first appeared on &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://milwaukeenns.org&quot;&gt;Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service&lt;/a&gt; and is republished here under a &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/&quot;&gt;Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;img src=&quot;https://i0.wp.com/milwaukeenns.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/cropped-NNS-Favicon.png?resize=150%2C150&amp;amp;ssl=1&quot; style=&quot;width:1em;height:1em;margin-left:10px;&quot;&gt;</p> &lt;img id=&quot;republication-tracker-tool-source&quot; src=&quot;https://milwaukeenns.org/?republication-pixel=true&amp;post=156777&amp;amp;ga4=G-HGM4XK3QCM&quot; style=&quot;width:1px;height:1px;&quot;&gt;&lt;script&gt; PARSELY = { autotrack: false, onload: function() { PARSELY.beacon.trackPageView({ url: &quot;https://milwaukeenns.org/2026/04/23/deadline-is-approaching-for-teens-to-join-earn-learn-paid-summer-program/&quot;, urlref: window.location.href }); } } &lt;/script&gt; &lt;script id=&quot;parsely-cfg&quot; src=&quot;//cdn.parsely.com/keys/milwaukeenns.org/p.js&quot;&gt;&lt;/script&gt;

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