Tues. June 30, 2009
BID Hosts Nine Interns From Summer Youth Employment Program
WASHINGTON, DC – Nine summer interns have joined the Downtown DC Business Improvement District (BID) as project assistants as part of a cooperative arrangement with the DC Department of Employment Services’ (DOES) Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP).
Their assignments at the Downtown BID will provide critical real-world skills and allow them to gain valuable workplace experience. Specifically, they are providing general office support, working on economic development and transportation surveys, auditing street banners, collecting recycling program data, maintaining the website and assisting with special events and placemaking projects.
“At a time when the local economy is retracting and the unemployment rate has shot up to 10.7%, we’re extremely pleased to give these young people an opportunity to gain skills necessary to compete successfully in today’s labor market. We want to ensure that they have a very productive and meaningful experience,” said Richard Bradley, executive director of the Downtown BID, who notes the organization also benefits from the students’ contributions and youthful enthusiasm.
The students are all DC residents enrolled in colleges or engaged in career explorations from Pennsylvania to South Carolina. They are:
· Antoinette Barksdale – Bowie State University (Psychology)
· Andre Ford – AI University (Culinary Arts)
· Brittany Franklin – Benedict College (English)
· Kelly Green – University of the District of Columbia (Criminal Justice)
· Keyanna Hymes – Delaware State University (Social Work)
· Kirk Jones – University of Pittsburgh (Computer Science)
· Bernadette Palmer – Penn State University (Nursing)
· Nicolas Perry – Norfolk State (Computer Science)
· Thomeisha Peterson – University of Maryland Eastern Shore (Business Administration/Finance)
Both Peterson and Jones worked as SYEP interns at the Downtown BID last year. Peterson, 20, is a rising senior who says the work experience gained at the Downtown BID is a “real resume booster. I have learned the effectiveness and importance of teamwork. I’ve learned how to build relationships and network, which is so important.”
SYEP serves youth who are 14 to 21 years of age. This summer, the program hopes to place 1,000 young adults between the ages of 18 and 21 in private sector jobs. The program will run through August 21.
“Connecting our youth to work experiences that expose them to the various industries and elevate their levels of thinking about the career path best suited for them is at the core of this program,” said DOES Director Joseph Walsh. “We are very excited about this level of enthusiasm, not only by the youth, but also by the Downtown Business Improvement District.”
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