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Jobs, career prep available for Mercer youth aged 14 to 24
TRENTON, N.J.—Mercer County Executive Brian M. Hughes is proud to announce a new job summer program, Mercer Youth ‘ACES’, which will provide paid jobs and life skills for up to 300 disadvantaged youth.
Youth ACES, which stands for “Access to Career and Employment Services”, is being funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to assist several hundred young residents by offering full-time jobs and training workshops. ACES is intended to create job opportunities both to revitalize the local economy and also to assist those most affected by the recession, Hughes said.
“This new job program is a chance for teens and young adults to find a steady summer job, earn a paycheck, and gain valuable work experience in a tough economy,” said Hughes. “We aggressively pursued stimulus funding to help our residents get back on their feet, and we’re proud to offer this opportunity.”
Participation in Youth ACES is open to Mercer County youth ages 14 to 24 who are economically disadvantaged and meet certain eligibility requirements, such as “barriers to employment” like little to no work history, a mental or physical disability, or being a high school dropout.
Youth 14 to 17 years old will receive work experience and attend a weekly seminar. They will participate 25-30 hours per week and receive $7.15 per hour. The jobs are expected to last 6 to 8 weeks. Young adults 18 to 24 years old will receive work experience for a half-day and job readiness, life skills, and occupational skills exploration for the remainder of the day. They will participate 25-30 hours per week and earn $7.25 per hour. The jobs for young adults are expected to last 6 to 12 weeks.
A lottery system may be utilized if the number of applicants far exceeds the number of jobs available.
Applications and additional information about Youth ACES can be downloaded on the homepage of the Mercer County website at www.mercercounty.org. Applications and information can also be obtained at many high schools, youth organizations, churches, and other community agencies in the County.
The application deadline is May 15 and applications must be returned to the Mercer County One Stop Career Center, 26 Yard Avenue, Trenton.
Youth ACES is the second summer job program announced by Mercer County this month. The first, Summer HEAT, which stands for “Help Employ Area Teens,” matched local businesses with internships or paying jobs to young adults aged 17 to 25 who have experienced barriers to employment due to factors such as living in a low-income household, rearing a child, or living with a disability. That program is no longer accepting applications.
