The Youth Jobs Coalition is a statewide coalition in Massachusetts working for sustainable youth jobs funding and youth leadership. Youth jobs prevent violence, allow youth to provide for their families, and build skills for future success. Youth unemployment also is tied to major social inequalities: health disparities, and wider racial and economic injustice.
YOUTH JOBS (2012)
The Massachusetts Senate Ways and Means Committee has zeroed out funding for the summer youth jobs program, YouthWorks, in the FY12 budget. This program helps fund youth to work in non-profits in cities around Massachusetts, maintaining parks, running programs for children, and doing other work to benefit their communities. If it goes through the Senate, the funding cut will mean a loss of over 2000 jobs for teens in Massachusetts.
This cut comes after 60 of the 160 Representatives cosponsored a successful budget amendment to restore funding in the House budget. For most amendments, there are only 1-5 cosponsors.
If you want to see funding for YouthWorks restored in the Senate budget, you can call your state senator and ask him or her to cosponsor the amendment proposed by Senator Jack Hart or Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz to restore funding for youth jobs. If the aide asks, the line-item number is 7002-0012. Click here to find your legislator.
Important Dates for the 2011-2012 Youth Jobs Campaign
Adult Leadership Team Meetings-Thursdays, 10-11:30 at Dorchester Bay:
1) September, 22
2) October 20
3) November 17
4) December 15
5) January 12
6) February 23
7) March 22
8) April 19
9) May 17
10) June 21
Actions/Events
1) Thank You Event -January 24
2) February BYEN Youth Networking Dinner, February 18th, 4PM-6PM at BYEN Offices. The Youth Jobs Coalition will facilitate:
- a training that will prepare youth leaders to meet with elected officials with other youth coalition members to advocate for youth jobs funding and
- a sign making session for the February 23rd Youth Jobs Coalition Rally.
3) Rally - February 23
4) Local Actions - January-March
5) Spring Action - April
5) Year End Reflection and Celebration-June