FOR ASSIGNMENT: Friday, April 19, 2013; 3-6:30 p.m.

CONTACTS: Brice Freeman, MOED, 410-396-1910, bfreeman@oedworks.com Donella Johnson, Commercial Group, 410-859-4415, donellaj@commercial-group.com

Local Companies Host Hire One Youth Job Fair for Young Participants Seeking Summer Jobs in Construction/Development Industry Pre-selected 16-21-year olds to interview for positions as part of YouthWorks Baltimore, Maryland (April 15, 2013) – Three local companies – Commercial Group, Turner Construction, and Whiting-Turner – have teamed up to host a job fair to connect Baltimore City students interested in construction/development careers with part-time summer jobs through Baltimore City’s YouthWorks program. More than 20 employers are participating in the job fair as part of Mayor Stephanie RawlingsBlake’s 2013 Hire One Youth campaign, which challenges every Baltimore employer to hire at least one job-ready 16- to 21-year-old this summer. WHO: All participants in the job fair have been pre-selected and notified, and are Baltimore City residents registered for YouthWorks. Youth and employers will be available for interviews. WHEN: Friday, April 19, 2013; 3-6:30 p.m. WHERE: War Memorial Building, 101 N. Gay Street, Baltimore, MD 21202. BACKGROUND: YouthWorks is Baltimore City’s summer jobs program, which places young people between the ages of 14 and 21 in six-week summer jobs with private sector, nonprofit, and city and state government employers throughout the city. To widen the positive impact of YouthWorks by creating more summer job opportunities with local employers, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake launched the Hire One Youth initiative in 2012 – challenging Baltimore employers to join the City in creating valuable summer employment opportunities for Baltimore’s teens. Building on the success of Hire One Youth in 2012, the Mayor has reintroduced the campaign for 2013, with leadership provided by Hire One Youth Leadership Team Chair Donald C. Fry, president and CEO of the Greater Baltimore Committee. Hire One Youth is an opportunity for Baltimore employers to prepare the city’s future workforce. Through summer work experiences, teens and young adults develop familiarity with the workplace, become better prepared to meet employers’ expectations and gain exposure to career opportunities in the Baltimore metropolitan area’s high growth industries. Employers can sign up to participate in Hire One Youth online at http://www.baltimorecity.gov/hireoneyouth/ or by phone at 410-396-JOBS (5627). YouthWorks is operated by the Mayor’s Office of Employment Development with the assistance of employers and workforce partners, and with financial support from a variety of contributors.