FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT Wednesday, July 10, 2013 Ryan O'Doherty 410-818-4269

ryan.odoherty@baltimorecity.gov

Governor O'Malley and Mayor Rawlings-Blake Announce $2.8 Million in Joint Investments to Support Summer Jobs for Youth in Baltimore Investments support wages for nearly 2,300 YouthWorks summer jobs.

BALTIMORE, Md. (July 10, 2013)—Governor Martin O’Malley today, joined by Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, visited the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) to announce a combined $2.8 million in investments to create over 2,300 summer jobs for local youth through Baltimore City’s YouthWorks program while visiting with 20 YouthWorks participants currently employed by MICA this summer. "There is no progress without jobs. By making better choices to support initiatives like YouthWorks, our State continues to expand opportunity and give teens a work experience that will serve them not just this summer, but on the way to the next step of their careers, said Governor O’Malley. Together with our local partners, we continue to provide our youth with job opportunities that will strengthen their skills and prepare our workforce for the 21st century economy." "Baltimore is grateful for the strong investment by Governor O’Malley, and the State of Maryland, to help fund our 2013 summer jobs program," said Mayor Rawlings-Blake. "Through our Hire One Youth initiative, YouthWorks is a worthy example of a public-private partnership that results in positive work experiences that benefit our young people, businesses, and our communities." YouthWorks, operated by the Baltimore City Mayor’s Office of Employment Development, 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, where they 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. Governor O’Malley’s FY2014 budget invests $1.38 million in Baltimore’s YouthWorks program creating over 1,100 summer jobs. Mayor Rawlings-Blake and the Baltimore City Council are investing $1.48 million in the program creating 1,200 summer jobs. Combined, the City and the State are investing $2.86 million to create 2,300 summer jobs for Baltimore City teens. In addition, the Maryland 0 Receive Updates RELEASE: Governor O'Malley and Mayor Rawlings-Blake Announce $2.8 Million in Joint Investments to Support Summer Jobs for Youth in Baltimore http://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/MDBALT/bulletins/82fa90[7/10/2013 4:48:34 PM] State Department of Human Resources and the Baltimore City Department of Social Services provide an annual $1 million grant to YouthWorks to create over 900 jobs for teens receiving Temporary Cash Assistance (TCA), living in homes receiving TCA and/or living in foster care. Baltimore City’s dedicated private sector contributes significantly to the YouthWorks program. Contributions from private foundations, businesses, and individuals pay the wages for close to 2,000 young people. Together, state, city and private sector investments in YouthWorks will create over 5,000 jobs for Baltimore City youth this summer at more than 545 worksites throughout the city. In its first year participating as a YouthWorks host site, MICA serves as a model of an engaged YouthWorks partner. The school directly hired 10 students through Hire One Youth, and is serving as a YouthWorks worksite for an additional 10. "MICA's new partnership with YouthWorks is another example of our longstanding commitment to integrating community engagement into everything we do," said Fred Lazarus IV, president of MICA. "Like our academic programs, our work with these fantastic young people emphasizes our belief in the power of their potential. We are committed to not only helping them understand the empowering nature of employment, but also to exposing them to role models and professional development programming that can help them chart a path to fulfilling careers and productive citizenship.” YouthWorks began on June 24, 2013, and will conclude August 2, 2013. For more information, please visit www.oedworks.com. About MICA Founded in 1826, Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) is the oldest continuously degree-granting college of art and design in the nation. The College enrolls nearly 3,500 undergraduate, graduate and continuing studies students from all 50 states and 57 countries in fine arts, design, electronic media, art education, liberal arts, and professional studies degree and non-credit programs. Redefining art and design education, MICA is pioneering interdisciplinary approaches to innovation, research, and community and social engagement. Alumni and programming reach around the globe, even as MICA remains a cultural cornerstone in the Baltimore/Washington region, hosting hundreds of exhibitions and events annually by students, faculty and other established artists. About Hire One Youth Hire One Youth is an initiative launched by Mayor Rawlings-Blake in 2012 to challenge Baltimore employers to join the City in creating valuable private sector summer employment opportunities for Baltimore’s older YouthWorks participants. The Mayor reintroduced the campaign this year with the support of a Hire One Youth Leadership Team comprised of local business leaders and chaired by Donald C. Fry, president and CEO of the Greater Baltimore Committee. To date, 300 young people have been hired by 120 employers through the 2013 YouthWorks’ Hire One Youth component. Hire One Youth employers are able to interview multiple qualified, pre-screened applicants; offer six to eight weeks of employment; and pay participants more than minimum wage if the position warrants it. Employers who wish to join the Hire One Youth campaign and commit to hiring at least one youth this summer can complete the online form at www.baltimorecity.gov/HireOneYouth or contact YouthWorks, operated by the Mayor’s Office of Employment Development, at 410-396-JOBS (5627) or hireoneyouth@oedworks.com. # # #