Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, District 5 City Commissioner Regina I. Hill to Announce Summer Youth Employment Program Expansion
Event will celebrate the program’s growth and highlight student success stories
WHAT:
On Tuesday, April 12, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer will join District 5 City Commissioner Regina I. Hill to share details on the expansion of the City of Orlando’s Summer Youth Employment Program. The expansion supports the City of Orlando’s efforts to create a more equitable community for residents by providing access to opportunities to help them thrive.
Through the program, teenagers ages 15-19 receive work readiness and financial literacy training and job experience, while receiving an hourly salary from CareerSource Central Florida. In past years, young residents participating in programming through the City’s children’s zones were able to receive employment. This summer, residents from all areas of the city can participate.
Willie Hobdy, who will be sharing his story during Tuesday’s event, is one of the residents who has benefited from the summer youth employment program. As a student in the Parramore Kidz Zone, Hobdy gained his first job as a youth basketball coach with the City’s Families, Parks and Recreation Division. He developed an interest in public service and later worked as a summer camp counselor before getting a position at the Orlando office of a federal elected official.
Once graduating from Jones High School in 2016, Hobdy’s experience in the summer youth employment program inspired him to pursue an undergraduate degree in criminal justice at Florida A&M University. He is continuing mentoring students while studying for the LSAT to ultimately become a lawyer to make a difference in his community. Hobdy’s story showcases impact the program has on the city’s young residents.
Through the program, other students have worked in career fields including retail, hospitality and the insurance industry. This year, the program is looking to serve more than 300 students and increase employer participation as part of the citywide expansion.
WHEN:
Tuesday, April 12, 2022
10:30 a.m.
WHERE:
Blue Swan Boulders
400 Pittman Street, Suite 103
WHO:
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer
District 5 City Commissioner Regina I. Hill
Orlando Youth Employment Past Participant Willie Hobdy
Businesses
Currently, the Orlando Youth Employment program is seeking business partnerships with employers, like Blue Swan Boulders, to host job opportunities for young residents this summer.