Council speaker says youth jobs program is crucial to engaging young NYers

Speaker Corey Johnson said the City Council is committed to preventing the suspension of the Summer Youth Employment Program. Photo by John McCarten/City Council

By Rachel Vick 

The City Council will consider ways to continue funding the city’s summer youth jobs program, which is on the chopping block in Mayor Bill de Blasio’s executive budget proposal, said Speaker Corey Johnson Wednesday.

Johnson said cuts were inevitable, but city lawmakers will seek some way to preserve the Student Youth Employment Program, which he said is crucial for young people locked out outdoor spaces like pools, beaches and parks.

“In the City Council we’re working with providers to figure out a modified program, but it probably won't be at the same price tag or scale,” Johnson said. “Is there a way to do this from a distance?”

Alternatives could include supplemental remote learning and virtual training programs or partnering students with food pantries and other potential employers who could use an extra set of hands.

On April 16, de Blasio formally proposed the suspension of SYEP and other Department of Youth and Community Development programs, which would save the city $124 million in next fiscal year.

The budget does not need to be completed until June, leaving time for council hearings and a new plan, Johnson said. Final funding will depend on federal aid through the next stimulus package, he added.

"We’re going to have to figure out where our priorities are," said Johnson. "So much of this is going to depend on how much state and local aid are we going to get in the fourth stimulus bill." 

Nevertheless, he noted, “there are going to be cuts.”