MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The city’s Office of Youth Services has set a date to try to fill the remaining 146 vacant summer jobs for its MPLOY program.
“It is frustrating at times,” said James Nelson with the city’s Office of Youth Services, referring to the city’s efforts to build a program like this and not get a response from some of the young people selected.
The program has been running for several weeks.
WREG was told 146 positions are still vacant even though 63 businesses are in place to offer the 1,000 jobs.
Earlier this month, WREG visited three young people taking part in MPLOY at Baptist Memorial Hospital.
The hundreds of young people taking part in MPLOY were selected in the city’s lottery from their respective City Council districts.
The young people provided the proper documents, like proof of residency, and they are now getting paid for real work experience.
Of the young people whose names were drawn, 146 did not meet requirements.
Either they did not have the right paperwork or they didn’t show up.
For weeks, the city’s been tried to fill the position with people who wanted them.
Some City Council members wanted to be sure the original 146 young people selected were given a final chance to respond to the city.
Now the city knows it has to re-group to fill these positions.
“These are the remaining students, so we have selected a couple hundred we are inviting to make sure that we get the number that we need,” Nelson said.
Nelson said his staff went back to that lottery of applicants and pulled out a couple hundred more.
Nelson said the city sent this pool of kids letters, emails, and phone calls over the past couple weeks.
Those young people are scheduled to meet with the Office of Youth Services Tuesday to make sure 146 of them make the cut.
Young people whom the city contacted should follow directions for where to go and what to bring.
The city hopes that all 1,000 MPLOY participants will be at work June 29.
