MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The city’s Office of Youth Services took steps Tuesday to fill the remaining summer job openings once and for all.
Still, not all the teenagers and young adults who were invited answered the call.
The city invited a couple hundred young people, from the city’s lottery of applicants comprising each City Council District, to the Pipkin Building at the Fairgrounds to be verified for the MPLOY program.
It was a last ditch effort to fill 146 vacant summer jobs for youth.
The Office of Youth Services Director confirmed that based on Tuesday’s turnout, the city is about halfway to that goal.
That meant staff had to phone the invited applicants who did not show up.
About 855 young people have been off the streets and hard at work since the beginning of the month.
That is because more than 60 businesses came forward to provide about 1,000 jobs to Memphis youth.
WREG saw dozens of young people and their guardians line up before the doors opened Tuesday.
Keana Woodard and her mother were some of the first in the doors to get verified for MPLOY.
Woodard explained that she had to bring a recent report card, Social Security card, I.D., and proof she lives in her City Council District for verification.
Earlier this summer, many kids either did not have that information or they did not respond to the city’s efforts to reach them.
That is how these 146 positions have sat empty.
“I feel like they should’ve really did it, because I mean it’s a free job during the summer and instead of sitting at home, you could be making some money,” Woodard said.
So, the city went back to its lottery of kids from each district and pulled out a couple hundred more.
“It’s a good opportunity for the youth just to kind of get off the streets, do something positive in the community. So, I think it’s wonderful. If you missed it, that just made opportunities for other kids to come in the door, start working,” said Woodard’s mother, Patrice Woodard.
Many in the community do not understand why it is taking weeks to find people to fill these jobs.
Nelson said the program came together quickly, and his office is looking to the future.
“We’ve learned some things. Again, we’ll have more time, which is the big thing, a lot of people don’t understand is we put this program together in 45 days,” Nelson said.
The Office of Youth Services will continue contacting the people who did not show up Tuesday.
Orientation for MPLOY is Thursday.
