The City of Atlantic City is working with Atlantic County and other area agencies for a Summer Work Program employing more than 300 local teenagers and young adults, ranging from ages 14 to early 20’s. Participants in the program are getting real world experience at Atlantic City’s Carnegie Building, as well as at 18 outside agencies throughout Atlantic City, including City Hall. Partnering with the City of Atlantic City the Atlantic County Office of Workforce Development, the NJ Casino Reinvestment Development Authority (CRDA), and National Action Network (NAN) Tech World, a partner of Hard Rock Hotel & Casino who has previously worked with the City of Atlantic City on youth programs.
Following a news conference this morning to publicly introduce the program, media were given a tour of the Carnegie Building to see the youth in action, working in different fields including entrepreneurship, fashion design, podcasting, graphic design, coding and web design. Participants of the paid program set goals for themselves at the beginning of the Summer, then evaluate at the end of the Summer what they learned and the training that was achieved. The Summer work Program has tripled in size since last Summer.
“We are once again demonstrating our commitment to the youth of Atlantic City with our Summer Work Program,” said City of Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small, Sr. “This is the true definition of a private and public partnership that will only succeed if we all work together, which we’ve been doing. Carnegie Building has become a safe haven for our youth when it comes to jobs and other opportunities.”
“We’ve utilized the expertise of all involved for this youth employment program this Summer,” said Shermaine Gunter-Gary, Summer Work Program Project Administrator. “Thank you to all of our partners for taking Mayor Small’s vision to the next level and giving our youth the opportunity to not only gain employment, but enable them to take a necessary step in the evolution as a positive citizen in our community.”
Additional speakers at today’s news conference were Floyd Tally, Director of the Atlantic City One Neighborhood Evolution Anti-Violence Program; Maisha Moore, CRDA Deputy Executive Director; Cynthia Torres, Assistant Director of the Atlantic County Office of Workforce Development; Pastor Steffie Bartley, NAN Newark Tech World Founder and Northeast Regional Director; and Joe Jingoli, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City Owner.
The City of Atlantic City is looking to expand this program into the Fall and Spring by employing youth for after school work, and is calling on local businesses to get involved to help make this happen. In addition to part of the Summer Work Program, Atlantic City’s Carnegie Building currently houses the Anti-Violence Program, the Atlantic City Reentry Services division, an office for the African American Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey and NAN Tech World.
