City to Offer Alternative Summer Career Program Open to Undocumented Youth
The city will offer a work-readiness training program this summer open to undocumented youth, City Limits has learned—answering calls from advocates and lawmakers who’ve been pushing for an alternative to the popular Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP), for which undocumented students aren’t eligible.
The plan will continue an initiative the city quietly began last year, when it ran a pilot program that ran almost in parallel to SYEP. The pilot was not offered exclusively to undocumented young people but to all students who, for various reasons, have problems finding an internship. That can be a particular challenge for youth whose immigration status often prevents them from accessing traditional jobs.
“New York City will continue to welcome people from all corners of the globe—including youth from outside the United States, many of whom are seeking opportunities to learn, work, and succeed,” said Mark Zustovich, a spokesperson for the Department of Youth and Community Development.
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