What's at stake?
40 Fresno County youth can gain paid experience working for the city of Fresno through a partnership between the city and the Fresno Regional Workforce Development board. The opportunity is for youth who face barriers like being low-income or having been in the criminal justice system.
If you’re between the ages of 14 and 24 in Fresno County and looking for work, the city of Fresno has job options for you.
The city is once again teaming up with the Fresno Regional Workforce Development Board to offer 40 young Fresno County residents an opportunity to gain paid experience in government jobs – one of the largest labor pools in the county, according to July data from the state’s Employment Development Department.
This opportunity is specifically for youth who face “barriers to employment,” said Blake Konczal, executive director of the workforce development board. Examples of those barriers include being low-income and having a record with the criminal justice system.
Fresno City Council President Tyler Maxwell said this program is part of the city’s growing interest in getting young people employed to try to nip bigger issues in the bud, like poverty and homelessness.
“We’ve got to do more to break these vicious cycles,” he said, “and make sure these folks never end up in those positions to begin with.”
Some of the Fresno jobs have already been taken. Maxwell said about 22 positions remained open as of Thursday.
Program leaders anticipate the remaining jobs to fill quickly and encourage folks to get started on their applications soon.
Here’s what you need to know about the Fresno jobs.
How do I apply?
The first step if you’re interested is to text or call 559-230-3656.
That way, the workforce development staff can begin a screening to determine whether you’re eligible to participate, Konczal said.
You can also apply online at www.workforce-connection.com/yas/. There is no application fee, Maxwell confirmed.
Applicants must have the legal right to work since the program receives federal funding through the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, according to Konczal.
The opportunity isn’t open to undocumented youth.
It is open to applicants whose primary language isn’t English, according to city spokesperson Sontaya Rose.
Applications for the opportunity through the workforce development board will be accepted on a rolling basis. If the program receives more than 40 applications, the board will work to secure funding for additional positions, Konczal said.
How much will I get paid?
The Fresno jobs will pay $17.55 an hour for 200 hours of work, Konczal said.
The average number of hours per week will be set between each successful applicant and the city department they work for.
What kind of work will I do?
Maxwell said there are an array of open positions across the city’s departments. Applicants could work in human resources, parks, or public utilities as examples.
Successful applicants will have an opportunity to communicate their career interests and goals before receiving their job placement, he added.
It will ultimately come down to what positions are open, Maxwell said, but workforce development board staff will take the lead on finding a good match for participants among the available opportunities.