Milwaukee City Wire

Milwaukee’s EARN & LEARN Summer Youth Employment Program completed its 14th successful summer. 

The EARN & LEARN program was started by Mayor Tom Barret in partnership with EmployMilwaukee in 2007 to provide experience and exposure of the workplace to young adults in Milwaukee. 

"A first job is so important for a young person" Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said in a post to his Twitter account on Aug. 19. "It helps set a path to success. This summer's EARN & LEARN youth employment program was expanded through $3.8 million in American Rescue Plan funds to provide positive work experiences for over 1,200 young people at 84 work sites."

To date the program has helped over 40,000 participants gain paid work experiences in the summer months. The program was inspired by a census report that most young adults had no work experience and employers were not interested in hiring them. So the program does the work of matching up employers and jobs with young adults ages 14-24. 

The program partners with local businesses, nonprofit and faith-based organizations to find the jobs, according to the program's website. A 2018 report showed that 13% of young people are not in school or working, showing the need for the program.