SAN DIEGO LAUNCHES PAID YOUTH INTERNSHIP PROGRAM
Mayor Todd Gloria aims to provide 1,000 positions for workforce training
The city of San Diego has launched a new youth workforce program aimed at connecting underserved young people with paid career opportunities.
Mayor Todd Gloria, who announced the program earlier this month, said the goal is to provide 1,000 local youth with paid internships and workforce training opportunities over the next two years.
The “Employ and Empower” program was jump-started by about $18.5 million in state funding from the #CaliforniansForAll Youth Jobs Corps. This is part of the $150 million Gov. Gavin Newsom set aside in his 2021 budget for youth workforce development in the 13 largest cities in California.
Kohta Zaiser, deputy director of community engagement in the mayor’s office, manages the city’s internship program and helped spearhead the local initiative. He said the money will benefit students in communities that have historically been left out of such opportunities for career development.
Zaiser noted that 80 percent of the money will go toward student payroll, and the rest will be used for wraparound services. This could include things to help the interns do their job like connecting them with technology, transportation or getting suitable business attire.
“It’s pretty groundbreaking that the city has received direct funding for paid internship opportunities,” Zaiser said. “Previously, there’s a lot of opportunities at the city that are unpaid and that are volunteerbased. And then if an office or department maybe has leftover money in the budget, they can fund one or two internship positions. That
was never consistent.”
The program won’t cover all internships at the city or council offices. Some will remain as unpaid or volunteer positions.
However, the emphasis on reaching underserved communities and making sure “a student doesn’t have to decide between seeking career development and professional experience versus bringing home a paycheck” remains a principal goal, Zaiser said.
“That’s really the overall intent of this program, and to hopefully create a pipeline for students to see themselves in public service and then be able to pursue a fulltime job in public service after graduation,” he said.
The state-funded initiative is aimed at providing paid internships to people who meet at least one of the
following criteria: unemployed and out of school, difficulty finding employment, low-income, involved in the justice system, transitioning from foster care or engaged with the mental health or
substance abuse system.
The age range for eligible participants — 16 to 30 years old — is wider than most internship programs in an effort to expand recruiting and reach students at trade
schools or community colleges, said Zaiser.
The city will also build on relationships with local schools and communitybased organizations such as Just In Time for Foster Youth and San Diego Workforce Partnership to connect with students.
Zaiser, who previously interned at the city, said he wouldn’t have been able to pursue that opportunity if it hadn’t been paid, and he knows “there’s countless students who are facing that same exact scenario.”
The compensation for opportunities through the “Employ and Empower” program range from $15 to $21 per hour, Zaiser said.
The broader labor market is tight, and compensation for entry level jobs is competitive. Some jobs that once paid minimum wage are advertising hourly rates that start at $17 or more.
Zaiser said the underlying value of these paid city internships lies in not just the money, but the ability to experience what a job in public service offers the community.
“You get to serve the city of San Diego and gain valuable professional experience ... and doing so all the while bringing home a paycheck,” he said. “But most importantly, you’re serving the residents of the city — that’s what public service is all about. There’s an aspect to it that’s more than just the money.”
Zaiser said applications are being accepted on a rolling basis with no deadline restrictions for summer, fall or spring terms. Interested candidates can learn more about the program and find open positions on the city’s website. With the program being so new, Zaiser said the city will continue to add positions as they become available.