Photo Courtesy of Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office
“New York City is a hub for talented youth,” Mayor de Blasio said.
By Forum Staff
The City has placed a record number of young adults in paid summer internships through the Ladders for Leaders program, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Monday.
According to the administration, a pro-bono ad campaign urging employers across the five boroughs to hire local talent helped secure 600 participating employers this summer, as projected, up from 475 in 2016.
“New York City is a hub for talented youth,” de Blasio said. “Through the Ladders for Leaders program, not only do we help our young people explore potential career paths, we also introduce them to the very people who may hire them one day – and the annual increase in employers shows just how mutually beneficial that is.”
Ladders for Leaders, part of the City’s Department of Youth and Community Development Summer Youth Employment Program, is a competitive summer internship program connecting businesses of all sizes to local, high-achieving high school and college students. Applicants must have a 3.0 grade-point average, undergo a rigorous review process and receive 30 hours of training prior to their internship. They are guaranteed a minimum of 25 hours of work per week in the six week program.
The print and broadcast ad campaign – the first of its kind geared toward employers – was driven by pro-bono, public-private partnerships with Discovery Communications as part of its annual “Creating Change” pro-bono initiative, Young & Rubicam, Clear Channel Outdoor, OUTRFRONT Media, JCDecaux and iHeart Media. It featured two 30-second public service announcements and a print ad campaign. The PSAs ran across city broadcast channels (NYC Life/NYC Gov) and Taxi TV and featured alumni from Ladders. An accompanying radio spot played on iHeart Media Online, WNYE 91.6 FM and New York City’s on-hold messaging reel. Original print and digital ads appeared via LinkNYC kiosks; Clear Channel Billboards; OUTFRONT Media Digital Billboards; and in JCDecaux bus shelters across all five boroughs.
“We are thrilled to have so many private partners making a real commitment to investing in our next generation of leaders. Expanding early work experience is a proven step in helping young New Yorkers prepare for the workforce – which is good for New York City communities and businesses alike. Congratulations to the Center for Youth Employment and the Department of Youth and Community Development, who have helped foster this continued growth; and thank you to the private partners who are helping us to build a diverse homegrown talent pool that will continue to strengthen our City’s economic future,” said Darren Bloch, executive director of the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City.
