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NY announces nearly $40M for youth employment; Mid-Hudson to get largest share

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3 months ago

August 22, 2024

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NY announces nearly M for youth employment; Mid-Hudson to get largest share

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Thursday nearly $40 million has been awarded for the next phase of the state’s Youth Employment Program, and the mid-Hudson region is slated to get the largest share.

The funds were awarded to nine regions of the state outside New York City, with $10.5 million allocated for the mid-Hudson Valley.

Hochul said the program will help New York continue to reduce gun violence by providing job opportunities and training at-risk youth in communities across the state.

The program plays an important role in the state’s Gun Involved Violence Elimination (GIVE) Initiative, which operates in 21 counties with most of the state’s population outside New York City.

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“Public safety is my top priority, and I’ll never stop fighting to keep the people of this state safe and working to protect our most vulnerable youth,” Hochul said in a statement released by her office.

Hochul said the program provides at-risk youth with valuable work experience and skills that will help ensure they have strong futures.

What’s included in NY’s youth employment funding

The $38.8 million awarded Thursday includes investments in year-round jobs and training opportunities for young people in regions that receive support from the GIVE Initiative. The funding is expected to provide paid work and training opportunities for approximately 2,500 at-risk youth across those areas of the state from September 2024 to June 2025.

The program already has connected thousands of young people with jobs and training. The most recent phase of the program ran from Jan. 1 to June 30 of this year, when approximately 2,650 young people participated in the program, working at schools, libraries, restaurants, camps and child care programs, community organizations and other job sites.

Earlier this week, Hochul announced shooting incidents with injuries declined 29% from January to July of this year, compared to the same seven-month period last year, as reported by the 28 police departments across 21 counties participating in the GIVE Initiative.

Hochul said that in many GIVE districts, shootings are now at their lowest level on record since the state began tracking that information two decades ago.

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To be eligible for the next phase of the program, kids must be between the ages of 14 and 20 and have a household income below 200% of the federal poverty level, which varies by household size and, for example, is currently $51,640 for a family of three.

Youth Employment Program providers are encouraged to collaborate with local law enforcement and other local organizations serving at-risk youth, and must collaborate with local SNUG (Should Never Use Guns) street outreach programs if such programs are available in their district.

SNUG street outreach programs are administered by the state Division of Criminal Justice Services and seek to address gun violence by identifying the source, interrupting the transmission and treating individuals, families and communities affected by the violence.

Mike Randall covers breaking news for the Times Herald-Record and the Poughkeepsie Journal. Reach him at mrandall@th-record.com.