Photo: Mike Macklin/WBZ NewsRadio
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) – Job seekers aged 14 to 24 gathered at the Reggie Lewis Center for the Youth Jobs and Resource Fair on Saturday, after several fights forced the original event to close earlier this year.
The event, hosted by the City of Boston in collaboration with the Bay State Banner and Roxbury Community College, connected over 2,000 young people with more than 150 resource services and potential employers. Attendees received early access to job application assistance, career development resources, onboarding workshops, and the opportunity to open a bank account.
The summer jobs program runs from June 23 to August 29, and organizers hope to surpass last year's record of employed youth.
"Last summer, we had more than 10,000 young people participating, getting skills, staying active over the summer, and we're going to break that record this year," Mayor Michelle Wu said.
More than 3,000 people are already in the process of onboarding for their summer gigs. While applying online for employment is a viable option, Mayor Wu encourages young people to attend the job fair in person.
"You can get all the jobs online. You can go apply. You can browse all the listings, but there's nothing like being here in person, getting to shake the hand of a potential employer," Wu said.
The city will continue to hold job fairs at different locations to connect potential employees with jobs and resources. The previous event in March had to be called off early after several fights broke out amongst those in attendance.
WBZ's Mike Macklin has more.