Boston Mayor Martin Walsh and the Department of Youth Engagement and Employment announced Tuesday the launch of SuccessLink, an online database that aims to prepare Boston youth for success through summer employment and other career services, according to a Tuesday press release.
SuccessLink provides Boston residents ages 15-18 the ability to register for summer employment opportunities around the city, as well as career development opportunities, peer-led workshops, scholarships and civic engagement opportunities, the release stated.
“It is time for our young people and families to start making summer plans now, and we want to give them all of the tools to do so,” Walsh said in the release. “We are opening up the SuccessLink so that teens can register for employment, and we have extended registration from 4 weeks to nearly 8 weeks to give all of our young people a chance to connect with us.”
Shari Davis, executive director of the Department of Youth Engagement and Employment, said the objective of SuccessLink is to provide opportunities for every Boston youth.
“SuccessLink is really about building your pathway for success and getting connected with our full level of services,” she said. “I want to speak to the mayor’s vision for youth employment. He believes that every young person in this city who is looking for an employment opportunity should be able to have one, and that’s what we’re trying to get to.”
SuccessLink partners with over 200 businesses to offer over 3,000 summer employment opportunities, Davis said.
“We’ve had folks working in childcare. We’ve had folks work in technology, safety or learning to be peer educators,” Davis said. “There’s a lot of variety in the program.”
Partners range from the Franklin Park Zoo and New England Aquarium to positions in the Department’s own offices, Davis said.
The Department is working closely with the Mayor’s Youth Council to develop the program to best suit Boston’s youth, said Bianca Reyes, a Mattapan representative on the Mayor’s Youth Council and SuccessLink program specialist.
“One of our goals is just communicating with the teens in our community, like we just want teens to know that we’re here to help and how we empower each other as well, and to have a youth’s perspective on success,” Reyes said.
The Mayor’s Youth Council, a group of approximately 85 teenagers, provides accessible youth representatives to guide applicants through the SuccessLink process, said Mabel Gonzalez Nunez, also a Mattapan representative on the Mayor’s Youth Council.
“Instead of adults going on and telling them that you can apply for a job, we have peer-on-peer explanation on how teens can learn from this experience and be able to grow from this experience by applying to the SuccessLink,” Nunez said. “That way they’re more confident.”
The Boston Youth Fund, along with other youth services, was consolidated into the Department last January, the release stated. SuccessLink combines all services offered by the Department on a single online database.
Reyes said she found a summer employment opportunity during summer 2014 through the precursor to SuccessLink, known as the Boston Youth Fund.
“From my own experience, not only did I gain simple problem solving skills or professionalism in general, but just getting out there, and learning new things,” Reyes said.
Nunez said she also benefitted from her previous summer’s employment found through the Boston Youth Fund.
“My experience with my summer job has been amazing. I learned tons of different skills, tons of different people I never knew I’d have the opportunity to meet,” she said. “As a senior now, I frequently encounter college admissions counselors, and they’re overwhelmed by my professionalism and how I communicate with others, and these are all skills I developed through my summer job program and my involvement with summer jobs and my continued progress with summer jobs.”
Davis emphasized the impact that Boston youth have on the industry, through fresh perspectives on ideas such as social media.
“These young people are meeting adults in serious industries and capacities and really adding to their industry,” Davis said. “When I put a post on Facebook, it might get 5 views. When Mabel puts something on Facebook, we might get 500 views. I think that’s the expertise that young people bring to the table, that cultural sensitivity and the ability to connect with their peers in the way organizations really need.”
The SuccessLink application will be available until midnight on March 27 and is available 24 hours a day, the release stated.
Several residents said SuccessLink will be beneficial to youth and teenagers, not only by keeping them occupied over the summer, but also by helping them build professional experience.
Asher Denburg, 20, of Fenway, said summer employment is important to building resumes for students.
“I always got summer jobs with a theatre company in my town, but I know a lot of people who just never had a single thing to do while school was out,” he said. “It would be useful for teens because getting them into jobs early is a good way to build up their resume and also make them more mature, so when it’s actually time for them to find a job, they already have experience.”
Hannah Fleishman, 26, of downtown Boston, said SuccessLink could be beneficial for initially engaging those looking for summer employment.
“It seems like a good way to get more young people to start thinking about their future. I don’t know how it’s set up, but if they can get jobs in their areas of interest, it could be a way of figuring out where your interests lie and what you want to devote more time to,” Fleishman said. “You still have to get kids to sign up for it, but it’s worth a shot.”
Jen Swafford, 24, of Fenway, said summer employment is a cost-efficient alternative to expensive summer activities for students.
“It sounds like a great resource for people who don’t know what to do with their summers. Especially if parents can’t afford expensive camps and programs, jobs can be just as rewarding and impressive for colleges to see,” she said. “As long as they don’t overdo it, and it really works in setting teens up with jobs, I’d say yes to using it.”
Caroline Lord contributed to the reporting of this article.
