New York State’s budget woes are going to take a huge chunk out of the city’s Summer Youth Employment Program, which allows thousands of young people to get their first job experience. The program received a drastic cut in their budget, meaning fewer jobs for kids and increased competition for the jobs available.

Bob Altman, the assistant executive director for the Mosholu Montefiore Community Center (MMCC), which operates the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP), said the program is crucial and loss of funding devastating.

“Most of the people who are in the city got their first job through Summer Youth,” Altman says. “It provides life skills to kids on how to get a job, how to keep a job, and gives them money to buy books and things for school.”

The program pays for youth to work during the summer months at local businesses and organizations. Last year, Summer Youth provided 36,000 jobs and received 143,000 applications.

This year’s projected number of summer youth jobs for New York City is 24,000 after the state restored a portion of the program’s funding.

Rosa Santiago is a coordinator for the In-School Youth Program, a kind of year-round version of the bigger summer program. It is a subsidiary of MMCC. Kids apply for her program and if they qualify, they get help with SATs, tutoring, counseling, and a guaranteed summer youth job.

“I’m not happy. We used to get a lot of jobs. Now because of budget cuts we are getting a small amount,” says Santiago. “This program is important because it keeps kids off the street, it helps them with college and helping their parents. These kids save their money. They’re preparing for graduations and proms. The money goes to feeding themselves and their families.”

Through Santiago’s program, kids are guaranteed a job so they do not have to go through the lottery where they are put up against thousands of other applicants looking for a job. Some of the kids are even hired by her office to do clerical work. This year the program has about 63 kids a huge cut from last year. Her program also helps kids find a job throughout the rest of the year though those jobs are not guaranteed.

“It’s hard to find a job at a young age,” says Dalie Santana, one of the students taking part in Santiago’s program.

“Last year, I was 17 and looking for a job,” says Felix Castillo, who is also taking part in Santiago’s program. “No places were hiring and the Summer Youth line [to apply for the program at MMCC] went around the whole block.”

Summer Youth not only provides jobs, but education to the participants.

“We give a range of interactive courses for the kids,” said Andre White, SYEP’s director. They get work readiness, financial literacy, and advice on higher education and health education.”

The cuts came as state officials were trying to close the $10 billion deficit.

“Right now, the city contributes $26 million and the state is only putting in about $8 million,” says White. “We have more applications but less funding, which means fewer young people working, and they carry those experiences of rejection.”

Without help from SYEP and in a down economy, Santiago says finding a job on their own will be a struggle.

“The kids face more competition against young adults who have [their own] kids,” says Santiago.

On top of that, many local nonprofit organizations use the free labor provided by SYEP to offer discounted services.

“A lot of places depend on Summer Youth,” says Altman. “Churches and camps don’t charge as much when they have people from summer youth.”

Editor’s Note: For more information or to apply for the Summer Youth Employment Program, call (718) 882-4000 or visit the websites at www.mmcc.org and https://application.nycsyep.com.