The Youth Career Launch is a pilot program to partner with maritime industry employers, provide training and services to young people between the ages of 16-24, and place youth in internships that may lead to full-time employment in entry-level maritime roles.
The pilot program will be funded for a total of $4.1 million over three years to directly support maritime industry career preparation and launch. The following partners are leading the program - for more information, please visit their websites:
Background
The Youth Career Launch Program builds on work begun by the Port in 2020 when it created the Opportunity Youth Initiative as a direct response to the economic crisis in communities most impacted by COVID.
In 2021, the Opportunity Youth Initiative provided 280 youth – the majority of whom were youth of color and from economically distressed zip codes – with internship training opportunities in Port-related jobs and careers in aviation, construction, green jobs, and maritime.
An order presented by Commissioner Hamdi Mohamed and supported by fellow commissioners renames the Port’s Opportunity Youth Initiative to the Youth Career Launch Program, explores how to evolve the program from a temporary economic response to a permanent program aligned with core Port priorities and best practices, expands community and industry partnership, and lays the groundwork for a process to evaluate and set a plan for the program’s future by the end of 2024.
