ORLANDO, Fla. – As WKMG Hits the Road to the 32801 zip code, we are highlighting Orlando’s Summer Youth Employment Program. It’s for teens age 15-19 who live in the city of Orlando and are enrolled in Kidz Zones programs.
Bambi McDougald, the youth employment program manager, described it as a supported and paid internship experience. Students are placed with businesses for a five-week internship, at no cost to the business. McDougald said it is funded by the City of Orlando and several grants.
“They pay for the student’s wages, training, and even some support like transportation assistance. Sometimes even childcare assistance and clothing assistance to make sure they have everything they need at their internship,” she said. “The youth that are currently entering into this workforce are the future of the city of Orlando so why not invest in them? Investing in them is investing in the future. So we want to make sure we train them, and expose them to different careers and different options. A strong youth workforce is a stronger workforce for the city of Orlando.
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News 6 Anchor Julie Broughton visited the Darling Law Firm in downtown Orlando. Attorney Andrew Darling says this is his first year participating in the program.
“Let’s take in these young people. Give them what they need. The mentorship. The Leadership. The responsibility too. Sometimes you have to give young people a task that’s tough. And then you have to follow up and make sure they do it,” Darling said. “We’re going to show them the value of appearing somewhere on time. Of dressing professionally. Of doing all those things that a lot of our young people never experience. And it’s one of the things that I never experienced growing up.”
Boone High School senior Jamilah Thomas is interning at Darling Law. She’s in the law magnet program at Boone and says her experience this summer with criminal defense law is helping her decide her future career.
“I’ve been able to look at depositions and watch videos. I’ve also been able to read through medical records and I’ve been able to break down everything,” she said. “So, I want to be an attorney. It’s just a matter of what type of law I want to study. So, getting this experience has taught me this is an option for me. Not every day is the same I can say. You see a lot of different things with the day.”
Internships are also offered in the fall. The city is looking for more businesses to participate. You can find more information online by clicking here.