Teens: Get paid to learn job skills

Know a teen who needs a summer job? Travis County and the city of Austin collaborate on a paid summer youth employment program, or SYEP, for teens 14-17 and young adults with disabilities from 14 to 22. There are two five-week sessions between June and August, and a recent pay bump brings the compensation up to $13/hour. SYEP “provides an opportunity for young people to develop competence, confidence, and workplace skills in a real-world environment. The participants will have an opportunity to gain job-specific skills and work with positive role models who can provide guidance in setting and achieving long-term goals.” If all this sounds interesting, get started on the application process by signing up to attend a mandatory job readiness training.