THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

President Clinton and Vice President Gore: Supporting Summer Jobs

         A Critical Investment in the Future of our Young People
                              July 29, 1998

One of the Most Extreme Cuts in the House Republican Bill Is the Complete Elimination of the Successful Summer Jobs Program -- Denying Roughly Half A Million Disadvantaged Young People the Opportunity to Gain Valuable Work Experience.

      Republicans Have Voted To Eliminate The Summer Jobs Program --
     Denying Up to 530,000 Young People Job Opportunities.  President
     Clinton proposes to invest $871 million in the Summer Jobs program,
     maintaining its current funding level, to provide job and training
     opportunities for up to 530,000 disadvantaged young people.  The 
     House Republican Labor-HHS appropriations bill entirely wipes out 
     this successful program.  The House budget also eliminates the 
     $250 million Youth Opportunities program designed to move 
     disadvantaged out-of-school youth into the workforce and cuts the 
     School-to-Work program.

      The Summer Jobs Program Works.  Last year, only one out of four
     African-American youth and one out of three Hispanic youth were
     employed.  Youth training investments not only provide jobs, but 
     they reinforce core values like work, opportunity, and 
     responsibility.   The Summer Jobs program provides an estimated 25 
     percent of the summer jobs held by African-American 14-15 year 
     olds, and at least 16 percent held by Hispanic 14-15 year olds.

     Without this Program, the Unemployment Rate for Minority Teenagers
     Would Be Much Higher.  In fact, a 1995 report by Westat, a leading
     consulting firm, concluded that more than three out of four young
     people enrolled in the program would have been jobless without it,
     especially 14-15 year olds.

How The Summer Jobs Program Works:

      This program provides summer jobs and academic training 
     opportunities for economically disadvantaged youth ages 14-21 
     during the summer.  These jobs often include clerical positions, 
     building maintenance, custodial, and repair positions, positions 
     in recreation, camps, and playgrounds, landscaping and 
     conservation positions, classroom aide positions, and positions in 
     day care centers, libraries, and museums.

      The program exposes these young people to the world of work, 
     teaches them responsibility, and helps build skills.  It also 
     attempts to help young people link what they learn during school 
     to what they learn at the work site.

      State and local governments, together with the private sector, 
     have primary responsibility for the development, management, and
     administration of the Summer Jobs Program.  The Governors have
     approval authority over program planning and monitoring, while 
     local service delivery areas assess the youth's needs and arrange 
     for work sites and work-based learning experiences.