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Joe Hogsett announces Indianapolis summer jobs initiative

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Former federal prosecutor Joe Hogsett announced today his plan to convene Indianapolis non-profit and corporate partners to launch a comprehensive Summer Youth Employment Initiative in 2016. Citing the rise in violent crime over the last three years and last weekā€™s Your Life Matters action plan, Hogsett said that Indianapolis must act quickly to provide young people productive opportunities during the summer months.

ā€œWith no additional cost to taxpayers, our city has the capability to start a comprehensive summer jobs initiative next year that will give hundreds of young people job experience, useful skills, and productive alternatives to crime and gangs,ā€ Hogsett said. ā€œI learned as federal prosecutor that the best ideas donā€™t require more bureaucracy ā€“ they just require leadership that can harness the kind of energy and commitment that our cityā€™s corporate and non-profit partners showed with last weekā€™s release of the Your Life Matters action plan.ā€

While there are several examples of successful standalone youth employment initiatives in Indianapolis, the city is without a prioritized, coordinated effort to provide summer job opportunities to young people. Hogsett will lead an effort to bring these groups together with the goal of launching a unified Summer Youth Employment Initiative in 2016 with 1,000 available jobs.

Rather than adding another layer of government bureaucracy, Hogsett will convene the diverse groups already working to employ our youth and direct those energies toward a comprehensive summer jobs initiative. As Mayor, Hogsett would also oversee further policy development, raise funds from individual and corporate partners, secure job commitments from employers, and seek to grow the initiative each year.

Beginning in the summer of 2016, these jobs will be available to young people in Marion County. Participating organizations and employers will offer positions that range from 20 to 25 hours per week with wages of at least $8 per hour for six weeks during the summer.

In addition to providing valuable life experience and meaningful income to the programā€™s participants, the City of Indianapolis would also work with participating organizations and employers to ensure that every young person receives job skills training that will equip them to be full participants in the local economy.

These skills would include rƩsumƩ building workshops, job fairs for post-summer employment, and easily accessible information on the diverse educational and employment opportunities available for young people who may have different paths to individual achievement.

For 2016 and 2017, the estimated cost will be approximately $3 million ā€“ none of which will come from new tax revenues. Much of this funding will come from the corporate or non-profit partners, while additional funds from philanthropic organizations and federal grants will support positions with properly vetted non-profit or faith-based organizations.

Joe Hogsett served for four years as the U.S. Attorney where he accumulated an impressive crime-fighting record. Under Hogsett, the U.S. Attorneyā€™s Office broke records for the number of defendants charged, the number of criminal convictions, and led the nation in the average length of sentences imposed. The office also reduced total spending every year of Hogsettā€™s tenure.

Marion County Prosecutor Terry Curry released the following statement in support of Hogsettā€™s summer jobs initiative:

ā€œAs Marion County Prosecutor for the past five years, I have seen firsthand what happens when too many of our young people have too little to do over the summer. Working with the U.S. Attorneyā€™s Office, I also witnessed Joe Hogsettā€™s ability to bring together groups to focus on important problems. That is why I wholeheartedly support his Summer Youth Employment Initiative. This effort will both drive down crime rates and provide young people important jobs skills. I look forward to continuing to work with Joe as we advance this important initiative.ā€

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