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The Hire One Youth Program in Baltimore connects young people between the ages of fourteen and twenty-one with five week work experiences.  For many youth, this will be their first real job and will teach them the importance of being on time, being accountable, working as part of a team, and much more.

What makes the Hire One Youth Program so important is that it strategically matches older teens with their interests and projected career goals, making these internships a pivotal moment for Baltimore Youth. For many, opportunities like these may not have arisen otherwise.

This year, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake has a goal to make sure all 8,000 youth who are signed up for the program get placed in a job. Last week, Gov. Larry Hogan nearly doubled the state’s contribution to YouthWorks with more than $3 million. Additionally, the program received $20,000 from United Way of Central Maryland and a slice of the proceeds from Prince’s Rally 4 Peace concert last month.

For 2015, the program will not only be hugely beneficial to Baltimore’s youth, it will be a no-brainer for businesses across the city. This year only, Baltimore City is offering to pay the wages of youth that registered for the summer program. While businesses who can afford to pay their interns are still encouraged to do so, this enables companies who have little extra cash flow, such as non-profits, to participate in the program.

Later this summer, Children’s Scholarship Fund Baltimore is taking on a Hire One Youth intern and we are encouraging other businesses and non-profits alike to do the same. To learn more about the Hire One Youth program, please visit baltimorecity.gov.