'What about OUR kids?': Obama creates jobs for refugees

'So legal Americans are not worthy of summer jobs?'

School is nearly out and summer is upon us. Students and the unemployed will be hired for summer jobs while vacationers spur the economy. Everyone is hiring and the Obama administration is doing its part as well, with a budget of $21 million to create jobs nationwide for permanent part-time jobs, $2 million of which will be reserved for refugee job training.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - According to a White House Fact Sheet, the White House and Department of Labor has reserved $21 million for a Summer Opportunity Project (SOP).

The SOP  "is a multi-agency effort in partnership with the National Summer Learning Association and other collaborators to provide support to communities. The Project aims to significantly increase the percentage of youth in evidence-based summer opportunity programs, decrease the percentage of youth experiencing violence over the summer, and - more broadly - make sure that young Americans have the support they need to get their first job."

On Monday, the White House and Department of Labor announced the launch of the program in eleven American communities. The fact sheet explained: "The White House is also launching 16 Summer Impact Hubs--communities that will receive robust, coordinated support from 16 federal agencies to expand and refine their summer jobs, learning, including exposure to local innovation and entrepreneurship opportunities, meals, and violence reduction programs."

Grants provided by the government are set to launch the following projects:

• Utica, NY: The New Americans Career Pathways project will provide in-school youth with summer jobs and academic support for 400 students in the refugee populations of Utica, NY.  The students will receive summer job work experience and academic tutoring in English and Math, and support in finding part- time jobs.
• Portland, OR: The Pathways to Sector Employment for Youth project in the City of Portland and Multnomah and Washington Counties will provide on-ramps to industry sectors for in-school and out-of-school youth resulting in entry-level jobs along career pathways in health care, IT, manufacturing and infrastructure. All students will take a course in four targeted industry sectors and participate in a paid summer work experience.
• Tribal counties in California, Illinois and Iowa: The Summer Youth Career Pathways Project will provide employment-related services to eligible Native American youth with limited work experience. The project aims to increase career readiness via online training courses that include digital skills, financial education, soft skills, career pathways, and workforce essentials. CIMC will work with thirty partners, including workforce agencies, human service agencies, local education agencies, employers, and community-based organizations.
• Milwaukee, WI: The Milwaukee Career Plus project aims to connect in-school and out-of-school youth to career readiness, summer employment, continued education, career services and year-round employment opportunities. Program staff will be placed in high schools to connect directly with students, and a partnership with Milwaukee Public Schools will help to identify non-attenders as soon as possible and engage them in support.
• Hartford, CT: The Promise Zone YES! project aims to transform and align youth-serving systems and enhance development services for 275 youth. Capital Workforce Partners will partner with the City of Hartford, Hartford Public Schools, Connecticut State Colleges & Universities, and two employers.
• Chicago, IL: Beyond Summer Jobs program will prepare youth and connect them to permanent, unsubsidized employment. The project will serve 300 youth including 240 who are out of school. Youth will begin the program in a summer job and then will participate in an extended paid work experience at one of ten employer partners.
• Santa Maria, CA: Santa Maria Summer Jobs & Beyond will serve 260 young adults by working with six partners to provide services while creating paid work experience opportunities, including summer and year-round employment that lead to skill building and postsecondary education pathways with coordination through the County of Santa Barbara Workforce Development Board.
• Detroit, MI: Grow Detroit's Young Talent program will create summer employment and year-round work experiences for 1,000 disconnected youth and underserved populations, including Latino and Arab-American youth. The Detroit Employment Solutions Corporation will create a one-stop reengagement center for youth that will: provide case management, career planning and referral services; offer work experiences in high-demand industry sectors among other activities.

• Franklin Hampshire Region, MA: Franklin Hampshire Summer Jobs and Beyond project will target three of the most high-need and least-served communities in the western Massachusetts region with intensive outreach and services to youth. One-hundred-eighty in-school youth with little to no work experience will receive intensive services, including job placement and college readiness.
• Indianapolis, IN: Youth Works Indy program will enhance existing summer youth employment programs and expand work readiness skills training and work experiences for participants in high-poverty, high-crime Indianapolis neighborhoods. Youth Works Indy expects to enroll 834 youth, and place 364 in unsubsidized employment and 182 in post-secondary employment.  Indianapolis Private Industry Council, Inc. will partner with 5 summer employment programs, 4 local education agencies, 3 re-engagement centers, and 49 allied employers.
• Philadelphia, PA: PA CareerLink® Philadelphia: Youth & Young Adult Opportunity Hub (YOH/theHub) project will leverage partnerships with employers, universities, youth serving community organizations, and others to implement a multifaceted approach to providing youth with work experience opportunities that include summer and year-round part-time opportunities for in-school youth and exposure to in-demand job experience for out-of-school youth. The Hub will target 250 youth ages 16-24 in the Philadelphia area.

Despite the amazing program plans, the fact sheet also explained at least $2 million of the program's $21 million will be reserved specifically to fund programs for refugee youths, leaving a bitter taste in many American mouths.

According to The American Mirror, Americans focused sharply on the programs for refugees and seemed entirely unaware of the larger program for citizens.

"So legal Americans are not worthy of summer jobs?" user RockwellSprings commented. "Can't wait for November." User greats wrote: "This is absurd! Yes people, vote for Hillary. She wants this too.

To heck with American youth. Let's employ refugees who can't even speak English! Go Trump! Stand up for America!"

User bastracker added, "What about OUR kids? I am thoroughly disgusted."

While some Americans stand by their anti-Obama tendencies, it is clear to see that in this instance, his administration has stepped it up and made a monumental decision to help today's youth.

---

The California Network is the Next Wave in delivery of information and entertainment on pop culture, social trends, lifestyle, entertainment, news, politics and economics. We are hyper-focused on one audience, YOU, the connected generation. JOIN US AS WE REDEFINE AND REVOLUTIONIZE THE EVER-CHANGING MEDIA LANDSCAPE.