Civic Youth Summer Jobs

The problem

Summer can be three months of opportunity or three months of nothing, depending on who you know. Teens in well-connected families land internships; everyone else watches the summer pass.

The plan

The city runs Civic Youth Summer Jobs: paid summer work for Tampa young people in city departments, nonprofits, and local businesses — with mentors, real skills, and a paycheck. The jobs target is set after a capacity model is built, so the number is honest about what employers can actually support.

Placements are matched to interests and growth: public service, trades, tech, arts, and small business — and the process is public so every family knows how to get in.

How you’ll know it’s working

• Capacity model published before any jobs target is set
• Youth placed across city, nonprofit, and private employers
• Mentor and supervisor satisfaction rates
• Post-summer education and employment follow-up

From the Blueprint

• Stipends are financed by a voluntary Civic Contribution Pool from city employees and partners, plus CDBG funds.
• Summer jobs are integrated into the TaskTampa digital platform, matching students to private-sector mentors.
• WIOA federal dollars fund wages; if grants dip, the plan pivots to a tax-credit model for businesses hiring summer youth.
• Placements span city departments and private-sector partners; the Tampa PD Youth Explorer Program launches alongside.
• Owner: HR and Parks & Rec; a formal Youth Summit feeds top-performing seniors into city apprenticeships or trade unions.