Philadelphia Youth Network uses survey to better match summer jobs, students and their goals

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In an effort to make career-focused summer jobs and internships for high school students, the Philadelphia Youth Network (PYN) surveyed 900 students, primarily 16 to 17 years old, to ask about their career goals and what they saw as barriers to their success.

More than one-quarter of the respondents said health care (27%) was their top career choice, followed by business/finance (11%) and arts/entertainment (9%). They listed a lack of experience and transportation as key barriers to their career success, as well as professional clothing or uniforms.

“What stood out to me was that 61% of kids said that they were less interested in the money and more interest in the experience,” said Wendy-Anne Roberts-Johnson, PYN president. “They are wise enough to know that there is more to work than just money.”

The findings of the survey will inform how PYN matches students with jobs that fit into their career goals, she said.

“Employment means nothing for a young person other than money in hand,” Roberts-Johnson said, “if they are not thinking about ‘what is my career path? What are the opportunities that are open to me?’ ”

“I’ve been pushing us to start to tailor the work experiences of young people to their actual interests,” Roberts-Johnson said.

PYN reached out to about 20,000 program participants or students who had completed an application expressing an interest in the jobs program to fill out the survey in September.

The results are directing Roberts-Johnson’s work as she expects to raise about $100,000 in grants to help students with the costs of transportation, uniforms or professional attire, and even personal funds before they land their first paycheck.

Earlier this year, the city of Philadelphia reconfigured and renamed its summer jobs program Career Connected Learning PHL, or C2L-PHL. PYN, along with more than 50 other nonprofit groups, is a provider partner with the city’s employment system.

At the time, the city, in partnership with the School District, said it would provide 8,000 summer jobs that would focus on career opportunities, and another 2,000 year-around internships and jobs for residents ages 12 to 24.

The program is run out of the city’s Office of Children and Families.

This year, the Lenfest Center for Community Workforce Partnerships at Temple University,

headed by Executive Director Shirley Moy, placed about 75 students. A nonprofit group, JEVS Human Services, provides program oversight and fiscal management for the program.

During the summer, students are paid a stipend of up to $1,320.

A 2022 Pew Research Center report revealed that more than one-third (36%) of all U.S. teenagers, 6 million of them, had a paying job for at least part of the year. It was the highest rate of employment for that age group since 2008. During the pandemic in 2020, summer employment for young people dropped significantly.

According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, internships are one of the key factors that employers take into consideration when considering a candidate for employment.

Cameron Morris, a 17-year-old senior at Roman Catholic High School, landed a six-week internship through PYN in the office of Councilmember-at-Large Nicolas O’Rourke, handling constituent services this past summer. Morris said he wants to pursue a career as an engineer and has his sights set on the University of Pennsylvania as his top choice.

“Basically, the way I look at it is as customer service for the government,” Morris said.

During the internship, he responded to citizen’s inquiries or problems by email or telephone. He learned how to execute tasks and gained valuable communication and networking skills.

“It gave me confidence because I was the youngest person there. In this phase in my life, in my transitional stage into an adult, I got my toes wet,” Morris said. “I’m grateful to PYN for the opportunity.”