The NYC Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP)

The Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) is a joint effort between the New York City Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) and United Activities Unlimited, Inc., one of its providers. SYEP is the nation’s most extensive youth employment program, connecting NYC youth aged 14 and 24 with career exploration opportunities and paid work experience each summer within their local communities.

Participants in the SYEP can explore their interests and career pathways, develop workplace skills, and engage in learning experiences that help build their social and civic leadership skills.

The program is split into two primary cohorts: Younger Youth (for participants ages 14 and 15) and Older Youth (for participants ages 16 through 24). By participating in structured project-based learning (for Younger Youth) and work-based opportunities (for Older Youth), participants are better equipped to handle future career opportunities. To learn more about what each cohort’s SYEP experience consists of, please scroll to the bottom of this page.

Watch the video to learn about the benefits of the NYC Summer Youth Employment program and hear first-hand experiences of how SYEP has changed the lives of youth within our community.

As 14 and 15-year-olds, developing your social, civic, and leadership skills is crucial before entering the workforce. By combining curriculum with hands-on tasks in our project-based learning model, our participants gain these essential skills, allowing them to segue from a young middle school/high school student into a working young adult. These project-based learning experiences provide enriching career exploration and the foundations necessary to prepare participants to enter the workforce. Additionally, participants in this cohort will develop the leadership, social, and emotional skills required to succeed on whichever career path they choose. Younger Youth can earn up to $700 for participation in 6 weeks of the program, providing that the participant completes all program requirements. Individuals who complete the younger youth cohort are better equipped in the following years if they choose to participate in our older youth cohort and further explore their career interests.

16 through 24 year-olds in the SYEP program have reached a new crossroads on their journey to entering the workforce. Participants in the older youth cohort are placed into traditional workplace settings where they are able to further develop the leadership and social skills necessary to succeed in today’s everchanging society. Utilizing our organization’s partnerships with schools and businesses in various industries ranging from hospitality to healthcare, participants in this cohort can express their career interests and be placed in a summer internship which aligns with these interests, providing them with the opportunity to explore the field and gain unparalleled hands-on experience. Participants are able to work 25 hours per week, for 6 weeks, and are paid $16 per hour. By building these connections, and networking with individuals within their field of choice,  many participants within this cohort obtain long-term employment opportunities after the program concludes.

Carol Hooper
Director of SYEP
Workforce Development
Office Line: 929-314-5585 Ext. 905
Email: chooper@unitedactivities.org