While Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson celebrates the growth of summer job programs for youth, grim statistics reveal a troubling reality.
The number of young people participating in these programs remains below pre-pandemic levels, with a staggering 45,000 teens and young adults out of school and jobless, according to recent research.
The 2022 data further indicates that 17.3% of Black teens in Chicago were neither in school nor employed, a truth that cuts deep across neighborhoods such as Pilsen, Bridgeport, and Fuller Park, among others.
The impact of pandemic school closures on youth opportunity is evident; with campuses shut for 78 weeks, there was a notable spike in violence, as shootings, homicides, and carjackings involving school-aged youths surged.
Statistics indicate a 43% drop in violent crime arrests among students enrolled in summer job programs, underscoring the importance of such initiatives in public safety strategies.
However, simply offering summer jobs is not enough.
A deeper solution is needed—a year-round work-study program—designed to bridge the gap between education and vocational skills while providing students with valuable work experience.
The Cristo Rey Jesuit High School model serves as an exemplar. Established in 1996, this school, which primarily serves low-income minority students, integrates paid work-study into every student’s education.
Through this method, Cristo Rey equips students with the skills needed for success post-graduation while also fostering financial literacy and character development.
Currently, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) claims that around 15,000 of their 101,000 high school students are involved in various career and technical education programs.
However, analysis by Chalkbeat suggests that only a small fraction of these students gain meaningful work experience, college credit, or vocational credentials—the benchmarks for effective career programs.
This disconnect highlights a significant gap between the urgent need for youth employment and the available opportunities within CPS.
To protect and empower its youth, Chicago should expand schools utilizing the Cristo Rey work-study model, focusing on long-term solutions for education and job placement.
Mentorship and employment options can curtail crime rates significantly by instilling a sense of purpose and providing financial support to young individuals.
Moreover, structured work-study programs yield critical benefits, such as adult supervision and a healthier outlet for energies that may otherwise be redirected towards delinquency.
The city has an opportunity to create thousands of diverse work-study positions across essential sectors, including emergency services, construction, public transport, and various professional fields.
Requiring contract unions to provide paid internships and pre-apprenticeships, funded by CPS, could foster an inclusive approach to youth engagement.
Additionally, local vendors and developers could be incentivized to establish work-study pathways.
Not only would these initiatives bolster the workforce, but they also provide students with lucrative job experiences and skills that will serve them throughout their lives.
Implementing a work-study curriculum would not present an insurmountable financial burden.
It could be incorporated into the school structure as a replacement for less relevant elective courses or offered similarly to dual enrollment college options.
With potential adjustments to the operating budget of under-enrolled schools, reallocating just 3% could yield tens of thousands of work-study positions annually.
As students remain engaged in their education through work-study, increased state and federal funding will also follow.
CPS must look towards expanding alternative education programs that provide work-study and vocational training geared towards high schoolers and young adults at risk of dropping out.
There are successful precedents from cities like Milwaukee, Los Angeles, New York City, and even Chicago, that can guide efforts to re-engage out-of-school youth.
The Youth Connection Charter School, operating 17 campuses, already aims to support young adults, dropouts, veterans, and formerly incarcerated individuals seeking to reintegrate into society through job training programs.
Despite legislative approval for the establishment of five new charter schools specifically for older, out-of-school youth more than 12 years ago, CPS has yet to facilitate a single new charter.
This oversight must be rectified to better serve the community’s needs.
For any of these initiatives to succeed, however, the cooperation and flexibility of the Chicago Teachers Union will be crucial.
If the union genuinely prioritizes student welfare, they should embrace a strategy that allows for both work-study programs and the operation of charter schools within its framework.
Investing in work-study can offer a lifeline to vulnerable teenagers and young adults in Chicago.
In summary, a year-round program that integrates work experiences with education is essential in disrupting the cycle that leads youth away from the classroom and into wrongful paths.
To safeguard Chicago’s future, the city needs to take bold action in establishing a paid, work-study model that extends far beyond the summer months.
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