Mayor Sylvester Turner joined city officials and business leaders for the 2023 kick off of his signature program, Hire Houston Youth, continuing his commitment to invest in today’s youth and young adults to ensure a better, more equitable tomorrow.

Paid local jobs and internships are available for the eight-week program, open to young people between the ages of 16 – 24. The positions are in the City of Houston and the public, private, and philanthropic sectors. Mayor Turner has set a goal this year of providing 15,000 jobs, with a stretch goal of 20,000 jobs.

If you are an employer interested in joining Hire Houston Youth, please visit https://hirehoustonyouth.org/employers/, and if you are a youth or young adult wanting to register visit: https://hirehoustonyouth.org/youth/.

In April 2016, Hire Houston Youth was launched through the Mayor’s Office of Education and Youth Engagement to serve as a facilitator to connect youth, where they are empowered with an “earn and learn” opportunity in Houston’s dynamic economy.

“Hire Houston Youth provides the City of Houston with an opportunity to address long-standing inequities by creating pathways for residents to resilient, living wage trajectory jobs,” said Mayor Turner. “The program enables Houston’s youth to acquire the training and skills needed for a successful path to higher education and future careers. The City of Houston is dedicated to offering and securing these opportunities and ensuring success during and after these internships, including providing financial counseling to those employed at the City of Houston.”

National surveys show that young adults have some of the lowest levels of financial literacy. When young people understand how to manage their money, they increase their chances of long-term stability and security. To help youth achieve financial literacy, the Mayor’s Office of Education and Youth Engagement is supported by the Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund and has partnered with SER jobs and BankOn to teach a variety of topics, including budgeting, the value of building your credit score, personal loans, and more.

Hire Houston Youth Press Conference Photo 1

The mayor was joined at the press conference by Houston Independent School District Superintendent Millard House II, Alief Independent School District Superintendent Anthony Mays, Retired McDonald’s Owner and Operator Dave Moss, University of Houston Bauer College Dean Paul Pavlou, several council members, and business leaders. Also present was former Hire Houston Youth intern Tommy Wan.

“Because of Hire Houston Youth, I now want to work in local government,” said Tommy Wan. “It is an avenue for change focusing on urban policy, transportation, infrastructure and housing needs for the City of Houston. The experience and skills I obtained working with Council Member Tiffany D. Thomas in my home district, District F will take me beyond Hire Houston Youth, and I want to thank Mayor Sylvester Turner for this opportunity.”

Over the past 40 years, Houston has grown from a blue collar, industrial era economy to an international, high-tech economy. “The Mayor’s Office of Education and Youth Engagement has worked diligently to register employers that reflect current workforce trends and are diverse in nature,” said Education and Youth Engagement Director Olivera Jankovska.

“United Airlines is proud to once again support and partner with Mayor Turner and the Hire Houston Youth program,” said United Airlines’ Director of Corporate and Government Affairs Darrin Hall. “United’s participation in the program provides Houston’s youth with an opportunity to work with one of the city’s largest private employers.”

Additionally, Mayor Turner included Hire Houston Youth in his One Safe Houston campaign that seeks to reduce violence, prevent crime, provide increased crisis intervention, engage the community, and provide outreach opportunities to young people.

Hire Houston Youth ensures that Houston’s youth and young adults have options and are given the opportunity to explore different career paths.