July 13, 2016
Page 5
A large group of young people, ages 16-24, gather at the Oregon Historical Society to celebrate SummerWorks, the sixth year Multnomah County has joined Worksystems
and other organizations to provide summer employment opportunities.
Summer Jobs Program Expands
1,000 teens and
young adults
participate in
SummerWorks
One thousand teens and young
adults are finding employment op-
portunities this summer, a new re-
cord for SummerWorks, the sixth
year for Multnomah County’s
summer jobs program.
“It’s a milestone my friends
and I have been striving for a
long, long time,” said Worksys-
tems Executive Director Andrew
McGough. The youth will work
as interns for organizations like
Boeing and Elemental Technol-
ogies, as well as Multnomah
County.
The city of Portland and sever-
al other organizations also work
to make SummerWorks possible.
The program pays for the wages
of its young participants, 93 per-
cent of whom are low-income; 76
percent are youth of color.
County Commissioner Loretta
Smith has been a major backer
of the program and its expansion
over the years. During a Summer-
Works kick-off July 1 at the Ore-
gon Historical Society she talked
about her first job out of college
as a receptionist for U.S. Sen. Ron
Wyden, who was then a member
of the U.S. House. Wyden, who
gave a speech at the event, was
someone who encouraged Smith
to run for county commissioner
back in 2010.
Portland Mayor Charlie Hales
also spoke at the event. He pointed
out that these summer internships
could open doors for the kids they
didn’t know were there. He ex-
plained how a job in construction
eventually led to his position as
the mayor of Portland. “You never
know where that first job will lead
you,” he said.
The keynote speaker was Ian
Williams, the African-American
founder of a sneaker culture-in-
spired coffee shop in northwest
Portland.
“Use this opportunity. This is
really real. This is a lot of work,”
he said to the young people in
the audience, pausing for a few
moments. “Make sure you give
back.”