On April 4, City Manager Tom Ambrosino and the Chelsea Collaborative conducted a lottery to select numerous young residents for summer youth employment positions.
According to Director Gladys Vega, the lottery represented a significant opportunity to place over 100 youth in jobs throughout the community, though demand substantially exceeded available positions.
“This year we received more than 300
applications, with more that came after the deadline,” she said. “Due to our
funding, we are able to offer only 150 spots this year. We are excited to pair
youth with more than 40 of our longstanding partners, including City of
Chelsea, Chelsea Police, Intergenerational Literacy Program, Jordan Boys &
Girls Club, North Suffolk Mental Health and others.”
The lottery process resulted in 185 names being drawn across multiple age brackets.
While some candidates were selected outright, others were placed on a waiting list. The applicant pool skewed notably toward younger age groups.
Those selected through the lottery will participate in interviews during this week’s School Spring Break. Candidates who perform well in these interviews will meet with their assigned employers in June for additional training.
The Summer Youth Employment Initiative (SYEI) officially launches on July 1.