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Why now is the time to apply for a summer job in DC

Summer may feel a long way off, but now is the time to apply if you want to be part of D.C.’s summer jobs program, known formally as the “Mayor Marion S. Barry Summer Youth Employment Program.”

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said Monday that applications are now open for the program, which is now in its 46th year.

“Young people, you start thinking about what you want to get from this summer jobs program. Do you know what industry you want to go to?” she asked.

The program helps young people ages 14 to 24 get summer jobs to develop skills for future employment. In 2023, about 14,000 young people participated in the program — compared to 12,000 who participated last year.

Unique Morris-Hughes, director of D.C.’s Department of Employment Services, said the city has new partners this year in the areas of banking and finance.

“This summer, we’re going to empower you, not just for you to learn yourself, but to teach others in your home and your community on the importance of financial services and financial literacy,” she said.

The newest version of the program is “a specialized learning experience for high school students aged 16 to 18,” Bowser’s office said in a release. Selected students will spend six weeks receiving hands-on training in fields like accounting, economics, international finance, and risk management.

Employers in the D.C. area make the annual program possible by volunteering to serve as host employers and providing structured job opportunities for youths during the summer.

The deadline to apply for the program is Thursday, March 6.

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Kyle Cooper

Weekend and fill-in anchor Kyle Cooper has been with WTOP since 1992. Over those 25 years, Kyle has worked as a street reporter, editor and anchor. Prior to WTOP, Kyle worked at several radio stations in Indiana and at the Indianapolis Star Newspaper.

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