(Flint, Mich., April 8, 2024) Graduates of TeenQuest, a pre-employment program offered by Flint & Genesee Education & Talent, are invited to apply for the Summer Youth Initiative (SYI) job fair. 31 employers, including six new to the program, are looking to hire teens through SYI – giving these local students a chance to earn a paycheck and get introduced to the workforce.
“For some, SYI is their first job experience,” says James Avery, director of talent development for Flint & Genesee Education & Talent. “Each year, our employer partners give teens a wonderful experience working through the summer, which is valuable not just for now but for their future.”
98 percent of SYI participants said that SYI helped prepare them for their first job after SYI, according to a survey conducted by Strategic Policy Consultants, a company hired by Flint & Genesee Education & Talent to evaluate the TeenQuest and SYI programs.
Students are eligible to attend the SYI Job Fair, which will be held on May 11 at the Genesee Career Institute, if they have completed the TeenQuest program, are ages 14-19, are currently in grades 9-12, and reside and attend school in Genesee County.
Employers looking to hire during the job fair include:
- Asbury Community Development Corporation
- Beecher Community School District
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of Flint and Genesee County
- Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Flint
- Catholic Charities of Shiawassee & Genesee Counties
- Center of Lily Med Spa
- Davison Township Parks and Recreation
- Developing Respectful Educated Aspiring Minds with Sports
- Elle Jae Essentials
- Flint Children’s Museum
- Flint Freedom Schools Collaborative
- Flint Institute of Music
- Flint River Watershed Coalition (FRWC) Kayak Flint
- Food Bank of Eastern Michigan
- Fruits of Elegance
- GCCARD
- Genesee County Parks and Recreation Commission
- Gloria Coles Flint Public Library
- Good Church
- Goodwill Industries of Mid-Michigan
- Gottagetit
- Hand of Hope
- Life in 3D Aesthetic Services
- Mara Technologies
- Motherly Intercession
- Mott Community College
- Sylvester Broome Empowerment Village
- The Chosen Few Arts Council
- The Genesee County Prevention Coalition
- Urban Renaissance Center
- YMCA
Students eligible for the job fair will receive an email with a link to apply on Monday, April 8. Those who are eligible and have not received an email, please update your contact information by visiting EducateFlintandGenesee.org/Summer-Youth-Initiative.
About Flint & Genesee Education & Talent
Flint & Genesee Education & Talent, a division of the Flint & Genesee Group, provides high-quality programs for talent attraction, retention, and development including business trainings, Make Your Move, Flinterns, Leadership Flint & Genesee, career prep, TeenQuest, and Summer Youth Initiative; and is funded in part by Charles Stewart Mott Foundation and Michigan 21st Century Community Learning Centers. For more information, visit EducateFlintandGenesee.org, and check us out on Facebook.