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State Allocates Funds For Youth Jobs Program

Thanks to a cash infusion into a state-run program, more than 4,700 at-risk youths could find jobs this summer.

Gov. Deval Patrick has allocated more than $9 million to the program, including $3.5 million that was originally set aside for next summer’s program.

The $9 million allocation will be given to 25 communities across the state. Most of the money comes from state through the YouthWorks program with an additional $1.8 million in federal stimulus funding.

At-risk youths have been hit especially hard by the recession, Patrick administration officials say, and those officials see many benefits to increasing funding for youth jobs programs.

The jobs will provide youths with “higher self-esteem and job readiness for the future,” said state Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development Joanne Goldstein. “So we consider this an investment, not only in the summer, but in our future as well.”

“We needed to act now,” said Lew Finter, of the Youth Jobs Coalition, which had advocated for the cash allocation. “And we're going to have to obviously act (and) continue the organizing next year to try to secure a reasonable amount of funds for next summer.”

Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino had previously announced a youth jobs program aimed at reducing violence in the city.

This program aired on July 12, 2010. The audio for this program is not available.

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