06.20.06 Barrett Welcomes City Hall Interns to First Day on the Job

News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 20, 2006

Contact:	Eileen Force, Communications Director
	Office of Mayor Tom Barrett
	414-286-8504 (phone) 414-286-3191 (fax) eforce@milwaukee.gov

BARRETT WELCOMES CITY HALL INTERNS TO FIRST DAY ON THE JOB

MILWAUKEE (June 20, 2006) – Today is the first day on the job for the 210 interns staring work in City government this summer. Mayor Tom Barrett welcomed eight interns to his office in City Hall. These high school students are participating in the eight-week internship known as "Earn and Learn," part of Barrett's Summer Jobs Program. Barrett doled out a little advice during his meeting with the kids this morning. He instructed them to have a firm handshake and a positive attitude and take advantage of the tremendous opportunity they have this summer to learn about how their city works and develop skills they will use for the rest of their careers.

"I am excited to welcome these kids here for what will be a productive and informative summer. This is an incredible opportunity for them," said Mayor Barrett. "Putting kids to work in this program gives them an opportunity to consider careers they might not have otherwise been exposed to while giving them something positive to do in the summer and putting a few bucks in their pockets."

The Earn and Learn interns will spend 20 hours a week on the job; 16 hours will be dedicated to four-hour shifts Monday through Thursday in their assigned offices and four hours will be spent each Friday attending workshops, lectures and seminars on topics ranging from career planning and resume building to college preparedness. For the first time this year, the City has partnered with Legacy Bank to offer the students savings accounts with debit cards as paychecks so they can learn banking and money management skills.

First created in 2005 with less than 100 kids, Mayor Barrett's Summer Jobs Program has expanded this year to put more than 1,000 kids to work this summer. In addition to the 210 students in the "Earn and Learn" city internship program, there are 450 students who have been linked up with private employers such as Manpower, Miller Brewing Company, Legacy Bank and others. Recently, Governor Jim Doyle put $500,000 in state funding into the program which is being used to put 400 additional kids to work in non-profit and faith-based organizations beginning next month.

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