Louisville's Summer Works job program has met its $1 million goal to employ up to 400 young workers this summer.The program, which pays youth to work at various non-profits and public agencies around the county, is administered though KentuckianaWorks, the Workforce Investment Board for the Greater Louisville region.Last year, the Summer Works program raised half-a-million dollars and employed 220 young people, said Michael Gritton, KentuckianaWorks executive director . This year the organization has shattered that number, and all 400 workers should be employed in the next week-and-a-half.“We’ve already got a whole bunch of kids that have signed up and done what we we’ve asked them to do. They’ve gone through job readiness training, they’ve been certified by somebody from the outside employment community that they’re ready to go," said Gritton.Earlier this year the Bureau of Labor Statistics released data showing over 12 percent of young people had unsuccessfully looked for a job during the previous weeks. Earlier this month, KentuckianaWorks was still shy of its goal.But, Gritton said the organization and Mayor Greg Fischer wer able to raise $750,000 and convince several private businesses, including Norton Hospital and Thornton's, to step up to employ a number of youth, which is valued at $2,500 per employee, allowing the organization to meet its $1 million goal.The remainder of the 400 youths that are participating are expected to be hired within the next 10 days, said Gritton.“We’re still working on that furiously," he said.
