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Partner4Work NewsJun 26, 2012

Youth summer jobs shrink by 55 percent

Summer employment opportunities for high school students in the Pittsburgh area have shrunk by more than 55 percent since 2000, reflecting statewide and national trends, according to a new report by the Three Rivers Workforce Investment Board.

The summer youth workforce declined to 14,065 in 2011, down from 31,480 in 2000. In 2011, nearly 75 percent of summer jobs for youth ages 14 through 18 were in accommodation/food services, retail and entertainment/recreation. Only a small number of jobs were in technical or skilled sectors.

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And only around 6 percent of the 59,000 eligible students were enrolled in one of the 30-plus training programs at career and technical learning centers in the region, according to TRWIB. Cosmetology, automotive technology and culinary arts were the top programs for students in these programs, comprising 75 percent of graduates in 2011.

Several thousand youth in Allegheny County between ages 14 and 24 were neither employed nor in school.

Nearly 30,000 students graduated in 2010 from colleges and universities in the region, with nearly half receiving a bachelor's degree, 24 percent a master's degree and 12 percent an associate's degree, according to the report. Business, health and related programs and education were the three top areas of study, accounting for 73 percent of all graduates.

Source: Pittsburgh Business Times

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Nationally recognized for innovation, Partner4Work delivers workforce solutions for Pittsburgh and Allegheny County to ensure the current and future needs of businesses and job seekers are met. As stewards of more than $25 million in public and private workforce funds, Partner4Work oversees and funds workforce programs for adults, dislocated workers, and youth; educates the community through robust labor market analytics; and implements innovative solutions to the region's systemic workforce challenges. Partner4Work bridges the gap between people looking for work and companies in need of talent. More information is available at www.partner4work.org.