SuccessLink Youth Jobs
Local governments can invest in this strategy using State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).
- This strategy can provide assistance to unemployed workers and help prevent violence. The U.S. Department of Treasury has indicated that strategies that help achieve this outcome are eligible for the use of Fiscal Recovery Funds.
- Investments in this strategy are SLFRF-eligible as long as they are made in qualified census tracts or are designed to assist populations or communities disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.
Program overview
Facilitating summer employment for area youth: SuccessLink is a summer youth employment program operated by the City of Boston’s Office of Youth Employment and Opportunity (YEO). The program aims to improve job readiness, community engagement, and educational and criminal justice outcomes for area youth.
Identifying jobs across a range of fields: SuccessLink partners with nonprofits, community-based organizations, and City agencies to identify meaningful summer employment opportunities for area youth. Typically, the program offers roles focused on arts and entertainment, education and childcare, public administration, sports and recreation, and more.
Offering a streamlined application process: To participate in the program, youth must be residents of the City of Boston, legally permitted to work in the United States, and between the ages of 14 and 18 during the period of employment. After confirming eligibility, youth can apply directly to job openings listed on the SuccessLink website. If selected by an employer, youth complete onboarding paperwork online or at the YEO office before beginning employment.
Providing additional support: SuccessLink also offers youth career development drop-in sessions, where they can receive help with career exploration, mock interviews, resume and cover letter writing, among other services. Participants are also eligible for a Youth Pass, which provides reduced fares on public transportation.
- Strategies
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Summer youth employment
- Cost per Participant
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$1,500-$2,400 per participant
Multiple studies with both rigorous and less-rigorous demonstrate that Boston’s summer youth employment program is a well-established strategy for improving employment, education, and criminal justice outcomes for youth.
A 2022 randomized controlled trial found that youth selected to participate in Boston’s summer youth employment program were 4.4 percentage points more likely to graduate high school on time than youth in the control group.
A 2019 randomized controlled trial found that youth selected to participate in Boston’s summer youth employment program were 35 percent less likely to to engage in violent crime during a 17-month follow-up period, when compared to youth in a control group.
A 2017 pre-post study found that participants in Boston’s summer youth employment program experienced greater improvements in employment, education, and criminal justice outcomes than youth in a comparison group.
Note: This content is under review.
Match youth to jobs intentionally: When youth are engaged in their job, their summer placement will be more successful for them and the employer. To ensure good matches, summer youth employment programs should hire coordinators who can assist youth with identifying roles that match their skills and interests. When resource limitations make this impractical, programs can collect data from employers on what skills and interests would be relevant to their roles and provide this information for youth during the application process.
Emphasize the value to employer partners: When recruiting organizations to hire youth, summer youth employment programs should tailor their pitch to each organization’s priorities. Key benefits for employer partners may include access to short-term labor and the opportunity to strengthen and diversify the talent pipeline in their industry. Identifying leaders at area employers who can champion the program to their peers may also make securing partnerships easier.
Create opportunities for long-term engagement: Summer youth employment programs, like SuccessLink, are short-term interventions. To produce lasting impacts, programs should connect youth to workforce readiness and employment opportunities available outside of summer. For example, programs may share information about career and technical education or work-based learning opportunities available through the area school district.
Collect data on key program outcomes: Summer youth employment programs should collect data on youth and employer experiences. These data can allow programs to adjust the program model to better attract youth and retain employer partners. By collecting data on longer-term youth outcomes (e.g., graduation rates), programs can also demonstrate their impact and build support for further investment in summer employment opportunities.