Young people in summer jobs
The City Executive Council approved funding last April to hire 17-year-olds for summer jobs. The program includes 100 positions. Some of these positions specifically focus on 17-year-olds in vulnerable situations and are designed to support them in entering the workforce. Young people were also asked to suggest jobs they would be interested in doing.
Reykjavík City has been very pleased with the project, and most of the young people have already started working. The summer jobs include positions with sports and youth organizations, in preschools, maintaining city land, and providing social activities for seniors and at nursing homes.
Special outreach was done with young people in vulnerable situations in partnership with the Department of Education & Youth and the Department of Welfare. The young people are contacted and invited for interviews, with emphasis on finding jobs that suit each person, and additional on-the-job support is available when needed.
Young people were asked to propose creative job ideas. One idea that was implemented is being developed in partnership with Hitt Húsið Youth Center and aims to welcome young people from Palestine into Icelandic society through diverse activities like movie outings, horseback riding, and cultural events to help them get to know Reykjavík City better while connecting them with their Icelandic peers. Another project is underway in Breiðholt in cooperation with Flotinn, a mobile youth center, where young people work on various maintenance tasks for buildings and grounds in their own neighborhood under a supervisor.