Sacramento dedicates nearly $15 million to fund job programs. Here’s who will benefit

Sacramento is investing in programs to help people, mainly youth, launch their careers or just earn some extra money with job training and paid internships.

The City Council this week unanimously voted to set aside almost $15 million to support city programs and community-based organizations that give working experience to thousands of the city’s residents, most of whom are between the ages of 16 and 30. The vote came more than two months after a mass shooting downtown heightened calls from some organizations for the city to invest in youth programs.

“This is really important,” Councilman Jay Schenirer said. “The importance goes way beyond getting people jobs because it’s getting them ready for jobs.”

A $6.98 million Californians for All: Youth Workforce grant comes from American Rescue Plan Act Reinvestment money sent to the state. That money will target youth largely through an eight-week summer cohort for ages 16 to 24 and a four-month employment opportunity with on-the-job training for ages 18 to 30, along with additional programs, according to the grant application.

$2.75 million was allocated from the city’s $112.2 million ARPA Fund to adult workforce programs, for ages 30 and up. Workforce Development Manager Kriztina Palone said this funding would go towards retraining, skills assessments, and job and educational placement.

The plan also includes $5 million previously dedicated to training, exposure, and paid internships for youth through City programs like #SacYouthWorks and Thousand Strong, according to the city.

Youth Development Policy Manager Lindee Lane said that this funding included a planned event series called “#SummerInRealLife,” with a focus on the neighborhoods of Del Paso Heights, Oak Park, Meadowview and Valley Hi.

These free events will be held on weekends and will include activities designed for youth by youth. That program is a combined effort between multiple city departments and Lane said it could potentially reach thousands of young people in Sacramento this summer.

“This is really one of the first times in the 12 years I’ve been here where we have the police department and violence prevention working with what we’re doing on Workforce, working with what we’re doing on Children’s Serves,” Schenirer said. “The fact that Dr. Clavo [the Head of the Office of Violence Prevention] and Kriztina and Lindee are working together and meeting together on an ongoing basis is the pathway that is going to take us to success.”

The funding comes on the heels of renewed outcry for funding youth and violence prevention programs in response to a gang shootout that left six dead and 12 wounded in early April, and was presented alongside an oral report from Police Chief Kathy Lester on police department violence prevention efforts.

Aubree Taylor, a Development Project Manager, told the Bee that while the program will “address making sure youth have positive outlets to take part in,” the framework is not just looking at workforce development in a “responsive way,” but hopefully establishing funding for youth work programs for whenever interest rises.

However, residents during public comment and council members pointed out the temporary nature of the funding. Councilwoman Mai Vang mentioned the one-time nature of the CFA grant in her concerns about the program’s sustainability, and she urged the council to find a solution.

“I am currently calling today to recommend that council dedicate a record amount of dollars into youth programs and crime prevention efforts,” Kevin Hooks Jr. said in his public comments. “There are record amounts of money coming in from cannabis revenue, and we should have record amounts of money for these programs.”

This point speaks to a likely November ballot measure that would require at least 40% of the city’s cannabis tax revenue to be spent on youth programs and services. Vang said she would be bringing that proposal to the council along with Schenirer and Mayor Darrell Steinberg.

This story was originally published June 16, 2022 at 5:00 AM.