Bowser Administration Celebrates Youth on First Day of the 2022 Marion S. Barry Summer Youth Employment Program

(Washington, DC) – Today, the Bowser Administration and the Department of Employment Services celebrated “MBSYEP Day” as thousands of District youth started their first day of summer employment through the 2022 Mayor Marion S. Barry Summer Youth Employment Program (MBSYEP). Administered by the Department of Employment Services (DOES), MBSYEP connects young Washingtonians ages 14-24 to job opportunities, promotes financial literacy and encourages leadership with year around programs that include the Marion Barry Youth Leadership Institute (MBYLI).
 
“DOES is proud to administer this program under Mayor Bowser. In the most recent budget proposal, the Bowser Administration seeks to further advance the professional development for youth in our city,” said DOES Director Dr. Unique Morris-Hughes. “This reinforces the understanding that employment, particularly youth employment, drives our economy and local job market. Employment, during the summer or year-round, creates a healthy cycle and enhances the viability of educational opportunities, community leadership, and income advancement.”
 
As part of Mayor Bowser’s Fiscal Year 2023 budget, $21 million has been allocated to raise participant wages in training programs in all DOES programs, including MBSYEP. Established in 1979 by Mayor Marion S. Barry, MBSYEP is a locally funded initiative that provides young people in the District with six weeks of enriching and constructive summer work experience through subsidized placements in the private and public sectors. The program partners with hundreds of DC employers who are uniquely positioned to provide relevant training and guidance to DC’s youth to help them develop the positive work habits and job skills necessary to secure future employment.
 
MBYLI is a year-round program designed to train select MBSYEP participants with tools for leadership and professional development. The MBYLI training model emphasizes practical, hands-on experience and a holistic approach to developing leaders for the 21st century. Each year, 150 young people participate in the year-round program and 350 youth participate in the MBYLI Summer Training Program.
 
This year, MBSYEP is slated to provide over 14,000 District youth the opportunity to earn while they learn and explore potential career paths. MBSYEP also continues its partnership with the federal Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act (FIRREA) agencies - the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the National Credit Union Administration, and the Securities Exchange Commission. Nearly 100 MBSYEP participants will again have the opportunity to gain valuable professional experience in the financial regulatory industry. The FIRREA agencies have intern cohorts from 11 DC high schools—Eastern, H.D. Woodson, Anacostia, Ballou, Cesar Chavez, Columbia Heights, Roosevelt, Cardozo, Ron Brown, Dunbar, and McKinley Tech.
Today, MBSYEP continues to be the largest summer youth employment program per capita in the country and stands as a national model. The District has been recognized as one of the top cities for summer jobs by Forbes and WalletHub. For more information on MBSYEP, please visit summerjobs.dc.gov.
 
The Department of Employment Services (DOES) is the District’s lead labor, workforce development agency, and is responsible for providing District residents with critical employment readiness and job training services. To learn more about apprenticeships, programs, and services offered at DOES, visit does.dc.gov or es.does.dc.gov.