Young NYCHA Residents Learn About NYCHA Careers Through SYEP 

This summer, approximately 100,000 young people between the ages of 14 and 24 participated in paid summer jobs through the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP), including many NYCHA residents. 

SYEP, the nation’s largest youth employment program, provides an opportunity for young people to get paid while exploring career options. The program celebrated its 60th anniversary this summer. 

Through SYEP, participants explore different interests and career pathways; develop productive workplace habits; and engage in learning experiences that strengthen their social, civic, and leadership skills. 

SYEP provides two special initiatives for NYCHA residents: SYEP MAP to $uccess is for young people who live in the Mayor’s Action Plan for Neighborhood Safety (MAP) developments (a neighborhood-based strategy to increase safety through coordinated crime reduction efforts at 15 NYCHA developments across New York City) and CareerFIRST for residents in select non-MAP developments.  

MAP to $uccess is for residents of Beach 41st, Boulevard, Brownsville, Bushwick, Butler, Castle Hill, Farragut, Gowanus, Jefferson, Johnson, Lafayette, Linden, Marcy, Ingersoll, Patterson, Polo Grounds, Queensbridge, Mill Brook, Mitchell, Morris, Mott Haven, Red Hook, St. Nicholas, Stapleton, Tompkins, Van Dyke, Wagner, Whitman, and Wycoff Gardens. CareerFIRST is for residents of Baruch, Breukelen, Bronx River, King Towers, Wald, Ravenswood, Throggs Neck, Tilden, and West Brighton. A total of 4,203 NYCHA residents worked summer jobs thanks to these initiatives. 

NYCHA’s SYEP interns worked in various departments and gained a behind-the-scenes look into how the Authority does business, learning the function of departments such as Law, Information Technology, Human Resources, Property Management, and more. 

Hayley Alicea, 16, worked in NYCHA’s Emergency Management and Services Department (EMSD), where she and other SYEP interns staffed tables at NYCHA Family Days events, participated in FEMA trainings, and completed tasks around the office. Ms. Alicea is a Roosevelt Houses resident and a junior at the Urban Assembly School for Emergency Management, so working for EMSD helped enrich her school studies. 

Ms. Alicea’s favorite part of her summer job were “Family Days, when all the interns were together, and we would just rock it out. We’d give out materials and bags and a lot of preparedness stuff. When we had that heat wave, we gave out information about how to prepare for another heat wave. We gave out information about hurricanes, knowing your [evacuation] zone, and people usually take everything from the tables.” 

This is Ms. Alicea’s third time participating in SYEP. She said she’s tried working non-SYEP jobs, but “SYEP is way more consistent and beneficial, and it’s easier to access jobs.” 

Zee Liu, 22, agrees about SYEP being consistent. She’s worked an SYEP job every summer since she turned 14. She and her brother Jason Liu, 18, are Baruch Houses residents who worked together this summer in NYCHA’s Office of Public-Private Partnerships (OPPP). Ever since her brother started working with SYEP when he turned 14, the siblings try to work at the same job site.  

Last year they worked with kids. This year was the first time they were the only SYEP interns in a department. “We were looking through all the options – we are both introverts and would rather work by ourselves or with someone that we know,” Ms. Liu said. “It’s easier to work with someone you know. We already know how each other works.” 

At OPPP, the siblings worked on spreadsheets, email, and research. “OPPP does partnerships, so I was trying to find nonprofit organizations that would do free tickets for residents or construction companies that would provide maintenance on our community centers,” Ms. Liu said. 

Ms. Liu plans to continue with the SYEP program until she ages out. “I’m going to do SYEP until I hit 24. I hope I’ll have a full-time job by the time I’m 25.” She is currently a senior studying sociology at Baruch College through the Macauley Honors program. Her brother attends the same college, where he is a sophomore studying finance. 

“The Summer Youth Employment Program provides NYCHA residents and other young New Yorkers with valuable work experience and skill-building opportunities, helping to remove existing barriers to entry into the workforce,” said Carly Wine, NYCHA’s Strategic Project Manager for Resident Initiatives. “NYCHA appreciates our partnership with the NYC Department of Youth and Community Development to ensure NYCHA’s youth and young adults receive priority access to SYEP, and we look forward to expanding our partnership next summer and the years to come.” 

To learn more about SYEP, visit Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) – DYCD (nyc.gov).