When young people are engaged in their communities, they become more connected to the world around them and feel a stronger sense of ownership over their futures. Youth programs support improving life outcomes for our youngest citizens and improving the quality of life in our city, neighborhoods, and families. Partnering with youth and providing opportunities for young people to grow in their leadership skills helps bring new perspective.
Youth engagement programs like Job & Career Readiness Training and the Mayor’s Youth Employment Program empower students to learn about the world of work, make connections, and expand their future career opportunities. The Mayor’s Mentoring Alliance provides role models and programs to help young people develop the confidence and skill sets they need to succeed academically and in life.
HNS also supports Generation Nation, which oversees the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Youth Council (CMYC). Through the CMYC, high school students meet regularly to advise CMS and community leaders, build civic leadership, and help to transform schools and the community for the better.
The Mayor’s Youth Employment Program (MYEP) provides all Charlotte youth with equitable career development opportunities to explore the world of work, build social capital, and enhance economic mobility.
MYEP participants explore careers, hone skills, and gain exposure to models of professionalism, creating pathways to attainable career goals. As youth achieve, our community grows stronger.
We seek to build partnerships with host employers in Charlotte's economy's private, public, and non-profit sectors who can provide one-of-a-kind career experiences for MYEP participants. Businesses provide career experiences that help youth develop career goals, stay in school, achieve academically, and enhance social skills that enable them to succeed. Students connect to the work world, allowing businesses and communities to know the needs and successes of the students and schools.
MYEP History
In the Mid-1980s, Mayor Harvey Gantt developed a framework for a program to support upward mobility for Charlotte youth. In 1986 his vision came to life as the Mayor's Youth Employment Program (MYEP), dedicated to providing students with career experiences that help youth develop career goals, stay in school, achieve academically, and enhance social skills that enable them to succeed in life. Over the years, the MYEP has gained state and national recognition.
For Students: MYEP Application Process
Thank you for your interest in applying to the Mayor's Youth Employment Program!
Prospective MYEP participants must complete the following steps before being considered for placement:
- Complete Job & Career Readiness Training. If you received a completion certificate last year from (JCRT), you do not need to complete this course again.
- Submit a MYEP application, including a resume, written component, career interests, and skills
- Complete a virtual MYEP interview
- Complete a background check and drug screening
MYEP staff review all application materials before assigning students to a Host Employer.
Student Eligibility
MYEP students are high school students (or will graduate in the Spring of 2024). In order to participate in the MYEP, students must…
- Be 16 on or before April 15, 2024
- Be enrolled as a current student in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools or reside in the City of Charlotte
- Successfully complete a Job & Career Readiness Training
- Have a current photo ID and a Social Security number
- Complete an online application and interview by Monday, December 4, 2023
- Follow instructions (provided in the Spring) to complete a background check and drug screen
- Participate in a student orientation
Charlotte Mecklenburg School (CMS) students may contact their school's Career Development Coordinator (CDC) regarding participating in the MYEP. Non-CMS students may contact 704-336-5577 for information.
For Businesses: Become A Host Employer
The MYEP works to provide all Charlotte youth with equitable career development opportunities to explore the world of work, build social capital, and enhance economic mobility. This mission is not possible without the support of businesses like you.
Ways businesses can get involved:
- Sponsor a work experience for a student to be placed at a local non-profit
- Serve as a Subject Matter Expert in one of our virtual pathways, benefiting hundreds of students interested in your industry
- Host a student at your place of business during the 6-week window
Benefits to employer partnership:
- No resumes or interviews to sort through
- Participants have completed a college-level career and readiness training prerequisite
- Custom matching with students based on skills/needs
- Drug and background screenings
Becoming a host employer
The MYEP is a 6-week summer career-focused internship program, a minimum of 25 hours per week at a rate of $13/hour for a total of $1,950.
- Experience can be onsite, virtual, or a hybrid of on-location and remote.
- Pre-requisite training is offered to all CMS high schoolers and those in the Charlotte area who attend charter/private schools or are homeschooled.
Loebsack & Brownlee
LAWA
CAMP NORTH END
List of Partners and Sponsors
- Accenture
- Allegacy Federal Credit Union
- Ally Financial
- Amwins
- Atrium Health
- Balfour Beatty
- Bank of America
- Blumenthal Performing Arts
- Books with Color, Inc.
- Bosch Rexroth
- Care Ring
- Carolina Family Alliance
- CATS
- Charlotte Art League
- Charlotte Ballet
- Charlotte Country Club
- Charlotte Fire Department
- Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department
- Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools
- Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority (CRVA)
- City of Charlotte
- Coca-Cola Consolidated, Inc.
- Digi-Bridge
- Discovery Place
- Duke Energy
- Electric Power Research Institute
- Everage Law Firm, PLLC
- Excel C Foundation
- First Gen Success
- FirstLight Home Care of Greater Charlotte
- Freedom in Me
- Freedom School Partners
- Gaffney Health
- Hack & Hustle Social Entrepreneurship Academy, Inc.
- Hoopaugh Grading
- Hope Community Clinic of East Charlotte
- Hope Haven, Inc.
- Latin Americans Working for Achievement (LAWA)
- Loebsack & Brownlee, PLLC
- Lowe's
- LS3P Architects
- Mecklenburg County Clerk of Superior Court
- Mecklenburg County District Court #26
- Messer Financial Group, Inc
- Microsoft
- Moore & Van Allen, PLLC
- NC MedAssist
- ourBRIDGE for Kids
- Picture Project CLT
- R.J. Leeper Construction, LLC
- Raise a Child of The Carolinas
- Robinson Bradshaw
- She Built This City
- Starmount Healthcare Management
- Teen Health Connection
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
- The Lee Institute
- The Park Community Development Corporation
- TIAA
- Trane
- Truist
- Upcycle Arts
- Urban League of Central Carolinas
- Williams Chiropractic and Wellness
For Non Profits: Apply for a Grant to Become a Host Employer
The MYEP excited to provide grants to local non-profits to subsidize placements for Charlotte youth to have an immersive work experience with your organization. This opportunity is an exciting way to expose youth to the meaningful work being done in the community.
To Apply:
Registered 501(c)3 organizations may apply for grant funding to provide a stipend for MYEP youth.
Deadline: December 1, 2023
Benefits to non-profit partners:
- No resumes or interviews to sort through
- Participants have completed our Job & Career and Readiness Training prerequisite
- Custom matching with students based on skills/needs
- Drug and background screenings
- Grant funding to provide payment to MYEP youth participant
Becoming a host employer
The MYEP is a 6-week summer career-focused internship program, a minimum of 25 hours per week at a rate of $13/hour for a total of $1,950.
- Experience can be onsite, virtual, or a hybrid of on-location and remote.
- Pre-requisite training is offered to all CMS high schoolers and those in the Charlotte area who attend charter/private schools or are homeschooled.
City of Charlotte Named All-America City for Its Youth Programs
Charlotte has been named a 2023 All-America City by the National Civic League for its work focused on youth engagement and development. This prestigious award has recognized and celebrated the best in American civic innovation since 1949.
Read full All America City Award Story
The City of Charlotte's Youth Programs allows 16-24-year-old residents to participate in career readiness training free of charge. This virtual experience covers job readiness, interview preparation, and essential skills.
JCRT is each Fall beginning in October. Completion of JCRT is required to be eligible for MYEP participation.
Registration for JCRT 2023 will reopen in September.
For more information about in-school training, please get in touch with your Career Development Coordinator (CDC) at your school. For more information about community training, call the MYEP at 704-336-5577.
Educate. Ignite. Connect.
The Mayor's Mentoring Alliance (MMA) connects Charlotte mentoring organizations to promote mentoring and its best practices through training and workshops, recognition, and quality standards for service delivery.
MMA educates mentoring organizations about best practices and mentoring standards through training and workshops, ignites impactful and enduring mentor-mentee relationships, and connects Charlotte's mentoring community.
We understand the importance of mentoring and how it can change the lives of youth. Mentors not only provide their mentees with someone who cares about them, but they also help them:
- Improve academic and social skills
- Set career goals
- Improve self-esteem
- Stay in school
- Deal with day-to-day challenges
Mentoring is linked to youth's enhanced academic, social, and economic prospects. When you decide to become a mentor, you are not only committing to impact someone's life positively. You are also ultimately helping to strengthen our local community and workforce.
The MMA Awards recognizes the extraordinary impact mentorship has on our Charlotte community. At this virtual event, the City of Charlotte honored mentors, mentees, and mentoring organizations with awards in the following categories: Mentor of the Year, Mentee of the Year, Best Collaboration in Mentoring, Grassroots Mentoring Organization of the Year, and Educator Mentor of the Year.
The Locator
We have partnered with MeckEd and the Mecklenburg County Youth Coalition (MCYC) to have one community locator that serves as a resource to connect mentors and mentees to agencies and assist in the search for out-of-school time programming for youth. Please visit mecked.org/the-locator to find the right program for you.
For more Information, email Tiffany Johnson at Tiffany.johnson@charlottenc.gov or call 704-336-1258.
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Youth Council (CMYC) is the official student advisory council for City of Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. The program is managed in partnership with GenerationNation, a Charlotte-based nonprofit with strong experience in K-12 education and youth civic leadership. CMYC further positions Charlotte as an innovative, inclusive, inspiring, and welcoming city that is focused on the future.
Through the CMYC partnership, diverse Charlotte youth:
- Positively interact with and advise community leaders;
- Gain understanding about the city’s successes, challenges, and opportunities for civic problem-solving in the City and across local governments and organizations;
- Join a growing network of young civic leaders who are working to make Charlotte America’s Queen City, opening her arms to a diverse and inclusive community of residents, businesses, and visitors alike; a safe family-oriented city where people work together to help everyone thrive.
You can join any time during the year.