1. Mayor Vincent C. Gray’s 2012 One City Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP)
DC Department of Employment Services
Office of Youth Programs
Gerren Price, Associate Director
May 2012

2. AGENDA SYEP 2012 Overview Roles and Responsibilities
Time, Attendance, and Payroll
Program Policies and Procedures
SYEP Time Management System (TMS) Demo

3. SYEP Mission
The Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) is a locally funded initiative that provides District youth ages 14 to 21 with enriching and constructive summer work experiences through subsidized placements in the private and government sectors.
Through the SYEP, we strive to provide eligible youth with the opportunity to:
Earn money and gain meaningful work experience;
Learn and develop the skills, attitudes, and commitment necessary to succeed in today’s world of work through skills training workshops and positive relationships with working adults;
Gain exposure to a diverse range of careers in industries such as Government and Civil Service; Arts, Design and Media; Community and Social Services; Construction; Health Care Support; Building and Grounds Maintenance; Hospitality and Tourism; Office and Administration Support; and more.
Though the SYEP is a short-term employment and training program, our goal is to positively impact youth in a way that will last for their entire lifetime.

4. Program Enhancements in 2012
Youth Experience Improvements
Earlier application process* (meets BSA requirement)
14,000+ eligible youth already identified, including wait-listed
Youth must meet all steps of the application process
Mandatory youth work readiness orientation and includes a DOES youth produced video
S.Y.E.P. (Suiting Youth Empowering Professionalism) Clothing Drive collected 1,000 items for youth in need of work attire
SYEP 2012 includes truancy focus in partnership with Deputy Mayor for Education
Beyond SYEP – Connecting Youth to Unsubsidized Work through One City · One Hire
Improved Employer Support
Employer curriculum established and centralized workshops and learning opportunities for youth
Employers have 20% more opportunities to interview and screen youth
Improved Transparency
All program materials, dates, and deadlines shared almost a full month in advance

5. SYEP 2012 Data At-a-Glance 20,671 Youth Applied
More than 50% of applicants from Wards 7 and 8
This is 2% increase in participation from Ward 8 over 2011
14,352 Youth Fully Certified as Eligible
Youth were invited to 35 events in locations throughout the city and at DOES HQ to present their documentation
478 Participating Employers (as of 5/7/12)
138 Private Sector, 179 Community-based Organizations, 65 Federal Agencies, 76 District Government, 31 Schools
14,843 job positions available to youth
1,200 additional slots to be finalized by 5/25/12
$13.5M Total Budget for FY12
Funds reprogrammed internally to keep service level constant
Under 7% admin costs in FY11 (estimated to be the same or lower in FY12)

6. Participant Enrollment
Eligible SYEP Participants
14,352 District youth will be assigned to job positions
4,215 Youth ages 14-15
4,557 Youth ages 16-17
5,580 Youth ages 18-21
6,319 Youth Disqualified
3738 Failed to Certify by 3/17
2393 Failed to Certify by 3/28
86 Duplicate Entries
85 Already in Year-Round Program
17 Other Reasons (i.e. too old, Found another job, etc)
Ward
Total
Percent
Ward 1
857
6.0%
Ward 2
113
0.8%
Ward 3 71
0.5%
Ward 4
1688
11.8%
Ward 5
2325
16.2%
Ward 6
1322
9.2%
Ward 7
3898
27.2%
Ward 8
3884
27.0%
CFSA/DYRS*
194
1.3%
TOTAL
14,352
100.0%
*May live outside DC but are considered DC residents (i.e., wards of the state or live in group homes outside of DC)

7. Participating Employers
To date, 489 employers have volunteered to serve youth at a total of 1,176 worksites throughout the DC Metropolitan area.
Sector
Total Employers
Total Job Positions
Private
138
1,257
CBO
179
5,377*
Federal 65
850
DC Gov 76
4,816
Schools 31
2,543
TOTAL
489
14,843
* An additional 1,200 job slots for youth ages to be secured through a competitive grant process (submissions due 4/30/2012; final awards announced 5/25/2012).

8. * Six week duration is requirement of Budget Support Act
Program Dates
The 2012 SYEP will begin on Monday, June 25 and will end on Friday, August 3.
This will make it a six week summer job experience that consists of a total of 29 program days.*
Wednesday, July 4 is observed as a holiday.
Youth are not permitted to work or make up this day.
* Six week duration is requirement of Budget Support Act

9. Youth Application Process
Youth applied online at from Friday, January 27 – Friday, February 17 (applications were processed on a first-come, first-served basis).
We received 10,770 applications on the first day (15,225 within the first four days).
More than 1,000 youth attended the SYEP Midnight Madness Kick-off Event held at DOES HQ from 3:00-12:00AM on Friday, January 27.

10. Youth Application Process (cont.)
To secure their space in the program, youth are required to:
Provide documents to prove their eligibility at one of 35 SYEP Certification Events held throughout the city.
Documents must show:
Proof of Age;
Proof of Social Security Number;
Proof of Permission to Work in the United States;
Proof of DC Residency;
Proof of Parent Permission (if under the age of 18)
Like last year, youth are required to complete several additional steps in order to maintain their space in the SYEP:
Submit a resume or self-profile for potential employers to review.
Attend an in-person Orientation Session.
Over 3,600 youth have attended orientation so far
Attend the SYEP Career Exploration Fair;
Apply for up to five (5) job positions that interest them.
Applicants who fail to complete mandatory requirements by the assigned deadlines will lose their space in the program!

11. Job Matching and Assignments
Employers have the ability to screen, interview, and select youth from our applicant pool:
Electronic Youth Database – Employers may view profiles of youth who have applied to the program and to their specific job postings, download their resumes, and contact them for telephone interviews through Saturday, May 5.
SYEP Job Expo – Employers were able to interact with youth and interview them for their job positions (held on Thursday, April 5 at the DC Armory and Friday, April 6 at the National Building Museum).
Private Interview Events – Employers may work with DOES to host private, in-person opportunities to interview youth.
Youth will receive final job assignments by Friday, June 1, 2012.

12. Roles and Responsibilities

13. The SYEP Team
DOES has a team in place to assist you throughout the program. This team consists of:
Program Liaison(s) (assigned by sector)
Provide support and guidance to Employer Coordinators
Communicate pertinent information about the program to Employer Coordinators to be shared with Worksite Supervisors
Facilitate the process for transfers, terminations, resolving pay disputes, and other program issues.
Program Monitors
Assigned to worksites to monitor the environment to ensure youth are receiving a quality work experience
Assist youth and support supervisors with any issues they are experiencing

14. Responsibilities of Employers/Host Staff
Each worksite has a team identified to ensure a positive experience for both youth and employers. This team consists of:
Employer/Host Coordinators – The Coordinator of all worksites for the entire agency/organization
Payroll Coordinators – Persons identified to do payroll for each worksite
Worksite Supervisors – Persons identified to work directly with youth at the worksite
Employer/Host Coordinator are responsible for:
Serving as the primary point of contact between the worksite and DOES
Communicating problems or questions regarding the program to the Program Liaison
Ensuring Worksite Supervisors are collecting all required documentation
Payroll Coordinators are responsible for:
Entering time on behalf of youth every Friday by 5:00PM
Maintaining copies of all timesheets and providing these copies to the SYEP Program Monitor at the end of the program
Worksite Supervisors are responsible for:
Ensuring that youth are properly supervised at all times
Ensuring youth time and attendance procedures are followed and that time is reported to the Payroll Coordinators
Keeping the Employer/Host Coordinator informed of all issues and following up on their resolution
Administering Performance Evaluation for each youth under their direct supervision

15. First Day of SYEP 2012
The first day that youth report to work will set the tone for the entire summer. The following should be done on day one:
Check youth in using the roster provided to you by DOES
Ask to see identification or a copy of the job assignment letter sent to the youth participant
Have the youth sign in and out on the time/roster sheet
Conduct a worksite orientation
The Worksite Orientation should include the following:
Youth required hours of work
Regulations of the worksite as they apply to the youth worker
Time and length of lunch breaks (see the lunch break policy) and addresses of meal sites near the job site
At least 2 emergency contact people to notify when the youth may be late or absent
Safety procedures and steps to take in case of accidents
Appropriate attire for the work place
A clear explanation of the youth worker’s duties and responsibilities

16. First Day of SYEP 2012 (cont.)
Some youth may report to your worksite even though they were not assigned there this summer.
This may include youth who never registered, were deemed ineligible, mistakenly reported to the incorrect worksite or a previous year assignment, or who were just confused about their job assignment.
If youth arrive on your worksite and are not on your roster, please have them contact our SYEP Support Center at or
Youth may also check their SYEP Youth Portal at to see their job assignment and first day instructions.

17. SYEP 2012 Close-out
Supervisors will be asked to complete an online Performance evaluation for each youth assigned to them.
Performance evaluation will be available online during Week 5 of the summer program.
Youth will be evaluated in the following six areas:
Preparation
Presentation
Communication
Setting Yourself Apart
Interviewing
Goal Setting

18. Time, Attendance, and Payroll

19. Time and Attendance
All youth time must be recorded daily on a paper timesheet provided by SYEP.
Each site will be required to enter time into the online SYEP Time Management System (TMS) at the end of each work week by 5:00PM.
New time entry and payroll system was created by DOES IT department saving the District nearly $700,000 in FY2011 and an estimated $1.2M in FY12.
Integrated Pay Problem Resolution system allowed for all disputes to be resolved within 48 hours.
All information is available to Payroll Coordinators online at
Timesheets will be retained by Supervisors through 8/3 to address any pay disputes. DOES will retrieve timesheets during the last week of the program.

20. * Changes implemented in compliance with the Budget Support Act (BSA).
Payroll and Hours
Participants will be compensated only for time worked up to the maximum allowable hours permitted by the program:
Youth ages can work up to 20 hours/week.
Youth ages can work up to 25 hours/week.*
DOES will pay youth the following:
Youth ages the federal minimum wage of $7.25/hour;
Youth ages will be paid a stipend of $5.25/hour.*
Employers may opt to pay their youth additional funds
* Changes implemented in compliance with the Budget Support Act (BSA). .

21. Pay Dates and Procedures
The tentative pay dates for SYEP 2012 are:
Pay Period 1 (June 25 –June 30) --- Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Pay Period 2 (July 1 –July 14) --- Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Pay Period 3 (July 15 –July 28) --- Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Pay Period 4 (July 29 –August 4) --- Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Prior to each pay day, youth will receive notices with safety reminders, expected earnings, and tax calculations. Pay stubs are sent via mail and youth may view hours entered online at
All youth time will be paid via a VISA Debit Card issued through our payroll vendor, Citibank.
Cards will be mailed directly to youth at their home address no later than Friday, June 29.
Earnings will be loaded directly to the VISA Debit Card each pay day .

22. Payroll Problem Resolution
If a youth is paid incorrectly, he or she should first report the issue to his/her worksite supervisor. Supervisors and youth may also report the issue online at or by calling
Once confirmed by the supervisor, we will resolve pay issues within hours.
During SYEP 2011, 97.8% of all pay disputes were resolved within hours of receipt. We intend to exceed this goal for SYEP 2012.

23. Program Policies and Procedures

24. Lunch and Weather Policy
Lunch Policy
Youth workers are permitted to take one 30-minute lunch break. The lunch break will be considered unpaid.
It is the responsibility of the Worksite Supervisor to implement a break/lunch break policy for their respective sites. This policy should be communicated to all youth workers during their orientation session on the first day of work.
Weather Policy (for youth engaged in outdoor work)
The worksite supervisor will be required to monitor the weather reports from qualified sources (e.g. newspaper, radio station, and television news or weather service). When outdoor temperatures are reported to be 95 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, the supervisor is required to make special allowances for SYEP participants working outdoors. Any time the temperature reaches 95 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, youth will be allotted ten (10) minutes per work hour for a rest period. The rest site must be shaded with adequate water supply. The participant will be compensated for this time. It should not be represented/reflected in the time keeping system.
In the event that the District is experiencing a Code Red day as determined by the appropriate authorities, outdoor work and activities must be cancelled. If there are not suitable indoor work activities, youth must be dismissed from the worksite and will be compensated for the day. Youth are required to report to work to check-in so that they can be compensated for the day. If the youth does not report to work on a Code Red day and activities are subsequently cancelled due to weather, that youth will not be compensated.

25. Absenteeism
The youth worker is required to give advance notice of his/her intent to be absent or late from work, regardless of the reason. If this cannot be done in person, the participant should telephone the worksite supervisor as soon as she/he knows that she/he will be unable to report to work that day.
If the absence continues beyond one day, the participant is to notify the worksite supervisor each day that she/he will be absent. The worksite supervisor should ensure that the participant has the phone number and name of two persons to whom the absence can be reported.
The supervisor must notify their Employer/Host Coordinator who will then notify the Program Liaison about the youth worker’s absenteeism when:
 The participant is absent more than three (3) consecutive days, without communicating with the supervisor that they will be out.
The worksite supervisor determines that the youth worker has been absent too frequently or is establishing a pattern of absenteeism. Youth may be terminated for missing three (3) consecutive workdays without notification of supervisor.  
Participants will not be paid for any absences. If you would like to schedule youth for makeup hours, you must get approval from your Employer/Host Coordinator before scheduling them.

26. Transfer Policy
All requests to transfer a youth worker from his/her worksite must first be communicated to your Employer/Host Coordinator. The Employer/Host Coordinator will then communicate this request to the Program Liaison. You will be required to fill out a Transfer Request Form stating the reason for transfer from the worksite. Your Program Liaison is available to answer any questions/concerns relating to the transfer of your youth worker. Do not dismiss youth or send them to another program or site until the transfer process is complete.
The SYEP staff will not transfer participants unless one of the following circumstances apply:
 Safety issue (youth must provide a police report when applicable)
Health concerns (youth must provide a written doctor’s statement supporting their transfer request)
Site closure
Other approved extenuating circumstances

27. Termination Policy
Youth workers may face termination from the worksite for any of the following reasons:
Drugs—the possession, sale, or use of illegal drugs or alcohol while on the job.
Excessive Absenteeism—Failure to report to work on three consecutive work days without prior approval.
Disruptive Behavior—Fighting, physical or verbal assaults, or any act that endangers the well-being of co-workers.
Theft—stealing property from the worksite, employees, or other youth workers.
Falsifying Documents—Falsifying his/her time records or those of other youth employees; signing another youth worker’s time record; attempting to pick-up or use another youth worker’s debit card or personal identification number (PIN).
Insubordination—Refusal to adhere to the program’s or the worksite’s rules and regulations.
Harassment—Verbal, sexual, or physical— these could lead to legal action.
Termination Procedure
Worksite Supervisors may request that a youth worker be terminated from his/her worksite; however they must ensure that all incidents leading to termination are documented and have been submitted to the SYEP staff and provide this to the Employer/Host Coordinator.
If the Employer/Host Coordinator feels termination is appropriate, they must make an official request to the Program Liaison by filling out a Termination Request Form. The SYEP staff will send out an Official Termination Letter to the youth worker.
In the event of a termination for violent or illegal behavior, the youth should be dismissed from the site pending an official dismissal from the Office of Youth Program.
If a SYEP participant believes they have been wrongfully terminated from a worksite, the youth worker may contact the SYEP office at to schedule an appointment with a representative.

28. DO NOT SEND AN INJURED YOUTH WORKER HOME WITHOUT MEDICAL ATTENTION
Reporting Accidents
If an accident should occur on or near the worksite, you must follow the procedures listed below:
Call 911 for medical emergencies
Notify the youth worker’s parent or guardian
Call the DOES SYEP office by calling (report the call as an emergency so that your call can be expedited)
Fill out an incident report and forward a copy to the Program Liaison
DO NOT SEND AN INJURED YOUTH WORKER HOME WITHOUT MEDICAL ATTENTION

29. We look forward to working with you!
Questions?
We look forward to working with you!