JOG the Web: 2026 Summer Work
Our 2026 Summer Work Program Has Kicked Off!
It’s that time of year again here at JOG, summer work kickoff! This week, our students participating in the summer work program are kickstarting their first work experiences in a variety of industries. Of course, we can’t do this without the help of our amazing employers who offer their workplaces by providing career guidance and positive learning environments for our participants.
But…what is the summer work program?
The summer work program at JOG begins right after the school year ends, and offers hands-on workforce experience to students and provides work opportunities with JOG employer partners.
We do this through finding employer partners that understand the importance of the mission to provide a workplace for young individuals that need a chance to grow and receive guidance. While employed in the program, students receive career guidance through hands-on training and work. They do this by learning parts of the job they want to pursue by seeing it done in front of them, as well as doing some of the work themselves. The summer youth employment program through JOG covers 5 counties where more than 862 young people who want to work can gain work experience from employer partners who give them a chance to succeed and learn.
What does this program look like in action?
As students are going through their orientation and introductions, we match students with employers for worksite skill experiences and training, which is beneficial to both the student and the employer. Participants will get to hit the ground running with tasks that introduce them to some of the work the employer’s industry does. This will normally start with basic tasks, and if the participant and worksite work well together, it could blossom into a full-time or part-time job after the program ends!
During their summer employment, students will continue to be in contact with JOG specialists through regular check-ins. This normally looks like Career Specialists stopping into their workplace to check in on the participants, make sure everything is going well, grabbing photos of them on the jobsite, and helping resolve any other needs the participant may have. This helps our participants still feel supported while in their new workplace, and helps JOG offer additional support to the employer partner with mentoring and guidance as to how the student can improve, if needed.
As with every year, we are happy to be able to continue this program. It builds student confidence while also building up our community partners. We are so proud of our participants taking this step into their career journey and we are excited to share their stories right here on “The JOGger”!
