Pierce Today

TACOMA, Wash. -- This year, the Summer Jobs 253 program is  celebrating 10 years of success with an anniversary event and Trades  Fair that is open to the community. The

celebration event will take  place from 11 AM – 1 PM at Dr. Dolores Silas High School on August 18,  2022, followed by a Trades Fair sponsored by Korsmo Construction from 

noon – 4 PM in the Dr. Dolores Silas High School parking lot.

“In the last decade, more than 1,200 Tacoma Public Schools  students have earned high school credit for graduation while gaining  valuable paid work experience through the

Summer Jobs 253 program,” said  Tacoma Mayor Victoria Woodards, who has steadfastly supported the  program since its inception. “I am so proud of these remarkable youn

 people as well as the employers who have demonstrated their commitment  to Tacoma through their support of the program.” 

“We are confident that these Summer Jobs 253 graduates will  enter today's workforce equipped with the valuable skills they need in  financial literacy, project management and

more," said Tacoma Public  Schools Superintendent Josh Garcia. “Their perseverance and drive to  succeed should inspire others who may be considering participating in  the

future.”  

Mayor Woodards will join Tacoma Public Schools Superintendent Garcia at  the event to present them with their final paychecks. Each student will  receive stipend amounts of up to

$1,000.

Summer Jobs 253 – a workforce development initiative which  first launched in 2013 as a joint venture between the City of Tacoma,  Tacoma Public Schools, Workforce Central and

The REACH Center – is  jointly spearheaded and managed today by the City of Tacoma and Tacoma  Public Schools. The program is funded by City of Tacoma workforce

development funds. 

“We launched Summer Jobs 253 in 2013 on the premise that our  youth need paid work experience as part of their education,” said  Congresswoman and former Tacoma Mayor,

Marilyn Strickland. “In the last  decade, these partnerships and investments have paid off for our  students. Graduation rates in Tacoma have soared from 65 percent to 90  percent,

and I look forward to seeing how this program evolves.”

Original source can be found here.