Dallas Mayor Johnson Is Hosting A Summer 2021 Job Fair Program

DALLAS, TX — Mayor Eric Johnson is partnering with Workforce Solutions of Greater Dallas to host a summer employment program for the city’s youth.

Dubbed Hire Dallas!, the program sees the mayor is calling on local employers and young people to register for the job fair, which begins at 9 a.m. Thursday, June 10. The fair will be open until 4 p.m. Numerous employers and community resources will participate to connect young people with job opportunities this summer.

Dozens of employers have taken up the mayor's cause, and thousands of jobs are already available.

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“As we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, we must strive to be a city of opportunity for our young people who have endured major disruptions to their lives and their development during the past 14 months,” Mayor Johnson said. “Through Dallas Works, we can help teach our young residents important life and job skills and provide our employers with talent that can help them rebound from the pandemic’s terrible economic toll.”

Dallas residents ages 15-24 can register now to participate in the job fair at this link. Employers can register for the job fair at this link. Participants can also connect to the job fair through their PCs, laptops, tablets or smartphones.

Education is Freedom runs Dallas Works in partnership with the Office of the Mayor. Other partners include Dallas ISD, Workforce Solutions of Greater Dallas, and numerous private-sector companies.

The mayor launched Dallas Works in February 2020 — just before last year's pandemic shutdown — with the goal of eventually employing thousands of young people each year. He modeled the program on efforts in such cities as Houston, Boston, Chicago and New York, which have long had robust summer jobs programs, usually for people up to age 24, which help employ thousands.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic fallout that followed, Dallas Works still helped connect 465 kids in 2020 to job training and summer jobs at businesses, nonprofits and governmental entities. That was more than in any single year of the program’s predecessor, the Mayor’s Intern Fellows Program.

Dallas Works does double duty as a public safety program. One 2017 study showed that New York City’s Summer Youth Employment program participants were 17% less likely to be arrested during the summer and 23% less likely to be arrested for a felony.

“Through Dallas Works, we can help strengthen our communities, improve our workforce, and keep our young people out of trouble while they are out of school,” said the mayor. “I am thrilled for another year of this program, and I encourage our young residents and wonderful businesses and nonprofits to participate.”

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