Wu says she’s found jobs for nearly 500 teens, seeking 1500 more

Mayor Michelle Wu said she has secured jobs for nearly 500 Boston high school students for the upcoming school year through private partnerships and hopes to find 1,500 more, as city-funded after-school work programs are on the chopping block in her 2027 budget plan.

“I am grateful to the organizations that have already stepped up and invested in creating sustainable pathways for our students and workforce,” Wu said in a press release on Monday.

Wu’s office announced that a coalition of private organizations has already agreed to hire 475 part-time students during the next academic year. The city aims to employ a total of 2,000 students in part-time after-school jobs as part of the city’s “Learn to Earn” program, Wu’s office said.

The city will administer the program but will no longer fund the positions; The companies and nonprofits that are part of the coalitions will have to fund the teens themselves, Boston Globe I mentioned.

The revised program was announced days before the City Council votes on Wu’s $4.9 billion fiscal year 2027 budget proposal.

The new budget would cut more than $5 million from general funding for the city’s Youth Employment Program, which currently funds summer and school-year jobs for teens in Boston. This would “effectively eliminate” the city’s current iteration of the After School Jobs Initiative, which is the After School Jobs Initiative globe I mentioned.

The City of Boston did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday evening regarding the mayor’s proposal to reduce funding for the after-school work program.

During the 2025-2026 school year, 1,722 students participated in the city’s school year jobs program, Wu’s office said.

Alison Vernery, Executive Director of the Office of Youth Employment and Opportunity, said: “Young people have made it clear that paid employment opportunities during the school year are vital. These roles allow them to support their families as they explore their identities and future career paths.”

The YMCA of Greater Boston, Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston and Artists for Humanity have pledged to employ 200, 100 and 175 Boston teens through the program next school year, respectively, the city said.

Boston Fed also plans to continue hiring BPS students during the summer and school year. Wu’s office said the Boston Private Industry Council and the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce Foundation have pledged to help organize and support local businesses in employing teenagers in Boston.

Boston businesses, community groups, colleges and funders are encouraged to join the coalition, Wu’s office said.

“Organizations can participate by funding career-related jobs through the Boston Private Industry Council, hiring high school students directly into part-time jobs, strengthening the ecosystem by leading career readiness workshops, hosting employer site visits, launching a job shadowing program, sponsoring a school vacation week boot camp, or participating in student certification training,” the mayor’s office said.