Charlotte’s Mayor’s Youth Employment Program (MYEP) chooses top qualified students each year for their program. MYEP allows students an opportunity to get a head start on their careers. Three East Meck seniors are participating in this; Jennifer Leon, Bao Trong, and Simon Gordon.

“I first heard about it from Mrs. Blake, the AOE head advisor… Also fliers were handed out,” Leon said.

Leon is using this to find her way into business and management. MYEP is one step to take when first starting to try to find a job. Being a part of this organization includes an internship with one of the multitude of businesses that work with this program including Microsoft or Charlotte Douglas Airport.

“It’s a good transition to a professional field. This is my foundation to my future.” Leon said.

The internship includes an $8.00 pay per hour for 20 hours a week for eight or so weeks depending on the employer. For some this may sound like a lot of work, for others maybe not enough.

This is a competitive program which allows 16 to 18 year olds of Charlotte an opportunity to find an appropriate job. In order to become a part of this program students had to submit a 500 word essay, two letters of recommendation and participate in an interview.

“It was a bit competitive, in all honesty it wasn’t all that really, but ultimately it seemed that they were looking for well behaved, professional students, I simply carried myself in a respectful manner and would act like a professional,” Leon said.

For Trong it was an insight to see how an engineering workplace operates. For Gordon it was a way for trial and error for him to figure out what he wants to do.

“Working and environmental engineers job, I worked mostly air quality of buildings… I didn’t really enjoy it but now I know and I learned that I like the geology part and working with the ground in field research.” Gordon said.

One of the benefits of MYEP is that it provides a login to GamePlan. This is a website that MYEP uses that helps students narrow down what would be a good sort for them. It involves a questionnaire that records what skills you have and then gives suggestions of what career would work best for you. Then, it allows for businesses to message you to learn information and see if it would be best for you to join them

Participants have really enjoyed working in this environment and will continue with it this summer and recommend it to anyone interested.

“Take the opportunity as quick as you can.” Trong said.