Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Youth To Work topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
CRC says only a small share of applicants get summer jobs as funding limbo narrows placements
Summary
Cincinnati Recreation Commission officials told the City's youth-services committee that demand far exceeds capacity: in 2025 CRC hired 123 of 708 applicants and, combined with police and fire cadet programs, overall placement rates were about 6%; staff cited CDBG timing and processing constraints as central limits.
Representatives from the Cincinnati Recreation Commission told the Youth and Human Services Committee that demand for summer youth jobs far outstrips available placements and that timing and funding uncertainty limit how many teens the agency can put on payroll.
Brandon Elliott, Youth to Work program supervisor, said the CRC aims to support 165 teens when the program is fully funded. "Only 6% of applicants receive a job in 2025," Elliott said, and he provided program-level numbers: CRC received 708 applications and hired 123; the Cincinnati Police Department cadet program had 289 applicants and hired 40; the Cincinnati Fire Department cadet program had 215 applicants and hired 36.
Tim Hale (CRC) and Elliott explained that the 2025 program faced late CDBG allocation timing, which delayed hiring and limited placements. CRC staff said the agency and partners recorded 199 teens employed in 2025 after a late start and that additional support from CPI and city funds helped bridge immediate gaps.
For 2026, CRC outlined a plan for a nine-week program at 25 hours per week, using the city's minimum wage (stated as $13.33/hour), and estimated an all-in cost near $4,800 per teen when training, uniforms and overhead are included; the salary portion was presented as roughly $3,100 to $3,500 depending on hours and rate.
To address onboarding barriers, CRC described a "Super Saturday" pilot that consolidates background checks, drug screens and banking sign-ups at rec centers; staff said a single Super Saturday can process about 80 teens. CRC also highlighted partnerships with Cincinnati Public Schools, FC Cincinnati, museums and private vendors to expand placements when funding allows.
Committee members pressed CRC on CDBG timing; staff said past years' federal timing has varied and that the city typically expects allocations in April or May, but that delays can push planning into late spring and complicate payroll onboarding. No formal actions were taken; the presentations were filed.
