Empowering Future Leaders: FCWS Celebrates a Successful Summer Jobs Program for Frederick County Youth!

By Kara Fritz, Manager of Youth Programs and Talent Pipeline Development and Paige Marley, Program Specialist

FCWS recently wrapped up our annual Summer Jobs Program for Frederick County youth, and it was quite the success! The Summer Jobs Program provides employment opportunities for youth ages 14 to 21. This year, about 100 youth were able to gain real-life work experience with 35 local businesses and organizations in Frederick County. These businesses and organizations hosted our youth participants for five weeks over the summer, offering them mentorship, guidance, and supported exposure to the working world.

Our partnering businesses represented a diverse section of Frederick County’s business landscape. Our youth participants worked in summer camps, public libraries, retail establishments, farms, automotive businesses, skilled trades, government offices, restaurants and more. Participants learned a variety of skills like caring for animals, organizing inventory, operating cash registers, HVAC installation, childcare best practices, and basic automotive maintenance.

In addition to helping young people gain work experience, this program allows them to explore potential future career opportunities. Businesses benefit from having no-cost employees for the summer and being able to help develop the future workforce. Eleven of the program participants were offered employment at the end of the program.

We are so proud of our youth participants and incredibly grateful to all of the worksites who hosted them this year. We can’t wait to do it all again next year! Please email us If you’re interested in learning more about the program and how you can participate next summer.

A Summer to Remember: Building Futures!