Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett kicks of "Learn and Earn" summer youth jobs program

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- For many young people, summer means school is out and they start summer jobs.

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett just kicked of the city's "Learn and Earn" youth summer employment program.

The "Learn and Earn" program helps young people successfully transition from adolescence to adulthood by learning work ethic.

Barrett greeted the students at two of the sites Monday, including the United Community Center on the Milwaukee's South Side.

Young workers who are 14 to 24 years old get opportunities to develop readiness skills while they earn wages working in government, community and faith-based organizations and private-sector business.

The young people are placed into one of 75 sites and work 20 hours each week, for five days a week.

Students say they hope to learn real-life job skills over the summer.

"It really helps me with like savings like with a savings account," Alan Angulo said. "I've been able to guess be a little bit more independent with my money and it's just also have me have experience for filling out forms for like job applications and things like that."

"This is just a really good experience for a future career with children," Jayla Tayor said.  It's good to get out for the summer and make lasting memories, but also learn a work ethic all at the same time."