OBSERVER Staff Writer

Angela Figueroa, a 21-year-old Dunkirk resident, has been living on her own since she was 16. Unemployed and struggling to make ends meet, she was forced to request public assistance.

Sonia Camacho, another 21-year-old from Dunkirk, was treading through some difficult times. she had been working at Quality Markets on Fourth Street, but she lost her job when the store closed. Adding to this uncertain time in her life, Sonia was also pregnant.

“It was very tough,” Camacho said, adding, “At that moment, I wasn’t working. I was pregnant, and I needed a job. my younger brother told me about the summer youth employment program, so I went to Chautauqua Works. and they sent me to work at the Clarion Hotel.”

“It made me stronger. I had more confidence in myself,” Figueroa said about her summer work experience at the Boys and Girls Club. “It has helped me out in a lot of different ways. Before, I would be like, ‘Okay, I’ve got to go out and look for a job today.’ and then, the summer youth program came along, and then I became permanent there. now, I don’t stress as much. I’ve got my job to depend on now.”

Camacho and Figueroa found summer work through the Young Adult Advancement Initiative, or YAAI, that is administered by Chautauqua Works. Funded by the state and federal governments, the program helps local business, non-profits and municipalities provide employment to young people.

At the end of last summer, both young women were hired to work permanently at their placement sites.

Figueroa still works as a youth development professional at the Boys and Girls Club, and Camacho remains an employee of the Clarion Hotel.

It wasn’t easy for Figueroa to put the feeling of relief that comes from having steady employment.

“I really don’t know how to describe what it means to me. It’s just this feeling – it’s good,” she said.

“I enjoyed the program,” Camacho said. “And if I wouldn’t have been hired by the Clarion through this program, I would do it again.”

However, it may not be possible for area youth to participate in the YAAI this year. There is no funding for the program. at this point, neither state or federal government will be sending money for youth employment.

And if there’s no money, said Sue McNamara, executive director of the Chautauqua County Workforce Investment Board, there will be no summer youth employment available through Chautauqua Works.

Losing the program would have a severe negative impact for Chautauqua County and its young adults, McNamara said. In 2009, Chautauqua Works employed about 330 young people, distributing about $327,000 in wages.

“There are three major impacts,” she said. “One, they (the young people) are losing out on an opportunity to really develop their work readiness, to learn about work and to become a more productive, experienced worker.

“Second, they certainly are losing wages, which not only individually impacts them, but it also has a multiplier effect. Typically, when youth are paid, the money goes right back into the economy.

“Then, third is the actual business impact,” McNamara added. “So a program, like a rec program that was previously staffed by the youth workers they’re going to have to cut back their program because they don’t have the labor to deliver it… Or businesses, they now are working with less tools, so that’s one more blow to a business’s financial goals.”

Brooks Memorial Hospital is one of many organizations that hosts young people over the summer. Sallie Piazza, interim vice president of nursing, explained there’s a mutual benefit for both the employer and the young employee.

“They’ve worked in medical records, in the kitchen, environmental services. We’ve had a couple kids that have worked in the E.R. for the summer, and it’s really exposed them to different aspects of work life and hospital life that they never would have been exposed to before,” she said. “And it’s really helped us a lot in some of our ancillary services over the years. In fact, we have hired permanently several young people.”

Piazza said the program opens young adults’ eyes to the possibility of not just health-care careers, but also the possibility of a college education and other careers.

Youth employment advocates, including McNamara, have lobbied elected officials in Albany and Washington to encourage them to invest in summer jobs for youth.

After recent actions in the state’s and nation’s capitals, it appears some program funding may come to the county.

Rep. Brian Higgins, D-South Buffalo, said the $600 million will fund approximately 300,000 jobs.

“Providing our young people with workforce training and opportunities is one important component of strengthening our economy and moving us in the right direction,” Higgins said.

“This fully paid for measure,” he added, “supports the creation of over 300,000 jobs, so young people between ages 16 and 21 can gain valuable summer employment and develop critical skill sets for their future. This funding will allow local Workforce Investment Boards, like Chautauqua Works, to expand successful summer jobs programs that were funded in the Recovery Act.”

The measure is paid for by funds that were rescinded from other programs’ accounts. the bill is still pending in the U.S. Senate, waiting for a vote.

In early March, Sen. Charles Schumer, D-New York, made a statement in support of legislation that would provide funding for summer jobs.

“More than any time in recent memory, summer jobs for teenagers and young adults are going to be tough to come by this summer,” Schumer said in a press release. “That’s why we need to start taking critical steps to immediately address the problem – investing in summer jobs programs will not only ensure that kids and young adults have the proper training to join the work force, but will relieve stress on middle class families and is a proven way to jumpstart a local economy.”

The Hill – a newspaper that covers proceedings on Capitol Hill – recently reported that the disaster relief and summer jobs funding legislation has stalled in the Senate. A Democratic aide told the Hill the bill “isn’t likely to get through the chamber anytime soon.

In Albany, Gov. David Paterson zeroed out the state’s $35 million allocation to summer youth employment programs in his proposed budget, completely slashing the program.

However, in the State Assembly’s budget resolution, legislators restored $21 million to the program. the State Senate reinstated the full $35 million in their budget proposal.

Both resolutions passed in their respective houses of the legislature. however, Assemblyman bill Parment, D-North Harmony, and State Sen. Catharine Young, R-Olean, voted against the budget their colleagues proposed.

Parment said he thinks the summer jobs initiative is a good program, but difficult decisions need to be made if the state is to move forward.

State revenues have drastically declined because of the economic downturn. There is no financing for many state programs. People will need to suffer through the cuts, as the state rebounds, he said.

“Like a lot of other good programs,” Parment said, “they function well and they do good things for the community, the big question is: can we afford them this year? and so, that’s the struggle that we’re going through to try to figure out where do we come up with the money to do them.

“I always liken it to the family that wants to go see the movie that just won all the Academy Awards. If they don’t have the money to go to the movie, it doesn’t mean the move isn’t a good movie,” he added. “It means they’re not able to raise the cash to go see the movie.”

The Assembly’s budget proposal contained a $3.3 billion shortfall between revenues and expenditures, Parment said. It was suggested, in the legislation, the state borrow $2 billion. Still, there remains a $1.3 billion hole in the budget, even if $2 billion is borrowed, the assemblyman said.

He couldn’t vote for this unbalanced budget. Parment tackled the criticism of voting against a resolution that funded summer jobs.

“There’s no question that it would help a lot of people locally, and again, there’s no question it’s a good program. but that’s not the first question to ask. the first question to ask is, ‘Does the state have sufficient revenue to support that program and the others that are competing for funding?’ and at this point, the answer is no.

“I don’t think the state government does people a favor when they create programs and spend money that they really don’t have.”

Senator Young was not available to discuss her vote.

McNamara said the state must re-evaluate its spending priorities. Money for summer jobs goes directly to the population and then quickly into the economy, she said.

“I realize the state needs to spend less money,” McNamara said. “Where I’m concerned is the priorities that it decides to spend on. In this economic time, they’re choosing other programs over summer youth jobs. and this, to me, is a no-brainer because you’re moving state tax dollars into a paycheck that is not only providing an education to a young person, but that money is also pretty much going back into the economy.”

The two young women – Camacho and Figueroa – who have experienced the benefit of the program believe summer jobs need to be funded.

“It’s a such great program for young people. I really think they should send more funds to Chautauqua Works,” Camacho said. “Youth get great experience from the program. It helps a lot of youth and keeps them out of trouble.”

“It helps out with single-parent homes. It helps kids with parents that are both working and receiving food stamps, it helps them catch up on their bills or put away money for school,” Figueroa said. “And it helps people gain experience working and build a resume. It helps with confidence, too. they can believe in themselves and know they can become somebody.”

Of the 778 applications Chautauqua Works received for summer jobs in 2009, 369 were accepted. If funding is received for the 2010 program, McNamara expects the program to continue to flourish.

Chautauqua Works continues to advocate for summer jobs