KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A group of 1,500 Kansas City-area youth from low-income families will be paired with a summer job next year through a new state program.
During a visit to a Kansas City career center Friday, Gov. Jay Nixon announced the Missouri Office of Community Engagement will spend the next several months connecting employers with young people.
The program aims to prepare youths to become economically independent as adults.
About $4.5 million from existing federal grants will help pay $8-an-hour wages for up to 30 hours a week.
The money is from federal Temporary Assistance to Needy Families funds, which Nixon says has unused money because of improving economic conditions and job growth.
Nixon last month announced a similar program to connect 2,000 St. Louis-area youths with summer jobs.