Summer Youth Work Experience Program (SYWEP)
Summer Youth Work Experience Program (SYWEP) supports New Jersey youth with summer work placements, stipends, readiness training, and support services to build career awareness and help them enter employment.
Funder: New Jersey Department of Labor & Workforce Development
Due Dates: November 23, 2026 (Partner information session) | December 7, 2026, noon (Letter of intent) | December 8, 2026, 10:00 a.m. (Mandatory workshop) | December 21, 2026, noon (Application)
Funding Amounts: $9,000,000 anticipated total; maximum $4,160 per participant; April 1–October 31, 2027 expected grant period
Summary: Supports New Jersey youth through structured summer work experiences, participant stipends, workforce readiness training, and supportive services.
Key Information: Lead applicants must be local Workforce Development Boards, New Jersey municipalities, or agencies previously awarded NJDOL SYWEP funding.
Description
The New Jersey Department of Labor & Workforce Development’s Office of Youth Programs administers SYWEP to help young people transition into employment through meaningful summer work experiences. The program introduces youth to career pathways while addressing poverty, youth unemployment, and youth crime. Funded activities combine structured placements at local Worksite Sponsors with stipends and workforce readiness training in soft skills, financial literacy, resume building, entrepreneurship, diversity, and prevention of workplace harassment.
The program also connects participants with transportation, childcare, disability accommodations, and other needs-based work supports. Community partnerships support recruitment, referrals, placements, and access to services. NJDOL particularly encourages connections with community-based violence intervention programs and organizations serving youth facing employment barriers or heightened risks of violence.
