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Chautauqua County will receive $909,729 of the $7,383,214 allocated to Western New York as part of a broader $42 million allocated to the state's Youth Employment Program.
The program helps reduce community gun violence and youth criminal justice involvement by providing year-round employment and training opportunities to at-risk youth in parts of the state, outside of New York City, most impacted by gun violence. Launched in 2024, the program plays an important role in New York State's Gun Involved Violence Elimination (GIVE) initiative, which operates in the 21 counties that receive GIVE funding, as provided by the Division of Criminal Justice Services.
"As New York's first mom governor, I'll never stop fighting to make our communities safer and provide our youth with the resources and opportunities they need to succeed," said Gov. Kathy Hochul. "The Youth Employment Program is a core part of my administration's comprehensive approach to reduce gun violence in communities across New York State, while providing at-risk youth with year-round work and training opportunities that will help them build strong futures."
The $42 million awarded includes investments in work and training opportunities for young people in regions that receive support from the GIVE initiative. This funding is expected to provide paid work and training opportunities for at least 2,500 low-income youth across these areas of the state from September 2026 to June 2027.
The Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance is distributing $42 million in funds for the Youth Employment Program to local departments of social services, including an increase of $1.4 million over last year, to account for increases in the minimum wage. The program supports local efforts to provide young people at risk of gun violence with year-round employment and educational opportunities in conjunction with services provided through the Summer Youth Employment Program. Paid employment is an integral component of the Youth Employment Program, which may also include educational and career exploration activities to better prepare youth as they continue their education and transition to the world of work.
In the first two years of the program, participants have worked in school districts, libraries, restaurants, camps/childcare programs and various community organizations.