FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 14, 2012

FOR ASSIGNMENT: Tue., May 15, 2012, 6:45-7:15 p.m.

CONTACT: Brice Freeman, MOED, 410-396-1910, bfreeman@oedworks.com

Mayor Rawlings-Blake to Speak About Success To Date of Hire One Youth Initiative at GBC Annual Meeting Baltimore, Maryland (May 14, 2012) – Highlighted among the topics Mayor Stephanie RawlingsBlake will address at the annual meeting of the Greater Baltimore Committee tomorrow will be the city’s Hire One Youth campaign to support the city’s YouthWorks summer jobs program. Hire One Youth challenges Baltimore employers to hire at least one job-ready 16- to 21-year-old this summer to work at their places of business. GBC President and CEO Donald Fry is chair of the Mayor’s Hire One Youth Leadership Team, which is comprised of eleven local business leaders from various industries. With six weeks to go until the start of YouthWorks on June 25, the Mayor will address GBC members about the progress of the Hire One Youth campaign to date. Already 97 nongovernment employers have signed on to hire more than 250 young people this summer through YouthWorks. This is four times the number of non-government employers that took part in YouthWorks in 2011. WHEN: Tuesday, May 15, 2012, 6:45-7:15 p.m. WHERE: Hyatt Regency Hotel, 300 Light Street, Baltimore, Md. 21202 BACKGROUND: YouthWorks is Baltimore City’s summer jobs program, which places young people between the ages of 14 and 21 in six-week summer jobs with private sector, nonprofit, and city and state government employers throughout the city. To widen the positive impact of YouthWorks in 2012 by creating more summer job opportunities with local employers, Mayor Rawlings-Blake has created the Hire One Youth campaign and formed a leadership team comprised of members from the business community to champion the effort. Local employers who wish to join the Hire One Youth campaign by committing to hire at least one youth this summer can complete the online form at www.baltimorecity.gov/HireOneYouth or contact YouthWorks at 410-396-JOBS (5627) or HireOneYouth@oedworks.com. YouthWorks is operated by the Mayor’s Office of Employment Development with the assistance of employers and workforce partners, and with financial support from a variety of contributors. ### In fiscal year 2011, the Mayor's Office of Employment Development hosted more than 139,000 visits from city residents at our one-stop career centers, facilitated nearly 19,000 computer literacy training sessions at our Digital Learning Labs, and placed close to 2,700 individuals in jobs. We connected more than 5,000 youth to summer employment and assisted more than 500 businesses through our Employ Baltimore strategy. This year we are continuing our commitment to match Baltimore citizens with good jobs and satisfying careers, and to link area businesses to qualified employees. www.oedworks.com.