DPU Youth Employment Program

The City of Cleveland, through the Department of Public Utilities, is soliciting proposals from qualified organizations to implement and manage a comprehensive employment program, as the employer of record, that will provide City of Cleveland in-school youth ages 14-19 with the training, support, resources and employment opportunities that promote academic, personal and professional growth and enable youth to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to live a quality life and compete in a global workforce Entities are being solicited to recruit, enroll and provide a summer program and year-round internships for in-school youth ages 14-19 which would include team-based projects and internships. The comprehensive employment program must contain the following components: Outreach and recruitment, comprehensive needs assessment, individualized plan of support, case management, mentoring, life and job-skills training, post-secondary education, and career planning preparation along with work experiences as required. Proposed programs must be fully planned and defined in the proposals submitted in response to this RFP. Proposals must address critical components such as strategies that address youth barriers to employment, program design, administrative structure, outreach/recruitment strategies, community support and partnerships, performance measures and program evaluation methodology, program sustainability, project budget, reporting and record-management. The City of Cleveland Department of Public Utilities intends to enter into one or more contracts with selected providers, of a contract term of one year with two additional one-year options. The targeted start of any awarded Contract(s) will be within the third or fourth quarter of 2024. Awards will be based on funding availability and capacity of providers .