Statement About Summer Job and Recreation Opportunities for Youth

THE SUMMER of 1971 will be a summer of expanded opportunity for the disadvantaged youth of our country--due in no small measure to a large number of summer jobs which are being made available to them.

I am pleased to report that more than 824,000 job opportunities will be available this summer: 674,000 through Federal Government programs and 150,000 through the efforts of the National Alliance of Businessmen which works with the Government but does not receive public monies. Altogether, job opportunities this summer are 30 percent greater than a year ago and are at the highest level in the 7-year history of this program.

The Federal Government will invest over $303 million in its summer job programs in 1971. Of the 674,000 federally provided jobs, the Neighborhood Youth Corps will provide more than 609,000. An additional 63,000 of the jobs are in the Federal Summer Employment Program for Youth and 2,000 are in the newly established Youth Conservation Corps.

I am also pleased to report the expansion of Federal summer recreation programs for even younger Americans. We expect that some 2 million young people will participate in programs designed to build physical fitness, improve health, and provide educational and cultural opportunities.

I believe this expanded program represents a positive and promising approach to the problems of disadvantaged youth in every part of our country. It provides them with a chance to do useful work and learn useful skills. Surely this is one of the wisest investments a nation can make--an investment in the lives of its young.