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OPA News Release: [05/22/2002]
Contact Name: Elissa
Pruett
Phone Number: 202-693-4676
Labor Secretary Elaine L. Chao Announces New YouthRules!
Program
Initiative To Promote Safe And Rewarding Work Experiences For
Teens
WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao today
held a news conference with student reporters from high schools across the
United States to announce the department’s new YouthRules! program. The
Secretary fielded questions both from students at the Department of Labor and
from out-of-state student reporters via conference call.
“These students will help spread our message that working safely
and smartly will make having a job a rewarding experience,” Chao said.
“By bringing together students, parents and employers, we will ensure the
well-being of young workers.”
YouthRules! is a new initiative aimed at educating young workers,
parents and employers about workplace hazards, proper hours of work and
ensuring that students’ education should be everyone’s first
priority.
The Labor Department launched a new Web site,
www.youthrules.dol.gov, to provide
a gateway to information on the Internet about young workers. The Web site
educates teens, parents, educators and employers about the hours young people
can work, the jobs they can do and how to ensure safe work experiences.
The department’s Wage and Hour Division is also developing
partnerships with all levels of government, as well as businesses, unions,
advocacy groups and other organizations that work with teens to provide
educational materials and training to ensure that young workers have safe and
rewarding work experiences. In addition, Wage and Hour is revitalizing existing
federal and state relationships to promote increased compliance with both
federal and state child labor laws by improving communications and providing
compliance assistance to employers.
The YouthRules! Web site will link directly with the website provided by
the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), providing detailed
information on information on standards, technical advisors, compliance
assistance, and many other materials. OSHA strongly encourages young workers to
check in with supervisors to make sure that they know how to do their job
safely and urges all employees to report safety and health issues to their
supervisors.
To ensure that America’s young people have a resource to search for
local job opportunities, the Employment and Training Administration (ETA)
maintains Americas Job Bank (www.ajb.org). As
the world’s largest pool of active job opportunities, young workers can go
to the site to research job listings in any field of interest. ETA also
encourages young workers to also visit Youth Corner at
www.doleta.gov, to learn more about the
current job market, how to best apply for a job and even get tips for writing a
resume.
Young workers can also access a range of free services at one of 1,800
local One Stop Career Centers across the country. Services for teens include
access to career counselors, computers and job-search books. One Stop Career
Centers can be found at www.servicelocator.org or by calling
1-877-US-2JOBS.
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_________________________________________________________________
U.S. Labor Department news releases are accessible on the Internet at
www.dol.gov. The information in this release
will be made available in alternate format upon request (large print, Braille,
audio tape or disc)from the COAST office. Please specify which news release
when placing your request. Call 202-693-7773 or TTY 202-693-7755.
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