Lowell — The City of Lowell is proud to announce a new partnership with CTI YouthBuild of Greater Lowell, aimed at providing internship opportunities for YouthBuild students interested in pursuing a career in municipal government.
CTI YouthBuild is a program designed for young adults aged 16 to 24, offering educational and vocational training, GED attainment, certifications, career counseling, and leadership development services.
This partnership, spearheaded by the City Manager’s Office and Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Officer, Ineabelle Dominguez, is part of an initiative to create internship pathways within City departments. The goal is to establish career opportunities for Lowell youth. The internships will last 6-8 weeks and will be paid through a YouthBuild stipend.
“I am very proud of the work that has gone into creating this partnership between the City of Lowell and YouthBuild to provide municipal experience for Lowell youth,” said City Manager Thomas A. Golden, Jr. “We are thrilled to welcome this group of young people to City Hall and look forward to providing more opportunities for career growth as we expand this initiative.”
The first group of interns includes Adalin Castro, Antonia Bryant and Jamilex Irizarry. Irizarry, the youngest of the group, has been hired in the Law Department, where she will help with filing, interoffice mail runs, and visitor assistance. She will also shadow various attorneys and support staff.
City Solicitor Corey Williams expressed excitement about the partnership, stating, “The Law Department is very excited to welcome Jamilex onto our team. One of my goals as City Solicitor has been to increase community engagement. This partnership with YouthBuild has created a wonderful opportunity for the young people of Lowell to get involved in municipal government.”
Yovani Baez-Rose, Director of the Department of Planning and Development (DPD) has hired Castro and Bryant as Executive Assistants. Their roles will include filing, mail runs, assisting clerks and support staff, and visitor assistance.
Baez-Rose remarked, “I’m excited to have Youth Build interns coming to work in DPD. They are going to have a chance to see behind the scenes on a lot of ongoing projects in the city, which I hope sparks an interest in municipal work. The interns will add much needed capacity to our administrative work, and I know we’ll really benefit from having them join us.
At a welcoming reception on Tuesday, March 5, 2024, for the interns in the Mayor’s Reception Room, Dominguez expressed her enthusiasm, stating, “Having grown up in the City of Lowell as a Latina woman and being a member of the community for so long, this initiative is near and dear to me. One of my main goals as DEI Officer is providing employment opportunities for Lowell youth. These young women are very impressive and are destined to be successful. We are happy to have them as our first group of young people to undertake this initiative. We look forward to bringing more youth to City Departments in the coming months.”
YouthBuild Program Manager, Siobhan Sheehan, remarks, “YouthBuild Lowell is excited to announce our career exploration initiative in collaboration with the City of Lowell’s DEI team, Department of Planning and Development, and Law Department. This partnership offers a transformative opportunity for our young people at YouthBuild. It truly takes a community to support and guide a young person, and through this collaboration, we are working towards breaking the cycle of poverty in our community. Internships and apprenticeships provide our students with a chance to discover new possibilities for their future. Thank you, City of Lowell, for showcasing the true meaning of community.”
