When I graduated from college I couldn't find a job. Finally, I got a part time position at Two Guys selling hot dogs. I lied and told them I was a college drop out in order to secure this prestigious and interesting opportunity. A few months later, my mother called her girlfriend who was on the board of the local library and the library created a job for me, funded by CETA. I worked for $2.10 an hour and got health insurance for one year with a CETA job.
CETA died a few years later, replaced by various programs in different states. Today there is no one federal program like WPA or CETA to provide jobs directly to unemployed individuals. Even as the economy starts to get better, it will probably be another job-less recovery. What this country needs is another CETA.
I agree completely and have been disappointed that this effort has not been addressed by the administration. I received CETA funding in my second year of graduate school and landed an internship with a regional government entity. The experience was invaluable and helped me greatly when I later landed a real job in the public sector. I know others that had similar experiences and ended up in good professional positions. CETA was a good program - especially for young people.
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