KINGSTON – Ulster County finished its first year managing a summer youth jobs program, and Nancy Schaef, director of Ulster County’s Office of Employment and Training, gave the program high marks.

“It was absolutely successful this year. We had a great group of kids,” she said, after briefing members of the Ulster County Legislature’s Economic Development, Housing, Planning and Transit Committee.

More than 120 young people, ages 14-21, participated in the program, in which they worked as camp counselors, office, building maintenance, landscaper, retail and library aides.

“It’s a needed program for the young people and the county,” she said.

The participants earned minimum wages and pumped $139,000 into local economies during the seven-week work period from early July to the middle of August.

“We have always overseen the program, but it was contracted out to the YMCA in other years,” said Schaef.

But this year the program was administered and monitored by Schaef’s office. Schaef expects her office to manage the program next year as long as the state provides the funding. .

“We manage the program if the state gives the funding,” she said “Every year is a matter if the funding comes down. Sometimes it does not come down until the last minute.”