A TEEN-AGER'S worst enemy -- idle time -- could appear in Maryland and other states this summer.
That's because the Federal Job Training Act -- which once made sure otherwise unemployable kids under 16 had summer jobs -- has been replaced by the Workforce Investment Act, which isn't quite the same program.
The WIA focuses on long-term employment, an admirable goal. But it disappointingly ignores the benefits a summer job can pay.
In Maryland last year, the state's Department of Human Resources stepped in to fill the void, using unspent welfare reform money to replace the loss of federal summer jobs funds.
But DHR has no money available this year. That's why legislation was introduced in the Maryland General Assembly, asking lawmakers to approve a state-run program for low-income 14 and 15-year-olds.
It would be a wise investment. Summer jobs teach kids responsibility -- how to show up on time, put in a full day's labor and earn their own money. Who knows? Some kids might even save a few bucks.
In the short run, the governor and state legislators should fund a summer jobs program to keep young people busier and more productive this summer. In the long run, states should press the federal government to restore the important Job Training Partnership Act, which has given countless young people their first real taste of adult responsibility.
