The city of Vicksburg will begin accepting applications for its summer youth jobs program April 9.

Deborah Goodman, administrative assistant for Mayor George Flaggs Jr., said the program will run from June 11 to July 20, and is open to high school seniors and college students. Application packets can be picked up at the city’s human resources office in the City Hall Annex, 1415 Walnut St.

She said students must have minimum grade point average of 2.0, be a resident of Vicksburg or Warren County and pass a drug test.

“The students must fully complete the applications, supplying all the information that’s requested, and return them to the human resources department,” Goodman said. “Incomplete packets will be returned and (the applicants) will not be considered for employment.” The deadline for returning the applications in person or by mail is May 10.

She said the program is limited to hiring 30 people and those accepted will work a total of 24 hours a week.

Goodman said the applicants will go through an interview process “designed to ensure that students are matched with some of their career interests. We want to make sure that if we can, they can be placed in a department where they may have an interest.”

Flaggs said this year’s program it the first time the city has opened the program to Warren County residents.

“In this process we will have at least one person in each (city) department,” Flaggs said. “I just believe somebody wants to be a fireman, somebody wants to be a policeman, somebody wants to be an accountant, somebody wants to be a lawyer,” he said. “We need to give these kids these opportunities.”