Specifications include, but are not limited to: The Caroline County Department of Social Services (CCDSS or the Department) is issuing this Request for Proposals (RFP) to provide a summer youth employment program (“Program”) for the Foster Youth of the Mid-Shore Departments of Social Services (“MSDSS”), which is comprised of the Departments of Social Services for the following counties: Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s and Talbot County. MSDSS aims to prepare older youth (those in foster care or whose families receive TCA), ages 14-21, to enter into the workforce. One way MSDSS accomplishes this is through the Program. For roughly 8 years, CCDSS has engaged the services of a vendor on behalf of MSDSS to provide paid summer job placement services to help foster youth acclimate to the working world by developing good work habits and skills. Youths are screened by the State Project Manager and referred to the Contractor. After receiving job preparation training, the youths participate in structured jobs where they learn vital work skills and habits. Historically, the Program employers have included government, non-profit, and private entities. The Contractor shall: A. Engage a diverse set of employers who will provide youth between 14-21 years of age with real-world job experience. B. Develop working relationships with employers in order to develop an expansive and varied list of employment sites for youth with worksite mentors providing work experience opportunities, job-shadowing, internships, apprenticeships and/or other career development opportunities across the Maryland Mid-Region Shore. C. Ensure that all employers comply with State and Federal employment laws and regulations. D. Match youth with employment experiences based on the youth’s career interests. E. Hold an orientation during the Program’s first week at the Contractor’s facility (“Orientation”). Orientation shall, at a minimum: 1) Be held from June 25 to June 29, 2018. 2) Include work readiness training that covers, at minimum, the following topics: a. Workplace training; b. Resume building c. Interpersonal skills; d. Active listening; e. Customer service skills; f. Goal setting; g. Conflict resolution; and h. Financial literacy. 3) Contain a team building activity. F. For youths between the ages of 14-15, the Contractor shall place the youths in a job or jobs in any career field. If the Contractor places the youth in multiple jobs, those jobs cannot run simultaneously. For example, the youth may work in a job for the first half of the Program, followed by another job for the second half of the Program. G. For youths between the ages of 16-21, the Contractor shall attempt to place the youths in positions based on their field of interest, age and experience with the intent that the aforementioned placements could potentially lead to a permanent placement. H. Ensure that each placement: 1) Begins on or before July 2, 2018; 2) Runs for maximum of 8 hours a day (not-to-exceed 40 hours in a week); 3) Is scheduled between the hours of 7 a.m. and 9 p.m.; 4) Does not require a youth to work more than 5 consecutive hours without a non-working/break period of at least 30 minutes; 5) Lasts for a total of twenty-five Business Days; and 6) Is flexible enough to allow the participant to attend field trips to colleges and businesses (see E below). 7) Is located in the Mid-Shore region. I. Organize field trips for all participants to colleges and businesses that will help the youth see and experience a variety of career choices.