Conn. launches summer jobs program

WETHERSFIELD, Conn. (AP) — Connecticut labor officials are reaching back to the Depression to put people to work.

The state Department of Labor launched the Connecticut Conservation Corps on Tuesday to provide summer jobs to unemployed state residents between the ages of 18 and 25.

The program's name is meant to resemble President Franklin Roosevelt's Civilian Conservation Corps that put young people to work planting trees, building roads and doing other outdoor projects across the country.

Connecticut's program will initially employ 60 state residents working 28 hours a week in parks and recreation areas. They'll clear brush, trim trees and maintain trails and paths.

Applicants must be in excellent health and meet low-income requirements. The state did not immediately provide information about pay.