The applications are in for the city of Selma Youth Employment Program — now phase II begins.

The lottery-drawing program will be held May 11 at 3:30 p.m. at the Carl C. Morgan Convention Center, but Selma Mayor George Evans said it is up to the applicants to complete the process by attending the event.

“That’s important, because if they aren’t there on the day their names are called we will have to move on to the next name,” he said.

If selected, Evans said potential employees must complete an application and be a Selma resident and must commit to working six weeks.

There has been an overflow of interest in the summer job program, Evans said, but a shortage of jobs. Public support, he said, is needed to help give more young people the opportunity to go to work.

“We are still asking for businesses and individuals to make donations of any type,” he said. “We have 300 people that want to work and unfortunately we only have 97 jobs that we can give out.”

It costs around $500 per employee, Evans said,, but the city understands people can’t donate the full amount because of the rough economic conditions.

“It’s tough,” he said. “We are in a tight economy and money is tight. But if we can get some small donations, hopefully they will add up and we can put more people to work.”

The program begins June 7 and ends July 14.