The initiative, dubbed “Summer Jobs+,” targets low-income and opportunity-deprived youths ages 16 to 24, and will feature an online jobs bank. Young job seekers can begin searching the database in two months.

“America’s young people face record unemployment, and we need to do everything we can to make sure they’ve got the opportunity to earn the skills and a work ethic that come with a job,” President Barack Obama said in a statement released Thursday morning.

The administration says it hopes to increase the commitment to 250,000 jobs by the start of summer; at least 100,000 of those are slated for placements in paid opportunities and internships. The list of employers includes AT&T, Bank of America, Gap, Inc., Jamba Juice, LinkedIn, Starbucks, and UPS. For a full list of the employers, click here.

The announcement continues President Obama’s push for action on the economy that doesn’t require handling by a dysfunctional and increasingly unpopular Congress.

Black community and business leaders joined the president for a midday event at the White House, where they stressed the need for hiring disadvantaged youths and the need for Congress to pass elements of the American Jobs Act. The jobs bill includes incentives that bolster the new hiring commitments from the private sector.