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Workforce Development Board earns second year of funding for two youth programs |
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Crystal Hodges learned about retail salesmanship at a gift shop in Shalimar.
Lewis Buckland shadowed his father in the construction business.
Robin Taunton learned about the responsibilities of a nursing assistant.
Paul Wiseman collaborates with Will Miles of the Workforce Development Board staff on a web site design project.
Roderick Patterson learned about journalism by interning at the Northwest Florida Daily News.
Jasminne Patterson gained work experience at NEXTEL (Innovative Wireless).
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Education: Pathways to Independence Youth
The Workforce Development Board of Okaloosa and Walton Counties has been awarded $288,000 in funding for the Education: Pathways to Independence grant for a second year. The grant will serve a minimum of 137 youth in Okaloosa and Walton Counties during the program year.
FCAT remediation will remain in the mix of services already being provided. There is an anticipated need for this service and its inclusion is seen as a proactive rather than reactive posture. If this need does not materialize, area youth will be served with the current mix of service as stated in the grant application.
A second benefit of the additional year of funding is the ability to serve additional youth who are incarcerated with the Department of Juvenile Justice.
Finally, the additional funds will allow Region 2 to provide a more in-depth and expanded service program to enable eligible youth to qualify for the Okaloosa County School District's new educational institutes. The Okaloosa County School Board has adopted the CHOICE program (Community High: Okaloosa Institutes for Career Education) for eligible youth in Okaloosa County. CHOICE is about exploring all options, including -- but not limited to -- career education. The Institutes are based on outcomes with a focus on credentials that will provide Okaloosa County students an edge in the job market. Six career institutes have planned to provide training for occupations in high growth industries where there is a projected high demand and high salary structure. The planned provided pathways are: Information Technology; Construction Technology; Aerospace; Health Science; Hospitality and Tourism; and education.
Currently, each student eligible for the CHOICE program must maintain a minimum of a 3.0 grade point average as well as meeting other eligibility requirements. It has been documented that youth participating in the previous Youth Skill Training grant program were determined basic skills deficient and would not qualify for the CHOICE program without additional remediation and other preparations. With the additional funding from this grant, eligible youth who lack the educational requirement to participate in the CHOICE program will be afforded this opportunity.
The youth served with this second year of the Education: Pathways to Independence grant will participate and/or complete one or more of the following components:
The participants will be introduced to a variety of career paths through the CHOICE programs Institutes, the mentors, community activities, and career exploration utilizing the Youth Stops at each of the secondary schools. A member of SHRM (Society of Human Resources Management) is matched with a specific secondary school to serve as a Resource person for Career Information and as a Liaison to the business community. This resource officer will work with the participants individually or in a group environment to assist with career exploration. The participants will also be introduced to the resources available at the JobsPlus One Stop Career Centers.
Skills Training and Pathway to Education
The Workforce Development Board of Okaloosa and Walton Counties has been awarded $303,543 in second-year funding for the Skills Training and Pathway to Education program. This award funds programs that will serve a minimum of 150 youth in Okaloosa and Walton counties during the program year.
With the funding of the second-year grant, eligible youth are exposed to career awareness and exploration activities by participating in applied and project-based learning, comprehensive career counseling, and by receiving placement assistance and support in the workplace. The participating youth will have successfully completed job training in employment preparation activities, job shadowing, unpaid or paid work experience, on-the-job training, occupational skills training, and/or career advancement or job retention activities.
The youth served by the grant funds will be Workforce Investment Act (WIA) eligible -- ages 14-21 and meeting at least one of the following barriers to employment:
The eligible participants in the program will be taught the skills to enter, retain, or advance their employment opportunities in high growth/high impact occupations that pay a living wage.
The grant provides innovative and unique opportunities for eligible youth in the local area. Programs funded by the grant provide youth the chance for computerized vocational assistance, exploring and selecting career paths leading to high demand, high skills/high wages, and critical jobs as identified by the Occupational Forecasting Conference. Planned activities prepare youth to enter post-secondary occupational skills training, and/or enter, retain, and/or advance the available employment opportunities.
One of the primary goals of this youth grant is to recruit new or existing employers to offer opportunities for the youth of Okaloosa and Walton counties. Special youth job opportunities are defined as after school employment, internships, paid and unpaid work experiences, job-shadowing, and on-the-job training. The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) has partnered with the Workforce Development Board and Youth Service Providers to offer participants career exploration and employment opportunities information. Youth are provided pertinent Labor Market Information (LMI) regarding high demand/high skills, critical jobs, fastest growing career fields, and expected earnings for selected career fields.
Employers recruited to provide these unique training experiences will be those employers who are in growth industries with occupations in high demand and critical jobs for the economic growth of the region. Special job training opportunities will be developed with Eglin Air Force Base to target the engineering, information technology, and occupations requiring math and sciences degrees. The training will focus on preparation through work experience instead of subsidized employment.
Youth who participate in training involving one or more of the targeted industries and occupations will benefit from learning timely, relevant, and required skills to succeed in occupations in demand and expected to continue to be in demand. Youth will benefit from learning the education and training required for entry level employment into these selected fields and will be able to compare the earning potential, education required, and special requirements for aptitude, temperament, and work environments. It is anticipated that successful internships may result in offers of after-school employment, summer employment and full-time employment after graduation.
For more information, call Linda Sumblin at 651-2315. |
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