Valley Save our Youth (VSOY) and The Workplace will be hosting an information session on the Summer Youth Earn & Learn Employment Program. The event will be held this Tuesday, April 12th, at 4pm at VSOY’s center, located at 4 Fourth Street in Ansonia, lower level. The entrance to the center is around the back of the building.
“It is important that we are giving our young people the opportunity to gain valuable job skills, earn some income, and gain exposure to work environments. I want as many teens and young adults as possible to take advantage of this program. For many this will be their first job experience. In light of recent and ongoing incidences in our community, it’s important to our organization that we create pathways for our young people to productively spend their time this summer,” said Leonard Duffus, VSOY’s Executive Director.
The Summer Youth Earn & Learn Employment Program links young adults and youth ages 14 – 21 to local summer employment and pays participants for 20 hours weekly at minimum wage for up to seven weeks. The program usually begins the first week of July. The summer jobs youth receive is typically their first meaningful, paid work experience. Youth accepted into the program complete work-readiness workshops to ensure they know what is expected in professional work environments. During their summer employment, they learn on-the-job skills under the supervision of their work sites. Whether in a hospital, manufacturing plant, small business, non-profit, law office, or government agency, their work often helps employers tackle projects that would not otherwise be completed. A number of the older youth receive job offers for full-time year-round employment. This is a key indicator that their employers were pleased with the experience.
Interested teens or their parents from Lower Valley towns are encouraged to attend Tuesday’s event, where a staff member from The Workplace will be on hand to share more information and answer questions regarding the program. Applications for this summer program are due on April 20th, and interested parties can apply online here.
Founded in 2012, Valley Save Our Youth has functioned to provide programming to children, teens, and young adults in the Lower Naugatuck Valley. While best known for back-to-school rallies, school supply giveaways, youth basketball and kickball tournaments between kids and police officers, and Juneteenth festival, VSOY has recently undergone an expansion in funding and programming to offer year-round youth engagement. It’s goal is to show young people a world bigger than their block and to inspire personal growth through a variety of targeted learning experiences and activities to build strong young adults.
For more information about the Summer Youth Earn & Learn Employment Program, email gmontes@workplace.org. For more information on VSOY, please contact vsoyansonia@gmail.com.
