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Union County Youth Program Gives Teens Valuable Work Experience

Union County, NJ – Each year, the Union County Department of Human Services places dozens of teenagers in summer jobs through the Youth Employment and Training Program. The program combines a summer work experience with year-round career and life skills training. This summer, 143 youths have enrolled.

“The young people in this program are going the extra mile to enter the workforce with good skills, references, and an employment history,” said Union County Freeholder Chairman Deborah Scanlon. “This is a key program that helps young adults grow into responsible members of our communities.”

Almost all of the participants are entering their junior or senior year of high school. The program also accommodates teenagers that are recent high school graduates, drop-outs, and college students pursuing a degree. Participants must meet income eligibility criteria established under the Workforce Investment Act of 1998.

Each participant earns $7.25 per hour for their summer job. During the school year they take part in a program called Career Exposure Activities, which focuses on occupational skills, leadership, study skills, mentoring, and financial literacy.

This year’s Youth Employment and Training Program service providers are the Clark Board of Education, the Plainfield Board of Education, Rahway Community Action Organization, Inc., and the Urban League of Union County, Inc. The service providers have worksite agreements with various Union County community organizations. The youths are employed in fields such as clerical support, landscapers, child care assistants, and junior counselors. Clark is a unique component of the program which serves youths with special needs.

The Youth Employment and Training Program is funded under the federal Workforce Investment Act.

Parents interested learning more about the Youth Employment and Training Program can call Jeffrey Jackson, Youth Coordinator, Union County Department of Human Services at 908- 527-4864, or visit the County’s One Stop Career Center located at 921 Elizabeth Avenue, 4th Floor, Elizabeth, NJ.

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For more information on any Union County press release, please contact Sebastian D’Elia, Communications Director for the County of Union, or a designee listed at the top of this press release. Please join the County of Union online at www.ucnj.org, on Facebook at www.ucnj.org/facebook, and on Twitter athttp://twitter.com/countyofunionnj.