Nearly 200 Dutchess County Youths Complete
Summer Youth Employment Program
Poughkeepsie … Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro today congratulated 190 youths from throughout Dutchess County who completed the Department of Community & Family Services’ (DCFS) Summer Youth Employment Program, coordinated by the Dutchess County Workforce Investment Board (WIB).
The students, ages 14 to 20 and whose families qualify for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), took part in a month-long course, which included summer job placement, designed to help them prepare for future, permanent employment.
County Executive Molinaro said, “Dutchess County’s youth are our next generation of leaders, and our county remains committed to providing the skills training necessary to ensure our most vulnerable teens can become successful young adults. The Summer Youth Employment Program provides these students skills they’ll find useful in whatever career they pursue. I laud these students for not only their initiative to take part in the Summer Youth Employment Program, but also their determination to complete the course.”
Students received job placements accompanied by mentorship – ranging in industry, skill level and geographic location – and worked an average of 20 hours per week at various businesses throughout Dutchess County, including the Poughkeepsie City School District, Barnes & Noble, Fountain Press Graphic Design, The Moviehouse in Millerton and The Pines of Poughkeepsie, among others.
Training coincided with the students’ employment throughout the course of July and August, giving them the chance to learn skills, go back and apply those skills on the job, and then gather again to discuss which were successful.
Training topics included:
- problem-solving;
- teamwork;
- verbal and non-verbal communication;
- stress management;
- fundamental fiscal management concepts; and
- goal setting and employment strategies.
WIB Executive Director Louise McLoughlin said, “The Dutchess County Workforce Investment Board is proud to partner with the Department of Community & Family Services to present the Summer Youth Employment Program. Through this course, our students have learned skills that will serve them well as their embark on their future careers, and they’ve gained the confidence to obtain a job that can impact their lives.”
The Dutchess County Workforce Investment Board received $515,089 for the 2019 Summer Youth Employment Program from the federally funded TANF program. The Summer Youth Employment Program’s aim is for the young participants to enjoy a positive work experience while giving them an opportunity to be productive, explore career options and earn a certificate that confirms their readiness for entry-level work, as defined by employers across the country.
Youths who took part in today’s Summer Youth Employment Program closing ceremony also attended the “Path to Promise” Youth Leadership Summit, which followed. “Path to Promise” is Dutchess County’s comprehensive effort to ensure all young people in the county have the assets they need to achieve their full potential as they grow into young adults. Attendees learned about and gave input about the “Path to Promise,” continuing to help guide the process that will benefit county youth moving forward.
Among the six “Path to Promise” domains are social relationships and learning, which correspond with several of the topic areas and skills covered in the Summer Youth Employment Program.
