Innovation
Anne Arundel Youth Learn Skills, Demonstrate Abilities
“Our purpose was to simulate an employment environment, rather than a summer jobs environment.” That philosophy, described by Kris Powell Bennett, Youth Programs Coordinator, shaped every aspect of Anne Arundel Workforce Development Corporation’s summer youth employment program.
AAWDC set very specific goals: building a cadre of committed employers for the long term, tailoring each placement to fit with each young person’s interests and life plans, and adding value to the workplace. “We stayed away from group placements since we wanted to diversify our employers,” Bennett explained. “We looked for supervisors who would be empathetic. We interviewed our employers to determine that they had meaningful work for the young hires.”
Bennett and her team placed 70 youth in 32 different worksites, always making sure both employer and young person had choices. Once they identified a youth’s interests, they located an employer who could provide an experience that fit the youth’s aspirations. “Each youth went through an interview, so the employer could say yes or no,” AAWDC Recovery Program Manager Susan Gallagher specified. “So when the employer said yes, there was more of a connection with the youth.”
The AAWDC staff struggled to overcome employers’ low expectations, and rejoiced when employers reported after six weeks that their young workers had learned new skills, and learned quickly. Many of the young people in the program “are young people with barriers. You wouldn’t have hired them in a million years on your own,” Bennett admitted. Most were from low-income families, some had disabilities, and others had been in foster care. Nonetheless, employers found that “if you work with them, and give them a chance, and let them produce value, they come through.”
One example of how the program made a difference involved a small florist shop that hired a young woman with no work experience other than babysitting. Her foster parent had suggested the placement because it was within walking distance – an important criterion in an area without public transportation. This 16-year-old foster child was very shy, and demonstrated a lack of confidence that would have been difficult to overcome in a competitive interview situation. Although she seemed pleased to be hired, Bennett observed that she was emotionally disconnected from the program. “When I visited her after her first week, we talked about the job, but it didn’t seem as if she trusted the program. By the time of her exit interview, she described her summer experience as ‘challenging, fun, and loving.’ The environment was so positive and so nurturing and healing to this employee, who also contributed a great deal to a team that was initially reluctant to work with her. She demonstrated her value to them, and helped create a wonderful working team that fulfilled her social, emotional, and financial needs. She ended up getting hired after school and on weekends, and she also developed trust and learned that the community offered opportunities for her.”
Contact:
Kris Powell Bennett
Youth Programs Coordinator
Anne Arundel Workforce Development Corporation
KBennett@aawdc.org
410-424-3250
410-987-3890
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