Innovation
Frederick County Partners with Fort Detrick for Summer Jobs
This summer, Fort Detrick is introducing Frederick County youth to “jobs of the future.” Thanks to a partnership with Frederick County Workforce Services (FCWS), 20 youth are working in 17 different worksites on the base, in positions such as library assistant, laboratory aide, and safety assistant. Youth have also been placed in public affairs, clerical, food service, and warehouse positions.
The partnership began last summer, when FCWS initiated its effort to place young workers at the Fort for the summer. This year’s program builds on last year’s success.
Although Fort Detrick has been part of the Frederick community for 53 years, it carries an air of mystery, with its focus on biomedical research and development, medical materiel management, and global telecommunications. This partnership has helped create positive public relations in the County. Many of the summer jobs emphasize STEM skills (science, technology, engineering, and math), but “they’re not necessarily hiring just the kids who’ll be the rocket scientists, and they were very willing to hire youth with disabilities and integrate them into the talent pipeline,” explained Michelle Gallipoli, FCWS Youth Services Manager. “They’re setting an example for other employers around the County. This was something unique and different, and it has really paid off.
“We are very fortunate to have one contact person at Ft. Detrick,” Gallipoli added. “We found one person on that base who was our liaison – Lanae Johnson. Our Youth Services Specialist, Brooke Sims, made the connection with Lanae, who then recruited positions internally for us. We never would have gotten this far without Lanae. It takes two people who are dedicated to expanding the program and giving youth opportunities in different areas.”
The summer jobs program has always enjoyed strong support from the County Commissioners. They understand how important it is for young people to work in the summer, and they expect that some of the money earned will come back into the local economy. Job coaches funded by the Departments of Social Services and Rehabilitative Services provide one-on-one intensive skills training to 10-12 youth with severe disabilities, enabling them to make significant contributions on the job sites.
Funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) helped expand Frederick County’s summer youth employment program by 50, for a total of 150 young people this summer. Even so, 100 eligible applicants had to be turned away. “We don’t guarantee youth a job, we just guarantee them an interview,” Gallipoli explained. “They have to prepare for their interviews, and that preparation can make all the difference. We try to place the ones who don’t get jobs by referring them out to private sector employers, but there aren’t many opportunities this summer.” Youth in the summer jobs program earn minimum wage ($7.25 an hour) and generally work 28 hours each week for five weeks.
The summer workers gain practical work experience at an early age (despite eligibility ranging up to 24 years old as a result of ARRA, most Frederick County participants are under 18). Summer employment “helps them graduate from high school, and gets them to take an interest in their local economy because they have real money to spend,” according to Gallipoli. “We’re always working on work ethic and introducing them to the world of work, with job-specific skills at each site. We have an orientation for the youth, and introduce them to acceptable work behaviors. On site, the supervisors (who’ve been oriented as well) reinforce those lessons.
This year, FCWS developed a new ‘Youth and Employment’ segment for supervisors, with help from The Way Station, an organization that works with people with disabilities. Disability navigators (specialists who help people with disabilities “navigate” the world of work) delivered this segment of the orientation, but they didn’t single out youth with disabilities. Their general overview helped supervisors learn what to expect from youth from low-income families, youth with other barriers, and youth with specific disabilities.
Evaluation of this year’s program will help shape next year’s. According to Gallipoli: “We always monitor our worksites to ensure that they follow their worksite agreements. At the end of the summer, we analyze the data and determine which worksites we want to use again the next summer. The employers evaluate the youth several times over the summer and give them feedback. That helps the youth understand what they’re doing well and what they need to work on.”
Contact:
Michelle Gallipoli
Youth Services Manager
Frederick County Workforce Services
301-600-3561
mgallipoli@fredco-md.ne
|
