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Stimulus dollars help employ youth
Published 12:00pm Wednesday, August 5, 2009Nearly 100 local young adults are finding themselves employed this summer after $2.5 million in stimulus funds were awarded to Rural Minnesota CEP’s Summer Youth Program.
In the 19 counties Rural Minnesota CEP serves, 1,007 young people have been hired to work for a number of organizations, government services and businesses. Throughout Fergus Falls, 70 people between the ages of 14 and 24 have been placed in positions ranging from maintenance to laboratory work. In the Underwood and Battle Lake communities, 25 young people are working summer jobs through the program.
Designed to provide youth with experience needed in today’s workforce, the program has also come to the rescue of local employers, many of which have found themselves having to cut back on staff.
“It’s helping out the local economy. That was the biggest push — trying to get kids out there working, helping businesses,” said Chad Nelson, Youth Services Coordinator for the Minnesota Workforce Center in Fergus Falls.
Some kids are working with the City of Fergus Falls’ Street Department, which this year was not able to hire back as many young workers due to reduced local government aid.
For many youth, this is their first working experience. For that reason, Nelson said it’s important for young workers to be paired with top notch workers, who are able to show them what it means to be a responsible employee. The summer position allows young workers to get that first experience in the job market, which also may help them out later in life.
“It’s a good workforce reference to use on their resume,” Nelson said. “It’s a start.”
Young people involved in the program typically work 30 to 40 hours a week, depending on the position.
This isn’t the first time the Workforce Center has employed young people to go out and work in the community. Previously, programs offered positions to students between the ages of 14 and 21. The additional funding through DEED has also brought the numbers up to rates they were nine years ago.
