Community Corner
Regional Office of Education offers youth jobs program
Youth can enroll in a free program that will help them find a job.
The Grundy-Kendall Regional Office of Education (GKROE) has openings in their free youth employment program which helps 16-21 year old youth find jobs and prepare for careers. The program also helps high school dropouts pass the GED.
The program is in its 5th year operating out of the Yorkville office of GKROE, 109 W. Ridge St., Yorkville and is funded by the River Valley Workforce Investment Board.
Kenny Williams, who is pictured above, enrolled in the program in October 2013 when he was 20 years old. Williams had never had a job and wanted help finding one.
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Williams’ first activity in the youth employment program was a job search skills training. Williams made a resume, practiced interview skills, and learned tips on how to increase his chances of being hired. In subsequent weeks, Williams attended several appointments to apply for jobs online and to refresh his math skills. Mark Leigh, coordinator of the youth employment program, said, “Kenny was persistent in looking for a job. He was more than prompt; he always arrived early.”
Williams obtained a 2-week temporary job (which was his first job ever) at the bookstore of Waubonsee Community College (WCC) during the December 2013 book turn-in. In January, Williams was again employed temporarily to work at WCC’s bookstore during the start of the new semester.
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In April 2014 Leigh set up a subsidized part-time job at Grand Rental Station in Yorkville. Williams was a reliable employee always showing up for work and always being on time. Leigh monitored Williams’ employment to ensure that he displayed the work habits of a good employee.
When the subsidized job ended, Williams applied for many jobs and obtained a part-time job at Advance Auto Parts in Yorkville where he currently delivers parts to customers in nearby communities and also waits on customers at the parts counter.
To be eligible for the youth employment program, youth must be 16-21 years of age and must either meet low household income guidelines or have had an IEP in school. For more information on the program, call Mark or Laura at (630) 553-4166 or send an email to yep@roe24.org.
