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photo by Hannah Reel
Dambrell Thomas, 16, watches as Public Works Director Eric Smith shows her how to paint next to the trim.
Stimulus money revives program, employs youth
Published Saturday, June 20, 2009
NATCHEZ — For 10 years, the Summer Youth Work Experience Program lay dormant.
But in a true meaning of its name, stimulus money brought it back to life this year by leaps and bounds.
The youth program is an arm of the Win Job Center, and this summer, using stimulus money, 166 youth have been employed in Adams, Jefferson and Wilkinson counties.
Per the program standards, the employed youth must work for municipalities, not private companies, said Win Job Center Unit Supervisor Diane Brooks.
That’s why the county courthouse, road crew, City Hall and public works have been flooded with 67 gainfully employed youth this summer.
“It’s really been a tremendous help for the community and we’ve had a tremendous response,” Brooks said.
And while the various entities are enjoying the extra helping hands, she said the overall benefit belongs to the youth.
Another requirement of the program is that each youth employed must be economically disadvantaged, Brooks said.
Photo by Hannah Reel
Earl Canselo, 17, paints the wall of the break room in the Public Works office building Friday morning. Canselo was hired for the summer to work 32 hours a week for Public Works.
“It’s basically so they can learn work-readiness skills so they can develop into productive law-abiding, tax-paying citizens,” Brooks said.
Not only are the youth garnering hands-on experience in the eight-week program, but the Win Job Center guides them in a course of work ethic.
“We give them in-depth orientations,” she said, which include such skills as work ethic, readiness and promptness — and the value of a hard-earned dollar.
Each youth earns $7.25 an hour and is required to work 32 hours a week. Workers are paid through the Win Job Center.
Jefferson County has 59 youth employed and Wilkinson County has 40.
Brooks said the program is valuable, and it was merely a lack of funds that kept it from running for the past decade.
She said she hopes that by having the program this summer, the need for it will be recognized and that the program can take place every year.
“My fingers are crossed that that’s true, because there’s such a big need,” Brooks said. “There are so many people who really need the opportunity to work.
“We know there aren’t very many jobs in particular — no summer jobs — and we’re hopeful that in the future we’ll be able to serve more people.”
Comments
Posted by lsumom (anonymous) on June 20, 2009 at 9:35 a.m. (Suggest removal)
How are these jobs posted? Who can apply for the jobs? And who makes the decision as to who gets hired? I have not heard one thing about this until now. What age do the kids have to be to work and where do they apply?
Posted by EnKiKur (Marty Ellerbe) on June 20, 2009 at 12:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)
It's a wonder of our tolerance for socialism that these kids with no experience can work for the government at the same wages many locals with years of experience work for.
They could double the opportunity if they would halve the pay, and it would be a much better use of the money and teach an understanding of the value of skill and experience in work.
Think of it, twice the job training opportunity, twice the work performed for the same money spent.
Posted by nd (anonymous) on June 21, 2009 at 7:17 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Love it!!!
Posted by tolduso (anonymous) on June 21, 2009 at 8:40 a.m. (Suggest removal)
This program has been around for years,just wasn't funded and iqnored.Now , that it is properly funded and working in the community.The haters comes out.
Posted by EnKiKur (Marty Ellerbe) on June 21, 2009 at 12:26 p.m. (Suggest removal)
godcu I am extremely skilled at what I do, having done it for 34 years. These kids are being paid to be told its necessary to be on time for work and I assure you that no unskilled worker is worth 7.25 an hour, due to the high level of supervision needed to train on the job.
This is a program that is born of and teaches a tenet of communism- decommodification of labor. It's more of a give-away than a serious jobs program.
What they should do is allow the kids to bid for positions (if we have to create jobs) and hire the lowest bidders. That would give a lot more kids work and give them incentive to pay attention and learn to do the work faster and better to compete for higher pay; they should simultaneously be taught work is production and quality based. What they are being taught is that government will give them a job that is paid for by taking money from people who actually are productive, and that quality and production can be overlooked so long as "social justice" is served.
This program really violates some state laws concerning contracts for public work. It is not the most efficient way to have the work performed and if the work is necessary it takes work from people who could do a faster, better job for less money.
But, I know, it is extremely important to teach this black kids that government is watching out for them and that if they vote Democrat when they are old enough it will continue to do so; this is essential to creating more generations of government dependents who feel entitled to the labor of others. I can see that is important to you to.
Posted by reneef (anonymous) on June 21, 2009 at 6:27 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I have no problem with youth job programs but I do have a problem with the starting wage being as high for unskilled as skilled. When I was a teenager summer workers were just that...unskilled and therefore paid a lower amount so they could get work experience. I also have a problem with the government making jobs for youth when the job did not already exist. That is only teaching them that the government will provide for them. The government could supply a short course in appropriate job attire, work ethics and appropriate attitudes and then assist them in finding jobs in the local community. That would teach them that the hardest working and most prepared get jobs while those that do not prepart and have a bad attitude do not get jobs.
Posted by rushinghjr (anonymous) on June 22, 2009 at 12:42 a.m. (Suggest removal)
The intent of the "so-called "Stimulus Monies" was to be for adults to be kept on the payroll and new adults to be hired as determined by the U. S. Department of Labor! Statistics are kept by the USDL. Info was obtained from the U.S. House and U. S. Senate! You see where your money is going?
Posted by ChrissyLuv (anonymous) on June 22, 2009 at 10:42 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Listen it's a good program....STOP IT!!!! If you are still making the same wages at your current job and you've been there for years....THAT'S YOUR FAULT!!! If you want to do better, do better. It's help out there for those who want to help themselves. Stop blaming your problems on everyone else but YOU!!! A job is a job, whether you're on some body's time clock or on your own time. That's what's wrong with society today....YOU WORRIED BOUT THE WRONG THANG!!!! Jobs just don't drop from the sky. GET UP and get out there and search for a job that is willing to pay you what you think you are worth....HAPPY JOB HUNTING
Posted by southernwoman (anonymous) on June 22, 2009 at 11:03 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I like where my money is going.
I believe most kids who work will see it pays and lifts their self-esteem and hope for the future - and will want to continue to work.
And then they can all go to LSU.
Go Tigers!
Posted by juju (anonymous) on June 23, 2009 at 10:15 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I disagree with reneef. When my friends and I worked summer jobs,as well as, summer jobs for kids where I work since then, have always been more or less 'created' with better than average pay because it is for just a short time. Also, you've got to remember that kids don't have skills yet, this is supposed to teach them the process of work. Maybe some of the type of work does need rethought though. Investing in youth to create good work ethics is better than investing in unmotivated adults.
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