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Stimulus Funded Summer Youth Employment Program Launches in Marin

Stimulus Funded Summer Youth Employment Program Launches in Marin
Marin County Health and Human Services in partnership with the Workforce Investment Board of Marin County is pleased to announce the launch of Marin Youth@Work, a American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) funded summer youth employment program. A total of 77 low-income and at-risk Marin youth ages 14-24 will learn work readiness skills and gain work experience. Youth will also earn hourly wages or stipends for their participation. $237,800 was awarded to four community based organizations to provide services. Many of the participants will gain “green” work experience, consistent with the intention of the ARRA. The service providers are:

Conservation Corps North Bay, $90,000. Serving 30 youth ages 14-17 through their Marin Youth@Work program, adapted from their longstanding and popular Project ReGeneration summer youth program. Participants will earn up to five high school credits while doing environmental service projects throughout Marin County. Their recruitment efforts have been conducted in partnership with Marin County Juvenile Probation, St. Vincent School for Boys, and the Phoenix Project/Marin Performing Stars. A Green Jobs provider in Marin County for 27 years, this program enables CCNB to strengthen workplace readiness skills for 30 additional youth, has created 6 new staff jobs, and supports local parks, schools, and agencies with dozens of service projects.

Strategic Energy Innovation, $60,000.  Serving 15 youth ages 18-24.  Participants will be placed with energy efficiency contractors and will gain work experience in home weatherization and energy efficiency. Participants first receive introductory training in energy-efficiency and weatherization concepts, in addition to job readiness skills. Next, youth get six-week hands-on skills training by apprenticing with energy efficiency contractors. The ultimate goal of the program is to inspire participating youth to care about protecting the environment and their communities, to help them understand that work in the area of energy-efficiency makes a significant contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and to show them opportunities in this field for long-term, fulfilling employment.

Marin City Community Development Corporation, $50,000. Serving 20 youth ages 14-24 by providing academic enrichment support, job readiness and career awareness training, occupational skills training, and paid on the job work experience in green collar occupations. Partners include Tamalpais Adult School, which provides basic skills instruction, GED preparation and testing services. The Hannah Project provides academic enhancement services for participating in-school youth ages 14-18, and will include a trip to UC Berkeley's campus. Partner employers are providing occupational skills training and on the job training in renewable energy and sustainable agriculture. The Small Business Development Center is providing training, and those who complete will develop a green micro-enterprise.

Marin County Office of Education, School to Career Partnership, $37,800.  Serving 12 youth ages 14-24.  All in-school participants are at alternative education schools in Marin.  Participants concurrently enroll in a Regional Occupation Program Career Management class to earn high school credits and develop their work readiness skills, as they earn a work readiness certificate when they successfully complete the class.  Youth are placed with businesses throughout Marin County.

For questions regarding Marin Youth@Work, please email WIB Director Mary Donovan at mdonovan@co.marin.ca.us or Marin Employment Connection Manager Racy Ming at rming@co.marin.ca.us.