The Highland County Youth Employment Program is Back in Business

 

The Highland Youth Employment Program is back in business.  It’s gearing up to get students back to work.  Lois Terry-Warner is the Program Coordinator at the Highland Center.

“Since COVID, we weren’t able to do it in the summer months like we normally would,” says Terry-Warner.  “So at this time we are working closely with the school system and following their guidelines, if school is closed due to COVID then the Youth Employment will have to close as well.  We might not be able to give them as many hours as we would in the summer, but we don’t want to lose the program for the year.”

The Youth Employment Program provides those between the ages of 14 and 19 the opportunity to work in local businesses, nonprofits and county facilities.  The program helps young people develop essential work skills.  The plan is for students to start work in early November.

“With the schools being able to start back and we’re in phase three now and we’ve talked to some employers, they’re comfortable,” says Terry-Warner.  “The students still will have to follow COVID guidelines.  If we have more students interested than we have job placement, we will do some life skills training.  Possibly a day trip to a job site just to kind of see how it goes, the work flow is.  We just don’t want to lose the important skills that these children could learn.”

A Youth Employment Program meeting is set for Tuesday, October 20, at 4:00 p.m. at the Highland Center. Applications will be handed out then.  Anyone interested in applying will need to attend.  Parents are welcome, but are not required to attend.

Applications are due by Friday, October 23.

A mandatory meeting with the student and a parent or guardian is scheduled for Thursday, October 29th at 7:00 p.m. at the Highland Center.  At this meeting participants will finalize paperwork, receive worksite placement and meet worksite supervisors.

If you plan on attending the October 20th meeting or if just have questions contact Lois Terry-Warner at 540-468-1922 or by email programs@thehighlandcenter.org.

Story By

Bonnie Ralston

Bonnie Ralston is the Assistant Station Coordinator at WVLS and a Highland County news reporter. She began volunteering at Allegheny Mountain Radio in the fall of 2005. In 2006 she became an AMR employee and worked in Bath County for eight years as the WCHG Station Coordinator and then as the news reporter there. She began working in radio while in college and has stayed connected to radio, in one way or another, for more than thirty years. She grew up in Staunton, Virginia, while spending a lot of time on her family’s farm in Deerfield, Virginia. She enjoys spending time outside, watching old TV shows and movies and tending to her chickens.

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