Thanks to a special grant from Ohio, many youth from Tecumseh are beginning to work with the jobs of their dreams and seeing if that is the job they would like to pursue a career in? The Workplace Investment Opportunities Act or WIOA grant, has allowed Family and Youth Initiatives to work with almost 50 youth at Tecumseh and many local businesses to match them up in the workplace. This week many of those youth will be paired with their work place and begin to experience the real work place as either in job shadowing or as a spprendices.

Many of the employers have been very patient with filling out paperwork and encouraging the youth to apply for a position. A listing of the jobs involved and their hours needed, the special conditions they have to work under is listed at the FYI office. Another listing is of the youth who have also filled out paperwork, done classes to get ready, and have indicated what they would like to do will be matched with the employers and on Wednesday those who qualify will find out where they will work.

The youth have worked hard taking classes in budgeting, resume writing, interviewing skills, how to retain a job. Amber Hargett, marketer for FYI, even did a special survey of many business to see what they felt was necessary in a good candidate for a job. The top three most mentioned things were Reliability, Good communication skills, Honesty. Good use of time and personal appearance also ranked high among the employers as they await their new positions. These surveys done in February has helped FYI understand what is needed as they have worked with Job and Family Services to get the youth ready. Four weeks of classes have helped them, and when a youth obtains a position, they will be able to go down to Clothes That Work, if needed, to get the proper clothes for the job.

If any junior or senior, or college student up to the age of 22 is interested in this unique program, they can call FYI at 845-0403 and ask for Mary or Pat. The program is open to any youth in Clark County ages 14 to 21. There are requirements to be involved.

So as our Clark County youth prepare to be receptionists, a locksmith, in landscaping and culinary arts, they are seeing first hand if those are the careers they might pursue the rest of their lives. And they are learning about the real world of work. And for our young woman who dreams of a job in journalism you just might see her name in this paper soon, as she will be working with Maggie Yowler with local stories.

FYI is proud of all the youth who have applied and looks forward to seeing many of the youth grow into leaders in the community.