Stimulus money helping teens, young adults gain work experience

Jul 3, 2009 — Florence Morning News

Shireese Bell

Jul. 3, 2009 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex) -- Federal stimulus money is helping about 1,000 teenagers and young adults gain valuable work experience in the Pee Dee.

The Pee Dee Regional Council of Governments and its service providers have been able to offer summer jobs to teens and young adults ages 16 to 24 through YouthWorks, a summer employment program funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act that was signed into law in February by President Barack Obama.

Through YouthWorks, participants earn wages and gain valuable job skills.

Vickie Tyner, work force development director, said the federal stimulus money will make an impact in the Pee Dee.

"We feel like the kids will get a meaningful experience wherever they're working and they'll also get the monetary benefit to help them and their parents because so many people are out of work right now," Tyner said. "I think this is a very meaningful use for the money in the Pee Dee. It's designed to help the most in need."

Tyner said more than 2,500 applications were received for the program.

The Pee Dee Regional Council of Governments administers and disburses the stimulus funds locally.

The council has contracted with several agencies in the area, including the Paxen Group, to provide train work readiness training.

More than 40 young adults have participated in the Paxen's 30-hour work readiness training program that provides the basic skills needed to be successful in a working environment.

After completion of the training program, participants are placed at job sites such as the Florence County Sheriff's Office to put their training to good use.

Hourly wages are paid by YouthWorks for six to eight weeks.

Participants are certified as eligible for YouthWorks by the local One Stop Workforce Centers.

In May, about $163,559.42 was spent on youth programs, according to the Pee Dee Work force Investment Board's Web site, http://www.peedeewib.org.

About 90 percent of that money was related to the government youth program.

The Pee Dee received $2,770,257 in funding for youths.

The amount allocated for adults was $1,652,644 and $10,398.33 was spent on adults in May.

The Pee Dee Regional Council of Governments serves as the administrative entity and grant recipient to implement the goals of the Workforce Investment Act in Chesterfield, Darlington, Dillon, Florence, Marion and Marlboro counties. The council works under the guidance of the Pee Dee Workforce Investment Board.

-- Staff writer Shireese M. Bell can be reached at (843) 317-7261

Newstex ID: KRTB-0314-36199023