Employment for Young People

It is to be expected that young persons looking for employment will experience some new and challenging situations. But with the current condition of the economy, it is particularly tough to get started.

Last week in this space there were a number of resources listed to help unemployed persons find a job. One of the resources mentioned was the Polk Works’ Young Leaders Program, which serves Polk County residents ages 16-21 with both academic and employability training. This successful program has an office here in Lake Wales and is FREE for those who qualify! Let’s explore the services available, the program’s record of success, and how to enroll.

Services Available

Help for high school students: homework, tutoring, or preparing for the FCAT - Program staff offers services to high school students that focus on helping them graduate from high school and get started on their career goals. These services include individualized instruction as well as interactive, web-based tutoring programs.

• Get ready for college or technical school - Program staff will help students prepare for entrance exams (SAT, ACT) and will provide assistance in finding financial aid opportunities, learning about college programs, and understanding the application process. College tours and field trips can also be arranged.


• Help with obtaining a GED - Young people who have not obtained their high school diploma can receive individualized instruction to prepare for the GED test. Program staff helps participants register with the Polk County School Board to take the test. Participants receive a voucher to cover the cost of the exam. Those youth who did not pass the FCAT and obtained a certificate of completion from high school can also take advantage of this option.


• Learn to find a job – Program staff will help students learn interview skills, how to search for a job, how to dress for work, how to write a resume and cover letter, and how to connect to local job opportunities. Internships and job shadowing are also provided.


• Scholarships - Persons age 18-21 may receive scholarships for specialized training in selected fields, based on the individual’s aptitude and interests. Once these skill-building activities are completed, program staff will work one on one with each participant to assist in marketing their skills to employers. Program participants often have an opportunity to earn cash incentives as they reach milestones in the program.


• Other Services - Program staff is authorized to make referrals to enable participants to obtain other needed services, including medical, housing, substance abuse prevention, teen pregnancy prevention, and assistance to obtain proper workplace attire.

Record of Success

In the last fiscal year, the Polk Works Young Leaders Program served 222 participants countywide, and 91.6% of all the participants who exited the program obtained a job, entered post-secondary education, or entered the military. The Lake Wales office served 34 young people.

How to Enroll

The City provides the Polk Works’ Young Leaders program with office space in the James P. Austin Community Center, located at 315 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, just a few blocks north of Lake Wales City Hall. The office is open from 8am – 5pm Monday thru Friday. The phone number is 455-1014. Ms. Beverly Dingle is the Program Manager in Lake Wales and will be happy to help you. Applicants must complete an application and interview with a Program Career Coach. Polk Works’ Young Leaders is a federally funded program and income guidelines apply.

Much of this information came from the Polk Works and the Young Leaders Program websites.

Resources for Job Seekers

The poor condition of the economy has the unemployment rate soaring. In our county it is reported that there are 21,303 persons unemployed for an unemployment rate of 7.9% as of September. Compare this to the rates reported in August for the state at 6.8% and the nation at 6.1%.

In addition to the relative lack of jobs, many job seekers suffer from employment impediments. A survey of unemployed persons done over a year ago in our town listed some of these impediments:

• An arrest record


• No high school diploma or GED


• No transportation


• Lack of child care


• No job training

There are a few resources available to help all job seekers find work. In addition to the employment ads in our local newspapers, the website www.employflorida.com is a job matching service that is available on the internet. These and other resources can be found at these locations:

1. The Lake Wales Public Library, 290 Cypress Gardens Lane, Lake Wales, Florida 33853, (863)678-4004. Hours of operation are Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, 9:00am to 6:30pm; Wednesday and Friday, 9:00am to 5:30pm; Saturday, 9:00am to 3:00pm. Copies of local newspapers are available for review with open job ads. There are also 12 public access computers for Internet job searches. Library staff can offer assistance.


2. The B Street Center is located at 230 B Street, Lake Wales, Florida, 33853, (863) 679-8091. Hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 9:00am to 5:00pm. A variety of assistance is available here, including internet job searches, instructions on how arrest records for certain crimes can be purged from the system, and assistance in finding instruction for GED and job training. The computers are not available on Fridays for public use. Computer classes are also available at the center on Monday and Tuesday, 4:00pm to 6:00pm.<.li>
   
3. Polk Works – The Polk Works One Stop Career Center office is located at 500 East Lake Howard Drive. Suite 400, Winter Haven, Florida 33881 and the phone number is (863) 508-1100. The website address is www.polkworks.org. Services include employment search assistance, assistance in filing out job applications, and job training.


4. Polk Works also has a mobile unit that comes to Lake Wales offering internet job search capability. The schedule for the mobile unit is as follows: 1st Tuesday in December, Lake Wales City Hall; 1st Tuesday of every month beginning in January, Wal-Mart parking lot; 2nd Tuesday, Frostproof Library except November; 3rd Tuesday, Mulberry Wal-Mart; 4th Tuesday, Haines City Wal-Mart.


5. Polk Works also has an office serving youth between the ages of 14 – 21 at the James P. Austin Community Center, 315 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Lake Wales, Florida 33853, (863) 678-4003. The “Young Leaders Program” will assist youth in obtaining a GED and/or employment. The service is open to youth who are in school as well as those who are no longer in school.

Two items on the list above were not mentioned as being addressed in any of the resources above: transportation, and child care. The WHAT system has several bus stops in town as described on their website. As for childcare, reasonably priced childcare can be difficult to find. In addition to the childcare centers listed in the phone book, there is now a childcare center at Lake Wales High School that is open to the public although there may be a waiting list.