The City of Goldsboro’s Summer Youth Employment Initiative is now accepting applications.
The pilot program, which will provide temporary, summer jobs, is a collaborative effort of the City of Goldsboro, The Housing Authority of the City of Goldsboro, Wayne Community College, and NC Works. These agencies will provide employment opportunities for the youth and are also the agencies that are funding the initiative.
The program will offer 56 positions to youth ages 14-18 who reside in the city limits of Goldsboro. Pay will range from $7.25 to $8.25 an hour. There will be two “tracks” of employment: Track One runs May 29 through July 7 and Track Two is from July 10 through Aug 18.
There will be a mandatory training session on April 25 at 6 p.m. in Moffatt Auditorium at Wayne Community College for all potential applicants.
Deadline to apply is May 1. More information and the application can be found online at www.goldsboronc.gov/community-affairs.
“This initiative is designed to show our youth what it means to have a job, take on some responsibility, and encourage upward mobility,” said Anthony Goodson Jr., chief executive officer of the Housing Authority of the City of Goldsboro. “It is a great example of how our community can creatively address issues related to crime and poverty, by providing these opportunities to our youth.”
Shycole Simpson-Carter, director of community affairs for the City of Goldsboro, said there are many benefits to the program. “The Summer Youth Employment Initiative gives youth the opportunity to cultivate meaningful career development skills needed to become influential people in their communities while earning a living. This pilot program will also aid youth in identifying their strengths and personal potential, while at the same time increasing confidence and developing a sense of personal urgency for their own future.”
The City of Goldsboro’s Summer Youth Employment Initiative is more than a summer job opportunity. The program will provide youth with the skills necessary to become work-ready adults by including financial literacy and soft-skills training as part of the program.
The entire community can benefit from this program. “Workforce readiness cannot begin too early. Through HACG’s Jobs Plus Program, employers frequently express concerns about the lack of customer service skills employees have in the workplace. This collaboration is a wonderful benefit to our youth; and in the future, it will translate to a benefit for local employers and the community at large,” said Michele Wiggins, Jobs Plus director for the Housing Authority.
To further enhance the experience, the youth will also take excursions to local areas of interest as well as a trip to the North Carolina General Assembly, which will help expose the youth to government.
While the City plans to focus on youth residing within the Goldsboro city limits, there are opportunities available for older youth who reside in the county, thanks to the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) program through Wayne Community College.
“We want all youth, especially those who are out of school, to know they can apply for this program. WIOA has evolved from programs that many adults may remember as JTPA and WIA” said WCC Associate Vice President of Continuing Education Services Renita Allen Dawson.
“A great number of adults in our community gained their first work experiences in the summer through these workforce development programs years ago. This initiative is a great way to expose this generation to similar experiences and give them a great foundation of work skills,” Dawson said.
Individuals who do not meet the age or residency requirements for this program may contact Mona Stephens at the college to determine if they qualify for services under the WIOA program. She can be reached at mstephens@waynecc.edu.
Contact for the Summer Youth Employment Initiative is Simpson-Carter. She can be reached at (919) 580-4318 or ssimpson@goldsboronc.gov.
Any business or agency interested in being a work site can contact Shaquita Hatcher at shaquita.hatcher@ncworks.gov.
Wayne Community College is a public, learning-centered institution with an open-door admission policy located in Goldsboro, N.C. As it works to develop a highly skilled and competitive workforce, the college serves around 12,000 individuals annually as well as businesses, industry, and community organizations with high quality, affordable, accessible learning opportunities, including more than 70 college credit programs.
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The Housing Authority of the City of Goldsboro has an essential mission to provide housing assistance for people with low and moderate incomes. HACG offers safe, quality and affordable housing to over 2700 low-income families, the elderly, and disabled individuals, and partners with many local agencies to bring services to its residents. It provides enhanced supportive service programs including the Jobs Plus Program and the Resident Opportunity and Self-Sufficiency Program.
Press release provided by the Housing Authority of the City of Goldsboro