Many of the young people who filed into conference rooms at the Access Business Center had never attended a job interview. All six young men had just been released from Camp Joseph Paige juvenile detention center in La Verne, California.

"To prepare them for life in the real world, members of the La Verne Chamber of Commerce participated in mock interviews with the teens... Each of the six boys sat across from a panel of two business owners in each of the two conference rooms."

The boys were asked such questions as "What qualifications do you bring to this job?" and "What would you do with your salary?" Following the sessions, the boys were given tips regarding everything from body language to overall appearance.

Randy Herbon, director of Camp Joseph Paige, thinks the program is invaluable because it teaches the boys "that they're not destined to fail." Source: Inland Valley Daily Bulletin

Labels: jobs, juvenile_crime, skills

A $125,000 state grant is allowing a Massachusetts program to continue helping at-risk teens find jobs. The program, Youth Build, exists for the sole purpose of getting kids off the streets and into jobs where they can develop marketable skills.

"'The initiatives that we're putting in place with the funding is to really help these youth get back on track, help them and guide them to find their way so they can be successful occupationally, educationally, and throughout their entire lives,' said Berkshire Regional Employment Board youth director Heather Sherry."

Not only do the kids benefit from this program, but so do local businesses who are feeling the pinch of a depleted workforce. Read more at CapitalNews9.com

Labels: at_risk, jobs, skills

Mentoring has always been considered a face-to-face activity, but one program has allowed mentors to increase their level of involvement through a unique cyber-program.

"By setting up an online system, the men can check in with the students more frequently than they would be able to if they had to rely on face-to-face meetings..."

Mentors and youth still meet face-to-face, but not as often. The new program is also enabling the young participants to learn computer programs like PowerPoint and improve their resume writing skills. Read more at AZStarNet.com.

Private college prep boarding schools offer smaller class sizes and more personal attention. Find a school at BoardingSchoolsInfo.com.

Labels: mentoring, role_models, skills

Jim Stynes may be better known among Australian circles than American ones, but his work with at-risk teens is something people around the world understand. In 1994, Stynes co-founded a non-profit organization called Reach, whose purpose is to offer guidance and help for at risk teens.

"...the Reach Foundation runs programs, workshops and special events to give confidence, skills and unprecedented opportunities designed to maximize their full potential."

Reach currently runs 16 different programs in 400 locations throughout Australia. Read more online.

Labels: at_risk, guidance, skills