The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) is looking for more Richland County teens and young adults ages 14-24 to join this youth program.
WIOA is a collaboration between Catalyst Life Services and Richland County Job & Family Services that provides job seekers with assistance in finding their path to employment and education while also helping businesses
find qualified workers to strengthen local workforce development.
WIOA helps provide young workers the necessary education, job skills, and on-site work experience so that job seekers are better prepared to enter the job market. This program assists youth with tutoring, paid work experience, leadership and development activities, adult mentoring, financial literacy education, entrepreneurial skills training and supportive services such as assistance with transportation, childcare, and uniforms or other appropriate work attire.
When Aveon Grose joined WIOA in 2019, he started the program with a mindset of wanting to better himself. Although he was only 15, he wanted to get a head start and learn how to earn and manage his own money. With the help from his employment specialist, Aveon starting working at Black Belt Pro Fitness which best fit his skills and interests.
A Mansfield Senior standout, Aveon is not shy about his experiences. This program has helped him to gain a new perspective, provided him tools to succeed, and given him the motivation to work even harder. “Over the summer I was a camp assistant instructor at Black Belt. I hung out with kids and I felt like I gave them a positive person to look up to. I learned how to work with kids better. I learned how to stay calm and positive with kids even when they were not behaving.”
“The WIOA program has opened me up to new opportunities, pushed me forward, and helped prepare me for the future.” Aveon says.
Catalyst Life Services partners with a large variety of local businesses to offer a planned, structured learning environment that helps youth understand proper workplace behavior and what is necessary in order to attain and retain employment.
Blackbelt Pro Fitness is a great example of one of their partnerships. Chris Hershberger, Owner of Blackbelt reflects on his experience working with the program. “My passion for mentoring youth over the last 25 years ultimately swayed my decision in favor of taking a chance on digging in and training our teenage staff to be representatives of my business.”
“I developed a system that I had hoped would build employability skills, entrepreneurship, a deep understanding of customer service, and the very real connection between hard work and a merit-based reward system. We’ve had some challenges, but for the most part teenagers who come to us with an open mind are now flourishing and building on employable skills.” stated Hershberger.
Mitch Jacobsen, Director of Vocational Services at Catalyst said the goal of the program is to give participants real life work experience. “The WIOA program assists our transitional youth participants in receiving paid work experience training, mentorship opportunities, and leadership development opportunities. These opportunities have directly translated to better employment outcomes, improved grades and achievement scores, and positive performance metrics amongst our transitional youth population.”
“Black Belt Pro Fitness is a great example of a worksite partner that is very proactive in developing programming for the participants. When working with transitional aged youth with barriers to their employment and educational goals, it is important to have a business that cares for these youth and a leadership team in place who understands the barriers these children are facing and the importance of giving these participants a pathway for success.” Jacobsen says.
If you know someone who is between the ages of 14-24 with a barrier to employment, he or she may qualify for this program. Barriers include individuals that have dropped out of school, involved in the court system, homeless, involved in the foster care system, pregnant or parenting, individuals with a disability, English as a second language, or someone receiving cash assistance.
To request these services or for more information on becoming a worksite partner, please contact Stephanie Jakubick, Associate Director of Vocational Services at Catalyst Life Services or fill out a WIOA referral form at https://catalystlifeservices.org/wioa-referral-form/
