WORK EXPERIENCE COMPONENT

Youth Opportunities Unlimited (Y.O.U.) provides participants with skills that will assist them in future employment.  Pre-employment and work maturity skills are taught in Job Club using workbooks and related instructional materials.  Guest speakers and participant involvement supplement the training materials.  A practical introduction to the world of work is provided through on-campus employment. The Job Club curriculum and on-the-job training helps students to realize the value of educational credentials in obtaining employment in their areas of interest.

Job Club Curriculum.  Students attend Job Club five hours a week in order to cover the 11 pre-employment and work maturity competencies identified by the Workforce Investment Areas.  Job search guidelines, resume writing, communication skills, effective interview techniques, and job markets for the twenty-first century are just a few topics that are discussed in this class.  Students learn that employers want punctual, dependable workers who follow instructions, have a good attitude, and are team players.

The Job Club curriculum is supplemented by Career Choices, an academic enrichment program which meets the needs of youth as well as the guidelines for WIBA summer youth programs. Students are encouraged to plan for the future by completing practical workbook exercises entitled "Decision Making," "Setting Goals and Solving Problems," "Attitude is Everything," and "Avoiding Detours and Roadblocks."  An anthology of reading and writing exercises entitled Possibilities further reinforces the attitudes, skills, and planning required to ensure a successful future as defined by the individual student.  The practical application of basic math concepts is encouraged by Lifestyle Math, a portfolio of individual and group exercises emphasizing how to plan to live within a budget.
 
World of Work.  During the first three days of the program, students receive an orientation and complete a job skills inventory.  Job placement is based upon the participant's interests, skills, previous work experience, occupational choice, and the availability of the job on campus.
 
Students report to work on the first day of school and are scheduled for 20 hours each week on the job, with work schedules evolving around school hours.  Y.O.U. participants receive minimum wage for 20 hours of work a week.  All students are required to budget a weekly stipend of $20 each to cover personal expenses.  Other earnings are held in a safekeeping account.  After outstanding debts (such as library fines, lost keys, and/or medical deductions) are paid, checks for the remaining wages are mailed to the students.

At the end of each week, work supervisors are required to complete a time and performance evaluation for each student.  Y.O.U. staff members visit worksites daily during the program to ensure that the work experience follows program objectives and Child Labor Laws.