The Greater Wichita YMCA’s long-running Job Prep initiative is recruiting students now for summer employment jobs.
Funded through the Y’s Strong Community Campaign and sponsored by Koch Industries, Job Prep is a free program that creates work-ready teens through training, development, certifications in the classroom and time/experience in the workplace.
In-person Job Prep sessions begin next month at the Downtown and Steve Clark Y branches, but there are also Job Prep sessions at six area high schools: North, South, East, West, Southeast and Heights. Late bus transportation is available for students who take Job Prep at a high school location.
“We know how valuable Job Prep can be to teens who are looking for direction in their lives, and we are honored to work with USD 259 to reach out to even more youth,” said Tyrone Baker, who heads the initiative as the Y’s Community Development Senior Program director. “In the 16 years since we created Job Prep, we’ve seen countless teens discover their true potential and begin to believe in themselves after attending the sessions and being hired for the summer by one of our partner businesses.”
Job Prep classes meet for two hours in the evening once a week for 12 weeks starting the week of Feb. 3. Teens must be ages 15-17 to participate in Job Prep at Y branches; sessions at area high schools are for students ages 16-17.
“Our goal is to give students the tools they need to succeed in their path after high school, and Job Prep is a wonderful addition to those efforts,” said Gil Alvarez, deputy superintendent, Wichita Public Schools. “We are proud to work with the Greater Wichita YMCA to support our community’s youth and celebrate all that they can accomplish and contribute to the world around them.”
As part of the Job Prep curriculum, participants learn to:
Find and review job postings
– Prepare and submit a job application
– Prepare for and participate in a job interview with a Job Prep partner business
– Dress for success
– Work well with others in any situation
– Manage their money and prepare for the future — at work and in life
– First aid and CPR skills
The deadline for teens to apply for the 2022 Job Prep program is Fri., Jan. 10. Applications can be found at ymcawichita.org/jobprep.
Businesses that would like to learn more about becoming part of the Job Prep program are invited to contact Job Prep Program Director Nicole Hernandez at nicole.hernandez@ymcawichita.org or 316-776-8179.
We enrolled our neice in this program last year. It was hard work on her part to graduation, but she was excited to be there. Her first interview after graduation was with the SC Zoo who did hire her. This program is excellent for older teens to receive training to become good employees and hopefully, an even better business owner. Highly recommend this program!!!
We enrolled our neice in this program last year. It was hard work on her part to graduation, but she was excited to be there. Her first interview after graduation was with the SC Zoo who did hire her. This program is excellent for older teens to receive training to become good employees and hopefully, an even better business owner. A great program!