Summer Youth Employment Program Still Available Through Northwest Michigan Works!

August 10, 2020

Young people in Northwest Lower Michigan still have time to participate in Michigan’s 2020 Summer Young Professionals employment experience, preparation, and exploration program. Funding for this program is available through December 31, 2020. The Summer Young Professionals program is designed to reduce youth unemployment and place young adults, within a target age group of 16-24, on the right path to gain the skills necessary to achieve lifelong economic self-sufficiency. Northwest Michigan Works! received a $65,000 grant from the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO) to offer the program in the region. 

Northwest Michigan Works! will provide young adults in the program with career services such as resume development, interview tutoring, and connections to employers that are looking for talent. Northwest Michigan Works! will also place eligible youth in on-the-job training opportunities with local employers with a goal of getting them hired on full-time. Support services such as transportation help can also be provided to help program participants overcome barriers to employment.

“We are very pleased to offer the Summer Young Professionals program to both employers and young adults in Northwest Lower Michigan,” said Terry Vandercook, Chief Program Officer at Networks Northwest. “This initiative provides job seekers with the support and assistance needed as they begin a pathway to sustainable living wage employment. Participating employers will be connected to the young talent found throughout Northwest Lower Michigan.” 

The Summer Young Professionals program places an emphasis on career exploration which will inform participants about educational requirements for their preferred career pathways. This aligns with the state’s Sixty by 30 initiative to help 60% of Michiganders achieve a postsecondary attainment by the year 2030 – ultimately putting them on a path to a good job, whether that be through a community college degree, a four-year degree or a path in the skilled trades.

Employers interested in participating in the Summer Young Professionals program are encouraged to contact Rob Dickinson at (231) 357-5082.  Young adults interested in participating should contact their nearest Northwest Michigan Works! American Job Center.  Contact information for the nearest Center is available at nwmiworks.org or by calling 800-692-7774.