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This summer the Cortland County Youth Program once again offered jobs throughout the community in an effort to connect eligible teens with community agencies and businesses. These work experiences are designed to teach positive work habits and show teens the relationship between education and careers. For six weeks this summer, the teens worked in a variety of occupations based on their interests. Placements were made in daycare, landscaping, maintenance, technology, community involvement. One lucky youth had a position at the Jets’ Training Camp! The benefits of these experiences go beyond earning a summer paycheck. This year, in the educational component of the program, youth worked on communication skills, work site expectations, career exploration, creating a network, and using your summer job as a stepping stone to future economic success. Cortland County Employment and Training and Cortland Works Career Center are extremely grateful to the worksite supervisors who provide an opportunity for the teens to develop skills. Supervisors act as mentors in teaching the hard skills needed to perform a task along with soft skills necessary to be successful such as teamwork and problem solving. This connection to the community teaches the youth the importance of establishing a good reputation in order to have a good job reference in the future. .This year’s community service project involved sponsoring a food drive with Catholic Charities of Cortland County. Each worksite had the opportunity to decorate a donation bag and collect canned and other non-perishable food items. This project encourages leadership skills including: organization, time management, communication, problem solving, and team work. By the end of the summer many of the teens have learned that there is much more to working than just performing the assigned task. Paige Locigno, a junior at Cortland High School, was assigned to work with the Downtown Partnership and later worked at the Cortland Works Career Center. Paige reflected on her view of the program: “The summer youth program has a lot to offer to teens. It not only allows a way for the youth to earn money, but it offers a world of experience and preparation for future occupations. Some examples of skills are communication, work habits, appearance, networking, and career planning. The youth program is devoted to helping teens succeed and progress, as they learn job skills. Every year the teens not only learn occupational skills, but they also work towards helping the community such as our food drive for Catholic Charities. Also, teens are given recognition for the good things that they do, they are given advice regarding their faults, not as criticism but for correction. This in many cases allows the teens to recognize and correct their errors. The teens learn expectations such as arriving at work on time, dressing appropriately, completing all tasks that they are given, and making sure they call their supervisors if they need to leave early or if they are too sick to come to work. For me the summer youth program has been a positive life experience. I worked at the Cortland Downtown Partnership and at the Cortland Works Career Center. I worked as a front desk receptionist at the Career Center. At the Downtown Partnership I helped Bobcat and Amy setup fencing for the concerts, painted the fire hydrants for the Jets, and sold glasses for the Taste of Downtown. This experience has shown me responsibility and how to maintain a job. I encourage all teens to look into the summer youth program. It is not only a way for us to make money, but it can really be fun.” Diane Wheaton coordinates the Cortland County Youth Prgram each summer. Paige Locigno worked in the program during the summer of 2010.
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