Michigan Works! Celebrates June as Youth Employment Month
By Shamar Herron, Executive Director, Michigan Works! Southeast
Do you remember your first job? Do you remember what you did with your first paycheck? What were some of the tasks that you remember from that experience? Have you ever sat back and thought that you bagging groceries, being a cashier at a retail establishment, or washing cars (my first job) would lead to you being the professional that you are today? See, most of us forget that we have taken many steps to get to where we are today. Our ability to go out and obtain meaningful employment is a skill that needs to be continually honed and instilled in the upcoming generations. Right now, in Michigan, June is Youth Employment Month, and this is the time for us to give back. Many young adults are wrapping up the school year or finalizing their high school careers and are in dire need of opportunities for professional growth. That is where Michigan Works! comes in.
Empowering our young adults to enter the workforce is one of the many pillars Michigan Works! Southeast uses to help elevate our communities. Youth entering the workforce at the age of 16 years old provides a variety of advantages, including higher employment rates and wages in later teen years and lower probabilities of dropping out of high school. Knowing how to find and keep a job is not only critical for admission to the adult world but also is an important survival skill which affords them opportunities for the rest of their lives.
Michigan Works! agencies across the State offer a variety of services to engage youth in a meaningful way that will help them prepare for the world’s job market as well as boost their self-esteem and develop essential skills (some call them “soft skills”). Youth who participate in such services are often the first in line to be trained in skill sets that are sorely needed in today’s job market and gain real-world working experiences that increase their marketability.
The Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO) recently awarded $2 million in Young Professionals grants to Michigan Works! agencies across the state to reduce youth unemployment and to connect young adults to a path of lifelong economic self-sufficiency. Nearly 45 percent of Michigan high school students are economically disadvantaged and could benefit from preparation for, and entry into, employment. This is one opportunity to help support our future workforce! The grants support young adults who are on the path to obtaining employment by exposing them to multiple career and educational opportunities, such as entering a Registered Apprenticeship program, earning a college degree or certificate, and obtaining sustainable employment. These grants will help reduce the impact of high-risk factors, including poverty, while providing an opportunity to earn valuable income for themselves and their families.
By connecting young people in our community to resources for professional development, career exploration, and mentorship, they are better prepared to find long-term employment after the program ends and take the next steps toward their future careers. It is programs like the Young Professionals grant that will allow our future workforce to experience the same highs that we did when we got our first paycheck as well as the lifelong skills that you gain along the employment journey. The Michigan Works! network is here to help prepare our young adults to lead this state and country as prepared and empowered workers.