Summit County Executive Ilene Shapiro signed legislation that was adopted by County Council on June 5, 2017 (Resolution 2017-201) to renew Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) youth agreements with several local providers to provide in-and-out-of-school youth employment and educational services. In total, the County intends to expend $652,000 of federal WIOA dollars to enable local youth to obtain the employment skills necessary for a lifetime of successful careers.
“This program gives Summit County at-risk youth a great opportunity to gain access to useful work skills, and also highlights the importance of completing their education” said County Council President John Schmidt.
Services are provided for in-school youth ages 14-21 and out-of-school youth ages 16-24. The federally-funded program provides at-risk youth with year-round employment and educational services that focus on job readiness, staying in school, developing job skills, mentoring relationships, and paid work experiences. From the period of September 2016-April 2017, 129 youth received these services on a monthly basis, with many of the young men and women receiving multiple continuous services.
“The WIOA youth program provides our young people, particularly those who are at risk, with the skills that will prepare them to be productive contributors to the local workforce, and start them on the path to sustainable, successful careers,” said Executive Shapiro. “Strengthening our local workforce is a vital aspect of the County’s economic development strategy, as we proactively work to create, maintain, and retain jobs in Summit County.”
