Mobile County, Partners Begin Job Internship Program Today

Posted on: Jun 5th, 2015 | News and Announcements

The Mobile County Commission, along with its partners Mobile Works, PNC Bank and the University of South Alabama will kick off a summer job internship program that will place 56 high school youths into premiere jobs throughout the community. ?Our local businesses come to this program as full-fledged partners who want to give these young people real and meaningful work and challenge them to excel in the work place,? said Mobile County Commissioner Merceria Ludgood. ?The experience is wide-ranging, including engineering, aerospace, manufacturing, and medical and the non-profit sector.? The program will consist of 30 hours of job training followed by four weeks of on-the-job performance, primarily in private sector work. Training will include technology and software classes as well as basic essential skills such as banking, budgeting and personal presentation. Cheryl Williams, Spherion Staffing Services owner, one of the program coordinators, states that employers in Mobile County typically hire workers with some degree of training or skills. ?By increasing the skill set, we increase the job opportunities for potential workers in this community.? Apart from skill-building, the program will help teens to pay for higher education. ?Many of the participants will use their wages for college tuition and basic living expenses,? Ludgood said. Students selected for the program met the following criteria: ? GPA of 2.0 ? Two letters of recommendations ? Essay detailing interest in the program ? Completed interview ? Criminal background check ? Drug test The program is important because job opportunities for teens have steadily declined during this decade, providing fewer opportunities for teens to learn job skills and to prove themselves in the work force. ?Education and job training are essential for success in a competitive world and increase the opportunities for our growing industrial sector here to hire locally,? said county Commission President Connie Hudson. Cedric Hatcher, PNC regional president, said a tough job market is especially difficult for young people.. ?Our grant reflects PNC?s strategic investment in improving the financial stability of our community residents, with the ultimate goal of creating a stronger and more attractive workforce for PNC and other leading corporations coming to Mobile.? (Pictured speaking is Mobile County Commissioner Merceria Ludgood. From left, Sydney Raine of Mobile Works, Mobile County Commission President Connie Hudson, and Danisha Maye of PNC Bank. Seated is the Internship Class of 2015.)