Youth Employment program celebrates summer
21 teens worked around county
It’s not often that one is officially designated a “rock star” at work. But a teen from Glens Falls earned that honor this summer in Warren County’s “Summer Youth Employment Program,” part of a celebration of the hard work a group of local youths put in during a summer where their help was sorely needed!
The federally funded program annually teams local youth with employers from around Warren County to teach job skills and social skills.
On Friday, the annual picnic to celebrate the accomplishments of the youth in the Summer Youth Employment Program was held at Crandall Park, where 14-year-old Laney Maguire of Glens Falls was dubbed the “rock star” of the program for her work at World Awareness Children’s Museum.
Gianni Pistoia, 17, of Lake George received the “rising star” award for his efforts this summer at Lake George Escape Campground Resort.
All of the youth workers were recognized during the luncheon that brought together workers as well as representatives of the employers who hosted them, Warren County supervisors and other county leaders.
“We felt it was important to honor our young people for spending several weeks of their summer to help their community at a critical time in history,” explained Liza Ochsendorf, Warren County’s Director of Employment & Training. “We all know that businesses have been challenged to find enough employees for basic operations. But this summer, young people took advantage of the opportunity to lend a hand, earn a paycheck, learn valuable skills, and reach out beyond themselves to help their community recover from the pandemic and build back our economy.”
The youth were placed at 15 job sites in six towns and the city of Glens Falls: Operation Food Chain, World Awareness Children’s Museum, YMCA, First Baptist Thrift Shop, Johnsburg Parks and Recreation, Johnsburg Central School, Town of Warrensburg, Thurman Highway Department, Blackberry Hill Farm, Cornell Cooperative Extension and The Georgian Resort as well as new sites Abby’s Cookie Jar, The Stone Stash, Lake George Escape Resort and The Lotus Group.
They persevered through a summer where COVID-19 again forced changes to protocols, and many workplaces were understaffed to deal with a booming tourism industry.
The youth workers and their employers heard from Warren County Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Rachel Seeber, who thanked them for their work and extolled the virtues of the experience they had gained.
“Every summer we see the great results of a program that not only provides invaluable experience for our youth but also helps our local businesses,” Seeber said.
Ochsendorf praised the efforts of Warren County Employment & Training employees Jill Metcalfe (Youth Counselor) and Andrea Kinderman (Employment & Training Coordinator), who spend many hours during the summer preparing the youth for their jobs, driving throughout the county to conduct site visits and observe the workers in action, and providing both the employee and the employer with the support to ensure the success of the youth workers.
For more information on the program and other programs offered by Warren County Employment and Training Administration, go to https://thejoblink.org/.
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