CARE program a ‘win-win-win’ for Columbia youth, business, community

Since 1982, the City of Columbia’s Career Awareness Related Experience (CARE) program has provided summer jobs to Columbia’s high-risk youth. Administered through the Parks and Recreation Department, the program provides Columbia teens ages 14-18 the chance to earn a wage, learn the responsibilities of having a job and explore the possibility of a future career. The CARE program provides benefits not only to the youth it serves, but to employers and the community as a whole.
Youth who participate in the eight-week summer program or school year program are placed in a variety of jobs, ranging from food service to clerical to retail positions. Before they are hired, youth are required to complete an application and go through the interview process, teaching them valuable job-searching skills. Last summer, we received more than 300 applications and were able to place about 175 youth in summer jobs.
CARE participants are paid minimum wage through the City of Columbia and work up to 20 hours per week. We rely on the generosity of many Columbia businesses and organizations to provide the worksite and a supportive work environment. CARE job coaches visit trainees at the job site weekly and support job skill development. Job coaches last year also taught classes on workplace professionalism and budgeting, helping prepare youth for the future.
When possible, we aim to place young people at job sites that are connected to their future career goals—and it seems local business owners have enjoyed providing the experience and training as well. This summer, we worked with about 100 employers and hope to add more for 2012. Many were able to hire the trainees at the end of the season.
Christina Montgomery, from the Voluntary Action Center, one of CARE’s business partners, is someone who has seen the program’s benefits. “It puts higher risk youth out in job placements where they get more attention to help them be successful in the work place,” she says. “These are kids who, without this support, probably would not be hired or be able to sustain these jobs.”
Micki Marrero of New York Deli agrees. Marrero has provided job experience for CARE participants for several years. “It is a benefit for the business and very rewarding to be involved with work development for the participants,” she says.
Many business owners also say that working with CARE is a “win-win” situation. In today’s economic climate, our business partners enjoy the financial benefits of having an additional youth worker at no payroll expense. The trainees also bring youthful, fresh energy to the workplace. By the end of the summer, most participants have acclimated to the work environment and transform from “the new kid” to full-fledged team members.
The American Correctional Association estimates that on average it costs around $88,000 a year for every youth incarcerated in a juvenile facility. As Benjamin Franklin wisely taught us, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” The CARE program is indeed a wise investment in our youth, as it focuses on setting them up for success instead of failure. It’s actually a “win-win-win” scenario for all of Columbia—for our young citizens, for participating businesses and for our community.
To learn more about the 2012 CARE program, contact Kara Kort at 573-874-6377.