Community Development Support Association is accepting applications for youths interested in participating in employment and training programs under YouthBuild.
YouthBuild is a national community program for low-income youth. CDSA will provide services that will lead to the completion of the GED, construction training, job skill development, building leadership skills and community service while working to develop quality low-income housing in neighborhoods around the Enid community.
CDSA is seeking income-eligible youths 17 1/2 to 24 years old. The YouthBuild program will have a strong emphasis on serving at-risk youths, including foster children, high school dropouts, teen parents, children of incarcerated parents and others.
“Interested youth may pick up an application at CDSA for YouthBuild,” said Tracey Polson, program coordinator. “We are expecting to interview 40 young people and will place 26 in the program, with four alternates.”
Participants must be income eligible according to Housing and Urban Development rules.
“The income limits are determined by household size and household income,” Polson said. “A young person in a family of four that earns below $ 41,100 will be eligible to access YouthBuild services.”
Participants will be paid cash incentives while they learn when goals are attained.
“The right person for YouthBuild is someone who has dropped out of school and hasn’t had much success working low-paying jobs,” Polson said. “Students should be interested in working in the construction industry and committed to making a positive change in their life.”
The Department of Labor awarded approximately $ 144 million in funding across the country. CDSA was one of the 183 sites chosen as a YouthBuild program site for 2009.
“CDSA will also begin recruitment of key staff for the program that will include a teacher, educational trainer, construction manager and construction trainer,” Polson said.
Enid Community Learning Center, 2615 E. Randolph, will be the site of the YouthBuild GED program. Construction training will begin on a residential property donated to CDSA by American General Finance of Enid.
“Students will receive hands-on training and be a part of the opportunity to see a housing structure transformed into someone’s home,” Polson said.
For information, call Polson at CDSA, 242-6131.
