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Internship program invites Westside youth
(by Christina Anderson, staff writer - May 13, 2011)
The Central Ohio Workforce Investment Corporation (COWIC) is hosting their annual S.O.A.R. Hire! Internship Program – a program helping teens and young adults, ages 16 to 24, find work for the summer months.
“It’s not really just about getting them off the streets,” COWIC Public Affairs Director Brittany Westbrook said at the May 10 Greater Hilltop Area Commission. “Although that is a big part of it, it really is a business benefit to hire teenagers and young adults.”
COWIC keeps a list of 492 businesses that participated in the internship program in the past. These businesses range from local restaurants and shops throughout various neighborhoods, to larger corporations.
“It’s proven that when a young person works as a teenager, their earning potential is higher as a young adult, and higher as they go on in life,” Westbrook said. “A higher earning potential is higher spending potential. So really, this is a good thing for our whole community.”
A job expo will be held May 18 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at COSI. Participating businesses will attend this expo and applicants will have the opportunity to meet face-to-face with employers.
Before attending the expo, applicants are required to attend a job readiness workshop with COWIC. After completion of the workshop, attendees will receive a certificate of completion, which will be required for entrance into the expo.
For those who do not have the opportunity to attend the workshop prior to the expo, the COWIC will offer the workshop at COSI on the day of the event.
Applicants who are attending the job expo are encouraged to bring multiple copies of their resume, and to dress professionally.
To register for the job readiness workshop, teens and young adults can contact Cassy Green at 559-5037 or cgreen@cowic.org.
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