Federal Grants Available To Help Idaho Teens Learn Job Skills

The Idaho Workforce Development Council is looking for businesses willing to provide basic job skills for low-income, at-risk high school students.

The council has $1.1 million available for one-year grants.  The money is from the federal Workforce Investment Act, and it must be matched by participating schools — either through cash or in-kind contributions like staff or facility use.

Kay Vaughn is a senior planner at the Idaho Department of Labor.  She says this program is aimed at helping kids stay in school who are most at risk of falling through the cracks. “We don’t want them to fall out,” Vaughn says.  “It’s all a matter of giving them a vision and some hope.”

Vaughn says businesses or organizations who want to get involved will help teach students practical skills like how to write a resume and how to interview for a job.  There will also be a possibility of job shadowing.

The department has offered this same program for the last couple of years.  Vaughn says during the 2009-2010 school year about 300 Idaho high school students participated.

You can find more information about the program here.