Bucks County Community College’s Center for Workforce Development has joined forces with PA CareerLink to implement a $600,000 grant to help out-of-school youth get training and education to find gainful employment.
The grant was awarded to the college by the Bucks County Workforce Development Board with funding from the U.S. Department of Labor, according to Eunice Rush-Day, the college’s director of government funding initiatives.
To be eligible for the program, applicants must be between the ages of 16 and 24 years old, not attending any school, a school dropout, and/or low income with barriers. Services include preparation for the GED or HiSET high school equivalency exam, and other programs that will result in gaining an industry-recognized credential and tangible skills to increase employability.
The program will be offered at two locations – PA CareerLink in Bristol and the college’s Upper Bucks Campus in Perkasie. Activities will focus on advanced manufacturing and customer service – two areas that are high-priority occupations and provide a large number of job opportunities in Bucks County.
In addition, participants will have the chance for paid work experiences, and will receive training in the many so-called soft skills necessary to attain and maintain employment, Rush-Day explained.
“Youth will be encouraged to pursue further educational or training opportunities that will lead to well-paid jobs in fulfilling careers,” Rush-Day said. “We are excited to be able to support these young adults in their goal towards self-sufficiency.”
For more information about the Out of School Youth Program, including requirements to enroll, contact Terece Torquato at 215-781-1073, Ext. 2210.
