YES Program Provides Education & Training

By Somerset County Board of Freeholders
The Boards of Chosen Freeholders of Hunterdon and Somerset counties, with funding from the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, are joining with the Greater Raritan Workforce Investment Board (GRWIB) and One Stop Career Training Services Center to provide education and training for young job-seekers.
“This state funding is enabling Somerset and Hunterdon, which jointly operate the GRWIB program, to embrace and support educational and training services that will lead to employment opportunities for vulnerable youth who are seeking academic advancement and financial independence,” said Somerset County Freeholder Director Patricia Walsh.
GRWIB’s Youth Employment Services (YES) Program, now in its second year of operation, provides intensive case management and career mentoring to participants, with a goal of eliminating barriers to employment.
Participants are linked to services such as individual tutoring and GED prep; job-seeking as well as job-readiness skills; career planning, mental health or substance abuse counseling as needed; enrollment in trade school or college; and tuition grants of up to $4,000 per person for training or education. The program also assists participants in finding and applying for other funding sources to cover the balance of expenses for training or college.
The YES Program is currently seeking to provide these free services to youth who are between the ages of 16 and 21; live in Somerset County or Hunterdon County; are not enrolled in any educational program but would like to complete a GED, attend trade school or college or seek full-time employment; have at least one barrier to employment (disability or IEP/Individual Educational Plan, high school drop-out, pregnant/parenting, homeless or in the foster-care system, history of juvenile delinquency or adult charges); meet the financial eligibility requirements as defined by the U.S. Department of Labor; and have the motivation to work with the program toward their personal goals. The YES Program has open enrollment and referrals are always accepted.
“The YES program is very proud of its track record of assisting youth, families, communities and businesses,” said Freeholder Walsh, who serves as Somerset County’s freeholder liaison to GRWIB. “Education and training leads to employment, empowerment and economic achievement.”
For more information or to make referrals, contact YES Program Coordinator Tara James at 908-541-5717.