(FLINT, Mich., Feb. 16, 2015) – For teens looking for a leg up on summer employment, the Flint & Genesee Chamber of Commerce is offering this school year’s final session of the TeenQuest pre-employment and leadership program starting next week.
The Chamber’s no-cost training in business etiquette will begin a new session Monday, Feb. 23, at five Genesee County locations.
Applications will be accepted through the first day of the session from youths ages 14-18 in grades 9-12. The TeenQuest program will run Feb. 23-March 26 at these locations and times:
- Baker Career Academy, 4-6 p.m.
- Beecher High School, 3:15-5:15 p.m.
- Lakeville High School, 2:30-4:30 p.m.
- Northwestern High School, 3:15-5:15 p.m.
- Swartz Creek High School, 2:45-4:45 p.m.
TeenQuest is a five-week training program designed to help Flint & Genesee youths prepare for success. Students learn the basics of teamwork, business etiquette, work ethics, communication, goal setting and conflict resolution.
“If you are a teen hoping to get a job through this year’s Summer Youth Initiative (SYI) program, this is your chance,” said Rhetta Hunyady, Vice President of Education and Training at the Flint & Genesee Chamber. “If you put in the effort, it will pay off. You’ll gain knowledge, skills and confidence that will benefit you not only for summer employment, but for the rest of your life.”
TeenQuest is a pre-requisite for employment through SYI, which matches employers with hundreds of TeenQuest graduates for summer employment via an invitation-only summer job fair. Nonprofit organizations and businesses that hire TeenQuest graduates are eligible to have 50 percent to 100 percent of costs subsidized.
Last summer, more than 600 youths ages 14-18 were employed through SYI, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) and some for-profit businesses.
TeenQuest applications can be downloaded online at https://www.flintandgenesee.org/learn/teenquest/apply-today/.
For more information about TeenQuest, contact Hunyady at .
About the Summer Youth Initiative and TeenQuest
The Summer Youth Initiative is a program that helps Flint-area teens find paid summer jobs. It’s open to students who’ve completed the TeenQuest afterschool program, which provides pre-employment and leadership training to students ages 14 to 19 to help them succeed in college and the 21st century workplace. In 2014, 630 teens gained experience and a paycheck working for 21 local businesses and agencies. Both programs are administered by the Genesee Area Focus Fund, a supporting organization of the Flint & Genesee Chamber of Commerce, with support from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation. To apply or learn more, visit www.flintandgenesee.org/teenquest.