The Youth Apprenticeship Program has been in existence since 2010. Since then the program has had a positive impact on hundreds of young people. Today was another special day for the program as we hear in this story from reporter Hipolito Novelo.
HIPOLITO NOVELO
“With their heads high sixty four young men and women proudly marched up the isle as they formed part of the fourth commencement exercise of the Youth Apprenticeship Program. The program has been assisting youths since 2010 and has steadily grown from its first graduation which saw 29 graduates. Today that number has almost tripled and according to the Coordinator of the Program, Dianne Finnegan, this year over 200 applicants were received out of which 150 were sent to intern at different businesses for a six month period.”
DIANNE FINNEGAN
“Today we are here celebrating another milestone; the fourth intake of the youth apprenticeship program began on February 8, 2013 with a total of 220 young people participating in the orientation process which lasted for two weeks and at the end of that period 150 youths were placed at various employers. These young people worked four days per week, Monday thru Thursday and every Friday we meet at ITVET where the youths benefit from life skills sessions, basic remedial subjects like English, Math and Reading. We give every single person who registers, the opportunity to aspire for greatness by participating in this initiative but because of the level of discipline demanded from each of them, some do not make it to the final step.”
HIPOLITO NOVELO
“The graduates hail from all walks of life including single mothers and high school drop outs. But this did not allow their circumstances to dictate what they could accomplish. For most of the graduates, their goals have been set. Some of them have already been hired as full time staff at several business institutions; others will be returning to high school to obtain their diploma and others are looking to contribute back to the community. Whatever the case may be, they have turned their lives around for the better, as expressed by guest speaker, Mose Hyde.”
MOSE HYDE
“You are not apprentices; you are revolutionaries; you all made a revolutionary decision that not only changes your life and change the path of your life because when our young men and young women change from within and start to go the right direction, it is a betterment not only for them but for our neighborhoods, our communities and our nation. Every person in this country should celebrate the fact that you all made the decision that you made.”
The fifth intake begins on September 15th. Finnegan says that so far over five hundred applications have been submitted.
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