This summer, a group of high school students received unprecedented training and on-the-job experience through the Summer Youth Employment Program administered by Project Self-Sufficiency. After getting picked up at their homes by a van provided by the program, the students gathered at Project Self-Sufficiency for a morning of employment skills training, ranging from writing exercises to interview techniques. The afternoons were spent across the street at Sussex County Community College where the teens worked on a variety of tasks, from landscaping to clerical projects, under the tutelage of program coordinators. In addition, the students were introduced to the academic options available at the college and given the opportunity to tour the campus and meet with faculty.

“The Summer Youth Employment Program is made possible by a generous donor from the Community Foundation of New Jersey who recognizes the need for students in this age group to be encouraged to participate in the workforce in a meaningful way,” explains Deborah Berry-Toon, Project Self-Sufficiency Executive Director. “These students learned important skills and made valuable personal and professional connections which will benefit them in the future.”

“This program is an extraordinarily beneficial experience for these young men and women, as well as for the college,” comments Sussex County Community College President Jon Connolly. “The students gain experience in a mission-focused environment and the college becomes the beneficiary of their hard work.  This is when those who are in the business of educating become educated themselves, and those aspiring for higher goals see new opportunities.”