BERC Connect – September 2018

Learning out of school

“Being a student is easy. Learning requires actual work.” — William Crawford

Summer may be a distant memory for many, but several young people got valuable work experience while earning some money through the Carroll County Business/Employment Resource Center (BERC) Youth Works! program during summer break.

Twelve young people (ages 16-17) completed a six week work experience at sites throughout the county. The youth worked at various job sites including: the Carroll County Farm Museum, Carroll Lutheran Village, Legacy Septic, ABC Care, Westminster Car Wash, F & S Transportation, and Culinary Services Group (including Top Nosh Café).

The “Youth Works!” staff counseled participants before and after the job placements to discuss essential work skills to make the experiences more rewarding. Throughout the program, each supervisor, along with BERC staff, helped to guide and mentor each worker. Many were experiencing their first job and they were grateful for the extra guidance to enable them to do a good job and to prepare them to be even more successful in their future careers. Program evaluations completed by the business mentor and the youth highlighted individual areas of positive growth and development.

A closing ceremony was held at BERC to celebrate the program successes. Carroll County Commissioner Stephen Wantz attended along with multiple business representatives who mentored and trained the young people in their jobs. During the pizza party, mentors and youth shared their experiences and each participant received a certificate of completion and a BERC tote bag. Two of the workers were asked to interview for ongoing positions and both were hired to continue their work during the school year.

We want to sincerely thank the businesses that participated in the program to help our youth gain valuable work experience. Youth Works! offers year-round work experiences for both youth and businesses; to learn more please call the Carroll County Business/Employment Resource Center at 410-386-2820.

Upcoming Events

BERC Fall Job Fair
224 N. Center Street, Westminster
Thursday, October 4^th
1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
410-386-2820
-More Info.-

AMERICA’S WORKFORCE – EMPOWERING ALL
Workplace Diversity with Assistive Technology
224 N. Center Street, Westminster
Tuesday, October 16^th
9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Free to attend; RSVP by October 9, 2018
-More Info.-

Carroll County Manufacturing Fair
Carroll Community College
1601 Washington Road, Westminster
Friday, November 16^th
8:30 am – 1:00 pm
410-386-8145
-More Info.-