Apopka Youth Works begins summer program next week

Welcomes special guests for opening of City’s largest-ever Youth Works program

From the City of Apopka

The City of Apopka and CareerSource Central Florida officially begin this year’s Apopka Youth Works summer career exploration program on Monday with a special visit from The U.S. Conference of Mayors and the Bank of America Charitable Foundation.

Representatives from The U.S. Conference of Mayors and Bank of America will recognize the Apopka Youth Works program, which earned a 2017 DollarWise Summer Youth Campaign Grant in January for promoting financial literacy as an important part of a busy summer of youth employment and career education.

The Apopka Youth Works kickoff will start at 9 a.m. Monday, June 5, at the Apopka Community Center, 519 S. Central Avenue. Also attending the event will be Apopka City Council members and officials from CareerSource Central Florida.

Apopka Youth Works will include 100 students from Apopka area schools – most who will work for seven weeks this summer at various local businesses, learning employment skills and earning weekly paychecks paid through Apopka Youth Works. Eleven AYW students – all from Apopka High School – chose to enroll in a new, ten-week educational program to earn emergency medical technician certification.

Just as important as learning vital career skills and gaining on-the-job experience, the students also must become more familiar with earning and managing their first paychecks. Apopka Youth Works gathered all of the students earlier this month for a financial literacy night to teach money management and smart spending habits.

Next week, Valencia College will teach workplace essentials skills training such as writing resumes, dressing and performing at work. Students will get their own bank accounts with paychecks directly deposited. They can monitor their money online through a mobile application. Apopka Youth Works will present an award at the end of the summer to the student who saves the most money.

Students also undergo online computer training through support from The U.S. Conference of Mayor’s DollarWise Campaign, which serves as the Conference’s financial capability program.

“Apopka Youth Works is an important first step for many of these local students to enter the workplace, explore career opportunities and develop good financial practices,” said Apopka Mayor Joe Kilsheimer. “We are tremendously proud of the support from The U.S. Conference of Mayors and Bank of America to improve the lives of Apopka’s young people.”

More than 300 students submitted applications for Apopka Youth Works earlier this year. Many were interviewed – much like a job interview – to determine their eligibility.

The United States Conference of Mayors is the official non-partisan organization of cities with a population of 30,000 or larger. Each city is represented by its chief elected official, the mayor. The U.S. Conference of Mayors’ DollarWise Campaign is made possible through support from the Bank of America Charitable Foundation.