Workforce Success Story Submitted By: Arapahoe/Douglas Works!
Workforce Challenge
Lexi was referred to the Douglas County Youth Employment program by her grandmother. During her intake, Lexi disclosed that she was seeking assistance with career exploration, career counseling, and jobseeker skills. She mentioned that she was experiencing multiple stressors that were decreasing her effectiveness at school and after school. She also stated that transportation has been a hardship for her family especially since she just has her driver’s permit.
Workforce Solution
Her Workforce Specialist utilized Mathematica’s Goal for It curriculum to identify considerations and co-create a game plan to accomplish her goals. Workforce Specialist provided supportive services for transportation for her grandmother so she could practice her driving skills. Workforce Specialist made helpful referrals to websites like My Colorado Journey, résumé assistance resources, interview preparation, and follow through best practices. Workforce Specialist corresponded with youth via email, phone, and in-person to review a guideline for organizing different types of educational and occupational pathways via online platforms like labor market data from www.Onetonline.org and the videos on My Virtual Job Shadow. This guided her in understanding and implementing more effective study and work habits for her secondary educational goals and extracurricular leadership.
Outcomes & Benefits
Lexi is a true success story from the Douglas County Youth Employment Program, Douglas County High School and the Castle Rock Rotary club for her holistic excellence in service, academic accolades, extracurricular leadership, superior character, and perseverance. She is an outstanding young adult and is providing voluntary assistance and mentoring to new freshmen at her high school. She shared with WFS that she is thriving and seeking new ways to add value to her internship with a local candy shop in the graphic design department. Lexi was nominated as the Student of the Quarter at Douglas County High School. Her nomination was shared with the Rotary Club of Castle Rock and they selected her as the Student of the Quarter! Lexi has blossomed into an organized and passionate high school graduate who is now exploring various computer science and information systems careers, including the Advanced Manufacturing Technician Apprenticeship Program (AMTAP) at Lockheed Martin and is going to start her postsecondary training at Arapahoe Community College. Lexi speaks with poise and gumption and advocates for herself with a sense of humor and positive energy. Thus, Lexi is a prime example of a well-adjusted, engaged, and balanced youth that identified her strengths and capitalized on interdependence with her Workforce Specialist and family to gain new skills in time management, self-efficacy, and boundary-setting for successful goal attainment.