Employers are needed to the help fulfill jobs through the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.

Mandy Waters of the Alabama Career Center explained that the program is designed to give youth work experience.

“Sometimes they don’t have any experience,” she said.

Waters said students from the Youth Enrichment Services (YES) program will be utilized.

“They may have an expressed interest in a certain field,” she said. “Hopefully we will get to place them somewhere they can learn more about that field, or simply somewhere they can learn those important soft skills such as being on time, dressing appropriately and respecting authority.”

Participants in the program are allowed to work up to 30 hours per week with a 390-hour maximum, Waters said.

“It’s a program where we pay the wage to the worker,” she said. “They are covered by worker’s compensation.”

Waters said any employers who are interested in placing workers can contact her office.

“I can tell them what is expected,” she said. “They have to be willing to be patient and willing to train someone who doesn’t have any work experience.”

For more information, call Waters at 393-3782 or email her at mandy.waters@alcc.alabama.gov.