Local At-Risk Youth To Compete In Lansing

jobsformigrads
jobsformigrads

A Kinexus program that works with at-risk young people to make sure they graduate high school will head to Lansing next week to have some of its kids show off the skills they’ve learned. Youth Solutions Incorporated Director Kristin Harrington tells WSJM News the local Jobs for Michigan’s Graduates program will take kids from Benton Harbor, Dowagiac, Hartford, and Cassopolis to the 9th Annual JMG Career Development Conference.

“From the local area, southwest Michigan will have about 40 people, and then we’re expecting somewhere between 250 and 300 to attend statewide,” Harrington said.

Those youngsters will have a chance to win prizes.

“They have the opportunity to showcase the employability skills they’ve learned throughout the year,” Harrington said. “So at the event, they come together and compete in a variety of employability-focused competition such as mock interviewing, public speaking, and problem solving.”

Harrington tells us Jobs for Michigan’s Graduates has been working with at-risk youths since 2008 to make sure they graduate. It provides those kids with mentors and has a 98% graduation rate. The conference in Lansing will be next Thursday.