Lesly, TCHS Junior in the Health Professions Small Learning Community
TRENTON, NJ (August 10, 2020) – NJM Insurance Group (NJM) recently awarded Millhill Child & Family Development (Millhill) $5,000 in funding to support the Mayor’s Youth Workforce & Career Training Program (YWCT). YWCT is a completely virtual, socially distanced program for youth that was designed in place of the Mayor’s Summer Youth Employment Program in order to ensure an opportunity for Trenton youth to develop soft skills even amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Since the onset of COVID-19, Millhill’s Youth Engagement Department has been thinking ahead to ensure the continuation of youth development this summer. “We are so grateful for NJM’s timely and generous support of the Mayor’s Youth Workforce & Career Training program which enabled us to offer an exciting, multimedia platform that includes workforce training modules and career information to over 100 youth this summer. Youth are building critical job skills to succeed in life and getting exposure to diverse career fields using a new technology platform, LRNG, which leverages videos, interactive games, and creative exercises that youth really enjoy. This has been a game changer for our summer youth program, especially during COVID-19, allowing us to run the program virtually. And we have NJM to thank for it,” explains Director of Youth Engagement, Michelle Thompkins.
The Mayor’s Youth Workforce & Career Training Program is taking a new approach that transitions opportunities online to offer virtual leadership development training to Trenton youth who come from resource-challenged neighborhoods with the highest levels of poverty and violence. This approach ensures that youth have an opportunity to build on critical communication, writing, and leadership skills all while safely social distancing. The summer program runs for six weeks and features soft skills training, guest speakers, career presentations, self-led learning, journaling, and personalized coaching.
Over 100 Trenton youth ages 16 to 21 are enrolled, and will each earn up to $650 based on their attendance and participation. Modules have been developed with students in mind: fast-paced, interactive, and leveraging multi-media. The six weekly modules will respectively address Communication, Motivation and Resilience, Goal Setting, Networking, Teamwork, and Time Management. “We are pleased to support educational and career enrichment opportunities to Trenton youth through the LRNG platform. The integration of this digital learning tool is a terrific complement for this year’s program and will further enhance career training and work readiness skills for the participants,” says Jeff Richardson, NJM’s Community Outreach & Events Coordinator.
The program on which YWCT is based, the Mayor’s Summer Youth Employment Program has provided entry level summer employment over the past four years to 365 youth with the goal of helping youth establish a productive work history, develop critical soft skills, and influence their desire and ability to be successful in the future. YWCT builds on these skill development techniques by connecting youth with weekly guest speakers, including Certified Professional Coach Tamarra Causley Robinson, Trenton Public Schools Superintendent Ronald Lee, Trenton firefighter Eric Johnson, and more.
Michelle Thompkins elaborates, “We are so excited to provide youth with this creative virtual training program which features live Zoom sessions, self-paced learning, and career exploration brought directly to our Trenton youth!”
ABOUT NJM INSURANCE GROUP
Founded in 1913, NJM is a leading property casualty insurer in the Mid-Atlantic region. The Company offers workers’ compensation, auto, homeowners, renters and umbrella coverage in Connecticut, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. One of NJM’s core values is to support the communities it’s privileged to serve, a value exercised through year-round employee volunteer efforts at local non-profits and a formal corporate giving and engagement program. Headquartered in West Trenton, NJ, NJM employs nearly 2,500 workers and operates in a mutual fashion for the exclusive benefit of its customers. For more information, visit njm.com.
Millhill Child & Family Development
Millhill Child & Family Development is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to helping children, youth, and families in Greater Trenton through education, counseling, family support services, youth engagement, and community collaborations spanning from an early age to adult. Founded in 1971, Millhill serves more than 6,500 individuals in the community with the help of dedicated staff, volunteers and financial contributors. Millhill empowers lives using an approach that is both individualized and collaborative taking into account the dynamics of the whole family. Services are offered at 101 Oakland Street and 802 Prospect Street in Trenton, NJ. For more information about our programs, please visit www.www.millhillcenter.org or on Facebook at facebook.com/millhillchildandfamily.
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