Youth
Lake County Workforce Development funds a number of programs in local high
schools to help young people complete and continue their education. The
examples below are graduates of the Jobs for Bees program at Zion-Benton Township
High School and the Shine program at Waukegan High School. These programs
typically include tutoring, college visits and work experience or internships.
Andrea received a Gates Millenium Scholarship—a full
scholarship awarded to only 1000 recipients nationwide—and
will attend Stanford University in the fall and is the first in her
family to go to college.
Andrea participated in the Shine program while she was a
student at Waukegan High School and did her work
experience at Habitat for Humanity Lake County. "My
internship helped me to think of work in terms of not how
much money I can make but on how much impact I can make
on my community and that's what really made me happy."
James is currently a sophomore at the University of Iowa earning a
degree in Pre-med. A former participant in the Jobs for Bees
program at Zion-Benton Township High School, James credits the
program for giving him the life and job experiences that will help
him long after high school. James said the program “gave me the
guidance in my career selection and my college choice . . . I don't
think I would have been able to make all those decisions without the
help the program offers. There is no doubt that this program has
helped put me on the right track towards a brighter future!"
Lake County Workforce Development also assists recent high
school graduates with grants to receive post secondary
education.
Margarita, for example, completed medical office training at
First Institute in May 2014 and was immediately hired as a
Dental Assistant. She says the new job and training allowed her
to make a big change in her life. She says she wants the best
for her one-year-old son and dreams of owning a home soon.
She maintained a 4.0 throughout her educational journey.
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