Local Program Helps with Unemployment
(ABC 6 NEWS) – Minnesota’s unemployment level took a sharp drop from August, from 8% to 7.3%.
And one local program is one of the many contributing factors to that success.
“I wasn’t sure where I was heading before this program,” said enrollee Amanda Wondrow.
This program is Workforce Development Inc.’s Summer Employment Program.
“This gave us such a huge opportunity to meet the needs,” said Marge Kuethe, Youth Program Coordinator for Workforce Development Inc.
Born out of a 1.4-million-dollar sliver of the economic stimulus, it provided job training and opportunities to young adults and teenagers facing economic or other barriers.
“We were surprised at the number of youth that came to us,” said Kuethe.
In all, 600 people applied for the program. That’s six times the normal summer load.
“At first I didn’t think much of the program. It was kind of boring. I had class time. I’m not much of a class guy,” said Program Enrollee Allen McMahan.
When 22-year-old McMahan came to the program, he had been out of work for six months, scraping to get by for his girlfriend, their daughter, and another one on the way.
“When the program came around, it gave me a new door to walk through,” said McMahan.
That door led to a full-time gig at McNeilus Steel, and as of Thursday afternoon, a scholarship to go back to school.
“I honestly didn’t think I’d get the chance to go to college, and now I’ve got the scholarship, I’m enrolled, I’m back on track,” said McMahan.
And he’s not alone.
“This changed my life. I wasn’t sure when I’d be in school before this. I mean, I’d always wanted to, but I never had the chance,” said Wondrow.
Roughly 50% of the program participants have gone back to school, and there’s steady work for another 25%.
“I don’t know how to thank ’em enough,” said McMahan.
Workforce Development used roughly 75% of the money allocated to it from the stimulus.
They say they still have money left over to help people through the end of this year, but say they’ll be asking the legislature for more money to keep the program going.