Nonprofit Engages Local Youth through Unique Summer Program

DirectEmployers Association, an Indianapolis-based nonprofit, supports the Summer Jobs+ 2012 campaign by creating a mentoring and job shadowing program for disconnected youth.

INDIANAPOLIS, Aug. 3, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- To support the Summer Jobs+ 2012 program initiated by the Obama Administration and the U.S. Department of Labor, DirectEmployers Association played host to local Indianapolis-area high school students interested in business and related fields for a Youth Enhancement Summer Program. This initiative helped connect young people to corporate mentorship experiences, internships and other developmental opportunities.

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After the program one parent, DeCarla Ford, commented on the success of the program saying, "I think my daughter really enjoyed it and it gave her a broader perspective of how a business operates. I hope the program continues so more students will have this needed exposure."

The Youth Enhancement Summer Program was a weeklong event, running from July 23-27, which exposed students to the day-to-day operations and procedures involved at DirectEmployers Association. Several guests including Courtney Arango, Program Coordinator from Indiana INTERNnet, a program managed by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce and David Parry, Director of Communication from Philips Healthcare, provided students with presentations to help with future internship and professional preparedness. Through these mentoring and job shadowing opportunities, the program aimed to inspire the development of future goals and provide exposure to the corporate world for youth participants. To help gain hands-on experience, participants were assigned a project to work on throughout the program to help further cultivate critical thinking and problem solving skills.

"Students were able to work as a team to create a mock business plan that included ideas for marketing and finance divisions as well as research and development. After their plan was completed, they presented their project to select staff members to help build their oral communication skills," commented Bill Warren, Executive Director, DirectEmployers Association.

One participant, Calah Isaac, of Crispus Attucks High School commented, "I liked this program because we got to learn a lot about business, time management and how to prioritize. We learned how to team build by working with a group of people to accomplish something." Over time, the students' progress will be tracked and mentorship opportunities will be available to them through DirectEmployers Association.

About DirectEmployers Association
DirectEmployers Association is a leading nonprofit HR consortium of global employers that was formed to assist in the sharing of ideas, incorporating of best practices, and research and development of technology where labor practices are concerned. Through this consortium, business standards are shaped and technology is used with respect to the diversity that is reflected in the various cultures embodied in a global workforce. Our recognized expertise in compliance, recruitment and cost effective technology enables our members to reach the largest, most diverse pool of quality job seekers worldwide.

SOURCE DirectEmployers Association