WellCare, Derrick Brooks Charities, Inc. and the City of Tampa's Parks & Recreation Department Host Professional Development Training for Tampa-Area Teens
TAMPA, Fla., Aug. 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Sixteen Tampa-area teens will go back to school this month with valuable professional development training thanks to three local organizations. WellCare Health Plans, Inc., (NYSE: WCG), in collaboration with Derrick Brooks Charities, Inc. and the City of Tampa's Parks & Recreation Department, hosted a five-week "Youth Professional Development and Training Program" in an effort to better prepare area teens for successful careers in school and in the workplace.
Beginning July 8, teens ages 14 – 17 participated in weekly, two-hour courses taught by WellCare volunteers that covered topics including resume development; interviewing skills; business communications; and budgeting and saving.
"We work hard to provide teens with a place to be safe, active and healthy, especially during the summer months when kids are out of school," said Hope Kiriisa, Springhill Park Community Center community outreach coordinator and program coordinator. "Programs and educational events like those hosted by WellCare and Derrick Brooks Charities are critical to help our kids prepare for the future."
Following the first class on resume-building, 16-year-old Samonie Simmons, a rising junior at Chamberlain High School in Tampa, wrote her first resume and applied for a job. Simmons, who applied her new skills during an interview, got the job and will be working part-time during the school year.
"Stories like this make everything we do worthwhile," said former NFL football player Derrick Brooks, who is president of Derrick Brooks Charities, Inc., a nonprofit whose mission is to provide educational opportunities that inspire young people and give them every chance to develop into strong, productive leaders of tomorrow. "Partnering with local government agencies like the parks department and companies like WellCare is an essential way to give our young people every opportunity to succeed."
On August 1, program participants toured WellCare's headquarters in Tampa and received certificates of completion during a luncheon and awards ceremony. The teens also received back packs filled with back-to-school clothes and school supplies donated by WellCare employees as well as gift cards donated by Derrick Brooks Charities, Inc.
"It was a privilege to partner with Derrick Brooks Charities and the City of Tampa's Parks & Recreation Department to create a learning experience that gives young people the practical career advice they need to confidently enter the workforce," said Ken Burdick, CEO of WellCare. "Because education and income impact health, efforts like this can also have far-reaching positive effects that go beyond the workplace."
The program was open to teens who live in and around the Sulphur Springs neighborhood in Tampa and who participate in programming hosted by Derrick Brooks Charities and the Parks & Recreation Department.
To view additional photos and highlights from the program and graduation ceremony, visit WellCare's Facebook page.
About WellCare Health Plans, Inc.
Headquartered in Tampa, Fla., WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (NYSE: WCG) focuses exclusively on providing government-sponsored managed care services, primarily through Medicaid, Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug Plans, to families, children, seniors and individuals with complex medical needs. WellCare serves approximately 3.7 million members nationwide as of March 31, 2016. For more information about WellCare, please visit the company's website at www.wellcare.com or view the company's videos at https://www.youtube.com/user/WellCareHealthPlan.
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SOURCE WellCare Health Plans, Inc.
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