The Selma Housing Authority picked from a talented pool of ready-to-learn job applicants for their first Summer Youth Employment Program.
They hired eight teens who live right there in the housing complexes.
Through the program, students earned spending money and learned valuable job skills, said Kennard D. Randolph, executive director of the Selma Housing Authority
“The purpose of the employment was to one, ensure that some of our students over the summer had something to do,” he said. “But also it provided job training opportunities, administrative, clerical, assisting the maintenance staff with non-motorized work.”
None of the youth rode lawn equipment – it was all about learning office work skills.
Randolph said it also served as a “mentoring program” because the students got to know the supervisor and supervisor got to know the students with the overall objective “to give our youths that are part of our Housing Authority job opportunities.”
He hopes next year to grow the program to include more students to have job training.
The program is usually a partnership with the city of Selma. But since the city did not have a youth employment program this year, Randolph said, “We decided branch out and still give some of our students the opportunity to still have summer employment.”
The students, ages 15 to 19, earned a minimum wage of $7.25 per hour, working four hours per day from 8 a.m. until 12 p.m., five days per week.
Randolph said the program has been going well this summer. “I think they have really been enjoying it. They’ve certainly been helpful to the Housing Authority and hopefully they’ve gained some knowledge and insight that will help them in their future endeavors.”
This summer Selma Housing Authority Summer Youth employees included Markeis Cole, Jermecia Foster, Henry Hurry, Jaquavious Levins, Mel’kerriaya Moss, Haisia Perry, Jamia Simmons and William Bowie.
