CareerForce centers work to connect students with career opportunities

In a 2009 research survey, only 12 percent of Latino and Hispanic public high school graduates from Allentown said they planned to enroll in a four-year college.

Elizabeth Deegan, a staff member of the Lehigh Valley Research Consortium, conducted this survey, which analyzed these students’ educational status.

Deegan found Latino and Hispanic graduates were more likely to be unsure of their future plans than the overall student population.

“It’s so important to help kids who may not go to college understand available career opportunities,” Deegan said. “The districts are aware of this and are trying to help students have a better answer other than ‘unsure.’”

During the 2013-2014 school year, 293 students were identified as at-risk youth within the two Allentown public high schools. These students are at risk of dropping out based on attendance, grades and behavioral incidents.

In order to help these students succeed, the school district partnered with the Lehigh Valley Workforce Investment Board to develop two drop-in CareerForce centers.

Cindy Evans is the youth program manager at CareerLink, an employment and training center, who helped implement the CareerForce centers in 2012. Evans said it is important for this demographic to know what is possible for their lives and what it takes to get there.

“During a study hall and before or after school, students are able to walk in and ask for help finding a job, filling out an application or practice interviewing,” Evans said.

Evans thinks the centers are a successful model because each school has one workforce coordinator who understands the local job market and helps supplement guidance counselors.

Julie Vitale is the youth workforce coordinator who has worked at the centers since February 2012. Vitale said she enjoys her position because she listens to students’ dreams and helps them reach their goals.

“In the Allentown schools, students call Julie ‘Jobs Julie,’” Evans said.

Vitale said there is a strong relationship between the frequency of at-risk students visiting the center and their likelihood to stay in school.

Ninety-two out of the 293 at-risk students visited the center. Not one of the students who visited the center three or more times dropped out of school.

“At-risk students who did not visit the coordinator were two-and-a-half times more likely to drop out of school than students who visited the center,” Vitale said.

Part of Vitale’s job is contacting students who dropped out, encouraging them to return to high school and helping them graduate.

“In Summer 2012, 2013 and 2014, I reached out to all of the dropouts from William Allen and Louis E. Dieruff high schools for the prior school year through text messages,” Vitale said. “One student named Samantha had dropped out earlier in the year, received the text and came into the center.”

Vitale realized Samantha only needed a few credits to graduate and connected her with the Advance Credit Recovery program. After Samantha completed all of her requirements for graduation, she decided she wanted to become a nurse.

Vitale helped Samantha get her criminal record expunged and connected her with the CareerForce Work Experience program. Through the program, Samantha took a CNA class and completed six weeks of work in the center helping with administrative duties and encouraging students to stay in school.

“Her perspective and personality were very engaging, and the youth really could see what was possible if they crossed the finish line,” Vitale said.

Samantha is now working at a nursing home and after two years she will receive tuition reimbursement to help pay for her schooling to get her LPN and RN.

“It makes me so happy to think I had any role in helping Samantha reach her goals, and happy for the patients I know she will serve well throughout her life as a nurse,” Vitale said.