July 5, 2017
Taking the ‘Next Step’
Around Town
Hazelwood Fire Department informs residents about city’s emergency preparedness with special event. P.3
Community Voices By Halbert Sullivan. P.2
Business At Home Care donates $20,000 to the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis . P.7
Learn & Play
Photo courtesy Teyuna Darris Ferguson Youth Initiative Next Steps graduates Carnisha Scott (left) and Shanorria Williams (right) stand with FYI Executive Director Aaron Harris. Scott and Williams completed the program in March.
The Ferguson Youth Initiative’s Next Steps program gets students ready for the workforce
Smart summer snacks. P.11
Movie
By Sara Hardin The Ferguson Youth Initiative (FYI), a nonprofit organization that has been empowering the community’s youth since 2010, is celebrating the graduation of eight young adults from its first 2017 Next Steps program. FYI partnered with SSM Health and Nestlé Purina to develop the six-week program, which helps to equip community youth with the skills necessary to get a job and remain successful in a position. The eight graduates are between the ages of 16-18, and four have taken positions within SSM Health hospitals since completing Next Steps. Aaron Harris, FYI Executive Director, worked closely with his partners to develop Next Steps and bring the program to life. He says one of his goals was to ensure that the class is accessible to anyone who may need to learn the skills they help to build. “Any youth is open to attend the class,” said Harris. “The class is free and any youth can attend regardless of zip code.” Representatives from SSM Health met with the class every week to help explain employer expectations and build skills for more
effective interviewing and resume-building. Jordan Alexander, Talent Acquisition Leader with SSM Health, worked with Harris on the initial development of the program’s curriculum. He believes that without a program like Next Steps, the kids involved might have missed out on developing the skills that are crucial in starting a career. “Aaron talked to me about creating this Next Steps program through the Ferguson Youth Initiative,” said Alexander. “We sat down and talked about what employers look for to find candidates. We discussed working on resume-building and interviewing skills, and a lot of soft skills that aren’t necessarily taught in classes that are still very important in the workforce.” The most impressive thing about the program, says Alexander, was the growth that was seen in the kids involved between the first and final classes. Recruiters from Nestlé Purina and other talent acquisition individuals got involved with the class to do mock interviews, and the skills that the kids had learned throughout the program came into full view.
“When Aaron and I did the initial orientation to talk about the program, there were probably between 30-25 kids who attended. They were all quiet, we couldn’t get any of them to really stand up and talk to us, let alone introduce themselves,” said Alexander. “As the weeks went along, we could see a night and day difference in the kids that stayed in the program. We worked a lot on building confidence and speaking clearly, and they were standing straight and speaking confidently by the final class. I felt like a proud dad watching the kids from the beginning to where they are now. It was really great.” The techniques required for things such as giving a successful interview, displaying appropriate body language, knowing how to respond to and ask questions and giving an effective introduction can easily be skimmed over or lost in a traditional classroom setting. For this reason, a program such as Next Steps is hugely beneficial in communities where the youth may not have an avenue for See ‘NEXT STEP’ page 2
Serving North & Northwest St. Louis County | FREE Online at mycnews.com | Vol. 96 No. 27 | 636-379-1775
Movies We Forgot They Made: Tom Cruise in ‘Taps’. P.16
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