Oakridge Graduates 60 Youth Workers, Launching 12-Student Blueprint Program
Updated
Updated · Des Moines Register · Aug 13
Oakridge Graduates 60 Youth Workers, Launching 12-Student Blueprint Program
3 articles · Updated · Des Moines Register · Aug 13
Summary
Sixty participants completed Oakridge Neighborhood Services' three summer youth employment programs, with the nonprofit marking the milestone at an Aug. 11 ceremony in Des Moines.
The new Oak Futures Blueprint Program graduated 12 students and completes Oakridge's workforce continuum, feeding youth into the Summer Youth Employment Program and then Career Pathways for more specialized training.
Forty students in the Summer Youth Employment Program were placed with 10 employers, while eight Career Pathways graduates secured paid internships matched to their interests and supported by coaching and workshops.
Participants said the programs built practical skills and confidence, from interview basics and workplace conduct to technical experience such as sound engineering and set work at the Des Moines Playhouse.
Oakridge said the goal extends beyond summer paychecks to building resumes, professional networks and a longer-term pipeline of workforce talent for the community.
Beyond summer certificates, how will Oakridge's youth graduates leverage their new workplace confidence to secure long-term career success in Des Moines?
Can short-term summer jobs at local organizations truly transform a teenager's lifetime economic trajectory and workplace confidence?