Goodwill’s Youthbuild Program

• Michaela Woodensee, Goodwill Industries, MichaelaW@goodwillwa.org
• Outreach for Youthbuild - https://www.goodwillwa.org/training/programs/construction/
• We start the next cohort on April 8^th – a good time for youth to get connected to me.
• State recognized pre-apprenticeship program for the trades, with a built in General Education Development (GED) program
• Open for young adults aged 18-24 who are interested in the trades and need a GED.
• If you are just looking for the GED, Goodwill and the Reach center have more appropriate programs
• This is focused on getting youth a livable wage job.  They work with our case managers, GED instructors, trade instructors and such (Michaela said other folks, but I didn’t quite catch all the names. –ed. 
• Will connect them to housing resources - about 1/3 are homeless when they enter the program, and we connect them with ACT at REACH (I was trying to figure out what ACT stands for, but I failed.  I do know they are continuing the efforts of the 100 day challenge to house youth and young adults experiencing homelessness, I just don’t know what the acronym stands for.  Alas, another mysterious TLA (three letter acronym…) –ed).
• Program provides breakfast and lunch
• Classes run Monday through Thursday from 8:30am-3:30pm – so participants have time to can work part time if needed.
• Participants can enter the program with their GED already, but they do spend ½ of the program time working to complete the degree. 
• Questions - Is it direct entry to the carpenters union?  Michaela – no, but they get preferred interviews after completing the program (which seems pretty darn good – just sayin’ –ed.)  You can also connect you with the carpenters training program – starting mid-March – for individuals aged 18-24 who have their GED.
• Youthbuild is 7 months long, and 1 year of follow up with case management – try to connect them up with more education or a job as needed.
• Get $100 per month and some bonuses when they are making progress
• Will work with those with felonies and misdemeanors. 
• All genders are welcome.
• Questions - Do you have a support team for the students?  Michaela – yes, lots of things are going on in youth’s lives – we contract with Comprehensive Life Resources to  do group sessions, and will connect folks with Consejo and Comprehensive Life Resources for individual counseling.  And the YouthBuild staff is there to help out as well. 
• Information Sessions every Tuesday at 2pm at the Reach center (714 S 27^th St, Tacoma, WA) – where they can learn about the program and tour the construction lab (I feel youthful, maybe I can pass for a 23 year old and get one of those lab tours. My wife says I often act like a child, so I think I have a good chance of pulling it off…  –ed)
• If someone applies to the program, we’ll schedule a meeting for an intake and they’ll start on April 8^th (but done by 3:30pm, so you’ll be able to make it to the edges of McLane Creek for a candle-lit vigil for Kurt Cobain.  Or to Linda’s Tavern, to discuss the plausibility of the suggestion Mr. Cobain did not actually commit suicide, but was murdered. –ed.)