Wilcox Works opens doors for youth
Wilcox Works Inc., located in downtown Camden, opened the application cycle for its annual summer youth employment program (SYEP) from June 1 until June 9. Established in 2017 and executed every summer since, SYEP is primarily for younger residents of Wilcox County, ages 15-21, seeking seasonal or temporary work that could lead to full or part-time positions depending on the say-so of their summer employers.
The non-profit organization’s objective is to provide the people of Wilcox County with opportunities to find work and resources to increase their probability of obtaining employment. Through SYEP, they extend this mission to the county’s youth by familiarizing program participants with the job procurement and onboarding processes and instilling in them holistic values that most employers appreciate.
“I treat them like employees at real companies,” Benjamin Lightner, the executive director of Wilcox Works, said. “One of the things we implement in the program is a training period (similar to a company’s actual onboarding process), usually after the initial interview. We discuss how they did in their interviews and what they could improve upon. We also talk about job expectations and what is expected from them as employees.”
To provide each participant employment, Wilcox Works partners with businesses in or around the Camden area willing to take on younger employees, who often have little to no experience in the fields where they are placed or are working their first jobs.
In a few cases, some companies may have trouble finding space for or are reluctant to accept young adults within the program’s age range. However, Lightner is adamant about the importance of taking chances on youth workers.
“The sooner we introduce young people to the process of getting a job and maintaining one, the easier it’ll become for them to maneuver this process once older,” said Lightner.
Also, the exposure they receive from various career fields allows participants to explore potential occupational ventures and assess their interests. “During this program, you may find that your assigned role isn’t necessarily for you or maybe you like it and want to do something similar.”
He added, “A lot of times, kids are placed in unexpected work environments and are deeply impacted by the experience. They’ll say, ‘I never considered doing this,’ and that instance, along with others, often leads to part-time positions outside the program or consideration for full-time employment in the future.”
An aspect of SYEP worth noting is that Wilcox Works compensates the workers out of pocket and requires the employers, usually county facilities or other non-profits, to pay nothing.
According to Lightner, non-profits generally have trouble finding workers because of tight budgets. SYEP provides them with much-needed help while allowing workers to obtain experience.
Wilcox Works also extends SYEP’s range of employers to those who have faced challenges and could greatly benefit from having the youth workers around.
In April of last year, J.E. Hobbs Elementary lost their main classroom building in a fire, its cause unknown, leaving little but ashes. Faculty, staff and students were left reeling in the wake of this disaster but were forced to immediately start the process of getting back to some normalcy for the sake of the children.
Though not necessarily a non-profit organization, J. E. Hobbs, is thankful for the selection of workers sent its way, and Principal Vernita Laister said she views them as a godsend.
“I appreciate Wilcox Works and this program for the help they’ve provided us,” Laister said. “Funding in education is cut every single year, so it’s hard to get the board to approve workers for extra assistance.”
Through SYEP, Hobbs has received three custodian workers, a receptionist and a para-professional working with the pre-k students. She speaks highly of almost every person they’ve hired and is eager to welcome others onto the staff.
“Because of the fire, we’ve been reconfiguring and reconstructing things. Having those younger employees around makes this process so much easier. They have really helped us get our feet on the ground and get things moving,” Laister said. “I’m grateful for each person they send.”
Many youth workers appreciate the roles they’ve been assigned and the opportunities they’ve received because of them.
Corrina Mack, a 17-year-old recent Wilcox Central High School graduate, worked under Wilcox County district judge Briana Westry and her judicial assistant Samantha Gomez throughout her senior year. Because of her job placement and experience with SYEP, she applied again for the summer before heading off to college.
Mack said she views her employment at the judge’s office as a mentorship and felt supported inside the workplace and out. “Ms. Westry and Ms. Gomez became the best role models I could ask for. Without them, I don’t think I’d be who I am or where I am now.”
When running for Ms. WCHS, she recalls that much of her backing came from the people at her job. “Ms. Gomez made my fliers, and anytime I held a fundraiser, everyone I worked with was right there supporting me every step of the way.”
Mack is also thankful for the people she met while employed at the courthouse. “Ms. Gomez introduced me to members of the group she’s a part of, and on the days we weren’t working we were always volunteering with them or at Gee’s Bend learning about the quilts.”
The organization she’s speaking of is the Southern Rural Black Woman’s Initiative for Economic and Social Justice, or SRBWI. Their mission is to do just as Westry and Gomez did for Corrina Mack: acting as a guide for women of color and encouraging their growth and development as powerful, independent women in society.
Mack said that she has no doubt that being a part of SYEP and working alongside these women changed her life. She said, “I’d do it a thousand times over.” She will be doing so at least once more before pursuing higher education at Coastal Alabama Community College in Bay Minette.
Mack is just one of many success stories resulting from SYEP’s work in Wilcox County, proving that investing in the youth pays off and can produce remarkable outcomes. Wilcox Works is also practicing the ideology they promote through SYEP.
Shanyia Jones is an 18-year-old WCHS graduate and current sophomore at Alabama State University majoring in social work. She will be working at the non-profit organization as the summer youth coordinator over SYEP and is in charge of selecting and supervising the youth workers within the program.
Jones is ecstatic about her position and about what she’s bound to learn during her time at Wilcox Works. “I’m looking forward to educating myself while being here also. I’m a student and young adult like many of the kids I’ll be interviewing. I’m eager to learn and progress alongside them,” she said.
Self-improvement is important to Jones. During her free time, she searches for opportunities, such as her involvement with the program, which will allow her to better herself and nudge her out of her shell.
Jones said, “I’m painfully shy, and sometimes I view myself as a bad communicator. However, in the short time I’ve had this job, I’ve noticed that I’m getting better at communication and over my fear of social interactions.”
Just as she does her best to be open to personal growth, Jones said she hopes that each applicant she comes across feels the same.
The best advice could give her peers wanting to obtain a position in SYEP is “don’t be a box.
“Be a flamingo,” Jones explained. “Be willing to exercise your skills and don’t hold yourself back. Spread your wings.”
Applications for SYEP are available for pickup at 223-A Claiborne Street, Camden, AL 36726. For more information about SYEP or other opportunities that Wilcox Works Inc. provides, contact Shanyia Jones, Jaz Angion or Kierra Jackson at Wilcox Works by phone at (334) 682-6366 or by email at wilcoxworks1@gmail.com.
Tags: Camden
