Melissa Bailey Photo
Mayor John DeStefano checked the pronunciation of Danuell’s name before a press conference Tuesday.
A bunch of neighborhood kids are eyeing Danuell Declet’s prized gig sweeping up hair at El Jibaro barber shop. He went to Long Wharf to get a few tips on how to up his game so he can hang on to the job.
Danuell, who’s 15, is one of 50 city high school students starting a new training program at Gateway Technical Institute (GTI), the city’s new vocational technical training program at the former Gateway Community College campus on Long Wharf. The 8‑hour job readiness program, called “Bring Your A Game To Work,” involves 50 of the 654 teenagers taking part in Youth@Work this summer, officials announced at a press conference Tuesday on Long Wharf.
At the “‘A’ Game” program, students like Danuell will learn “soft skills” they need to succeed on the job, such as how to dress, work in a team, and work for a boss. The curriculum is based on a model designed by Eric Chester, whose job readiness programs have spread around the country. The program is being funded through the school district’s 21st Century federal grant, according to GTI Principal Steve Pynn.
Yesenia Cruz, 18, plans to bring her A Game to the Fair Haven branch of the public library, where she’ll work through Youth@Work.
Pynn said the program seeks to address a national problem: Companies have job openings, but they can’t find people with the skills to fill them. The skills most lacking are the soft ones, he said — such as maintaining a good attitude and a professional appearance, and working on a team.
The 50 students were randomly selected from the 654 kids taking part in Youth@Work, according to Pynn. After students take the job readiness training, the city will track how they do in summer jobs. Through Youth@Work, students will work 25-hour-a-week jobs for $8.25 per hour, the state minimum wage.
Danuell, an aspiring firefighter, already worked last summer through Youth@Work; he worked on a farm. He has already developed a firm handshake, strong eye contact, and the ability to speak before a TV camera with poise. He doesn’t know where he’ll be placed this summer at Youth@Work.
He does know he aims to keep working at El Jibaro’s barber shop on Grand Avenue, where he has been working part-time on Saturdays sweeping up hair.
Danuell said in addition to preparing for Youth@Work, he hopes to learn some tips to get in his boss’s good graces so that he can hang on to the barber shop job.
“There’s a handful of kids who want to take it from me,” he explained.
The “‘A’ Game” training is one of several programs popping up in Gateway’s abandoned campus as the city’s vo-tech school gets off the ground. The campus already holds a public safety academy for high school kids considering careers in firefighting and law enforcement; a citizen emergency response training program; a first-aid CPR class; and a culinary program for students at Wilbur Cross High School.
Depending on funding, Gateway Technical Institute will continue adding programs in a piecemeal fashion as it officially launches next fall, according to Pynn. The program will work like Educational Center for the Arts, in that students won’t enroll there full-time; they’ll go to other high schools for part of the day, then report to Long Wharf for classes focused in preparing them for careers.
First big problem: 8 hours of "employment readiness" training? Really? Anyone who thinks today's youth only need 8 hours to understand what is needed to enter and succeed in the workplace is sadly mistaken. The skills most needed in today's job market are not soft skills, they are the cognitive skills (self-regulation, decision-making, organization) that we all use in our daily functioning. These are the skills, that for a number of reasons, are under-developed in many youth. Lastly, the other skills needed are some degree of post-secondary education (an AA degree or a certificate) and the experience to go with it.