Youth Services
If you've visited
"The Renewal Story" page, you know that
Renewal Unlimited's first
efforts targeted
young people who needed to finish their secondary education and develop
employment skills. Participants in the 1977 Renewal program worked toward
a high school equivalency certificate while renovating older homes, which
were then sold to low-income families.
Renewal has
remained dedicated to this population and to the success of this type of
programming ever since. With experience now spanning four decades, Renewal
offers a variety of options to eligible youth and young adults who have often
struggled in a "traditional" school environment, who need to develop marketable
work and employability skills, or who want assistance exploring career and
educational options.
A grant from the
South
Central Wisconsin Workforce Development Board,
supports the Youth Services
Program for Columbia,
Dodge,
and Sauk counties.
The Workforce Investment Act of the late 1990s did away with the JTPA youth programs, creating smaller regions and more flexible
programming to help eligible
youth develop and complete academic and occupational goals -- and successfully join
the workforce.
In
Renewal's three-county region, the agency has created
a network of mentors, educators and employers to support our
participants. Both
in- and out-of-school
youth aged 14-21 receive tutoring, job
readiness and retention training, and both paid and unpaid work experiences with
local businesses. We
provide at least 12 months’ individualized guidance, targeting graduation or
GED/HSED completion, and full-time, stable employment or secondary education.
Providing
