Employers and eligible youth alike can benefit from programs run by CareerSource Tampa Bay — the youth by gaining job experience and employers by not having to pay the people they are getting to work.
“It’s a win-win situation,” said Tanya Doran, executive director of the Greater Riverview Chamber of Commerce.
CareerSource provides eligible Hillsborough County youth the opportunity to gain meaningful work experience through its Paid Work Experience Program. This program pays 100 percent of the youth’s wages, as well as unemployment and payroll taxes and workers’ compensation fees.
For up to four weeks, the youth may receive a salary based on the usual rate for the position he or she fills for a 40-hour week.
Most of the people hired have either high school diplomas or GEDs, and some may also have entry-level work experience or some work experience.
Since July 2013, more than 25 companies have provided work experience to a total of about 80 young workers.
“We are always conscious of how we spend the members’ money,” Doran said. “We spend a very limited amount of dollars, and we want to be sure they’re spent on the kind of events and programs that are the most beneficial. Any savings we can get by having someone in a position we do not have to pay is a great benefit to all our members. Plus this gives us a chance to mentor and help someone along with a good work ethic and real work experience.”
The program first operated under the name Tampa Bay Workforce Alliance but recently changed its name. It has four locations: two in Tampa, one in Plant City and one in Ruskin.
CareerSource also has specialized programs for adults and veterans.
To find out more about the program, visit workforcetampa.com.
