The Flint and Genesee Chamber of Commerce Education and Training Department received a grant from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to facilitate the hiring of 100 Flint teens for summer employment. The grant was awarded to the Genesee Area Focus Fund, a non-profit arm of the Chamber, to provide outdoor employment opportunities.
Graduates of the Chamber’s TeenQuest pre-employment, leadership program who live in Flint are eligible for the positions at agencies throughout the region including: Catholic Charities, Downtown Development Authority, Flint River Watershed Coalition, Genesee County Parks, City of Flint and Genesee County Land Bank. Teens will work 25 hours per week for 15 weeks throughout the summer.
The grant is part of a program launched by the State of Michigan to assist Flint, Saginaw, Pontiac and Detroit with issues related to public safety and other urban needs. It was created to encourage urban youth to consider outdoor careers.
According to Rhetta Hunyady, Vice President of Education and Training for the Chamber the MDNR grant provides an important opportunity for teens to gain meaningful work experience throughout the summer. She says the goal of the grant is to increase the likelihood of employment for at-risk youth and young adults through work skills education.
“Summer employment is a critical element of leadership development for teens,” Hunyady said. “The MDNR grant enables us to broaden the level of employment opportunities we facilitate for Flint teens, which provides a win-win situation for local employers and the students.”
For more information about TeenQuest and teen employment opportunities contact Rhetta Hunyady at (810) 600-1412 or .