(FLINT, Mich., Sept. 16, 2014) – The Flint & Genesee Chamber of Commerce TeenQuest program is seeking for-profit employers interested in hiring program alums ages 18-24. Potential employers are eligible to have costs subsidized through a TeenQuest grant from the Ruth Mott Foundation.
TeenQuest is a pre-employment and leadership program for Flint & Genesee youths ages 14-18. Graduates of the program are eligible to seek employment through the Summer Youth Initiative (SYI) job fair. TeenQuest alumni over age 18 are no longer eligible for traditional SYI employment.
Private-sector businesses hiring these older TeenQuest graduates receive 50 percent reimbursement for a period of 90 days. Benefits to businesses include employing young adults who have successfully graduated from TeenQuest, which teaches the job skills necessary to get and keep a job.
“Oftentimes, we see that employers use this 90-day timeframe as a trial period for the young adults who then become full-time employees,” said Rhetta Hunyady, Vice President, Education and Training, Flint & Genesee Chamber. “The real-word job experience for the TeenQuest grads is invaluable, and the businesses get young adults at an age where they are more likely to have more flexible schedules, their own transportation and more maturity.”
For more information regarding hiring TeenQuest graduates, contact Hunyady at or (810) 600-1412.
About the Summer Youth Initiative and TeenQuest
The Summer Youth Initiative is a program that helps Flint-area teens find paid summer jobs. It’s open to students who’ve completed the TeenQuest afterschool program, which provides pre-employment and leadership training to students ages 14 to 19 to help them succeed in college and the 21st century workplace. Both programs are administered by the Genesee Area Focus Fund, a supporting organization of the Flint & Genesee Chamber of Commerce, with support from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation. To apply or learn more, visit www.flintandgenesee.org/teenquest.