Clallam County Workforce Development Council wants proposals for youth employment and training as it seeks to spend $285,066 in federal economic stimulus money.
"We’re just wrapping up the proposal process for how to use the money," said Steve Frazier, Olympic Workforce Development Council director.
"It’s targeted for summer jobs for eight-10 weeks for young people ages 18 through 24.
"It’s just starting to unfold and we’ll certainly have more detail by the month’s end," he said.
Washington state received $23 million in federal stimulus money to pay for summer employment and training programs for at-risk youths and young adults.
The Employment Security Department divided the money among the state’s 12 workforce development councils based on a federal formula linked to local poverty and unemployment rates.
Clallam County received 32 percent or $285,066 of the $890,834 awarded to the Olympic region of Clallam, Jefferson and Kitsap counties.
"We have good connections with schools and WorkSource centers. We’re really looking for work sites for summer youths. We’re starting to gets calls from what will be called host sites," Frazier said.
"Most of the money will pay the wages and also incorporate some classroom days," he said.
Del DelaBarre is chairman of the Clallam Workforce Development Council and Clallam County Commissioner Steve Tharinger, D-Dungeness, was last year’s chairman and sits on the board of directors.
Frazier said the state’s Employment Security Department used to have a summer jobs program every year but not since the federal Workforce Investment Act was passed in August 1998.
"So this really is a new, welcome, income source for these jobs targeted to lower-income youths," he said.
The Olympic Workforce Development Council and Frazier can be contacted at the following: 614 Division St. MS 23, Port Orchard, WA 98366.
Phone: 360-337-7185 ext. 3526 or fax: 360-337-7187.
E-mail: sfrazier@co.
kitsap.wa.us.
Web site: www.kitsap
gov.com/hr/wsolympic/
owdcboard.htm.
Reach Brian Gawley at bgawley@sequimgazette.com.
