KILLEEN, Texas — The City of Killeen has opened applications for its Youth Empowerment Program taking place this coming spring.
According to the City, the Youth Empowerment Program, which launched in the summer of 2023, is designed to help disadvantaged youth from ages 16 to 19 get paid work training and skills.
The City said the spring employment session will host participants for eight weeks from Feb. 12 to April 5, 2024, providing them a job, financial empowerment skills and workplace readiness training.
Youths who participate in the program will be paid $12 an hour and will work no more than 20 hours a week, said the City. To participate, applicants must be enrolled in a GED program and live in Killeen, Harker Heights, Nolanville or Fort Cavazos.
“Exposing our at-risk youth to these skills and opportunities is priceless,” said Morgan Hinton, Youth Program Manager. “I feel privileged to be able to open their eyes up to these resources and help them discover their talents and purpose.”
Training in the program will reportedly consist of workshops that showcase "professional development, quality customer service, policies and procedures, effective communication, Equal Employment Opportunity training, conflict resolution" and more.
Participants in the program will go through a week of assessments and training to help place them with a department, which they will then be assigned to work with one-on-one.
At the end of the program, the participating teens will receive evaluations and have a recognition ceremony.
In the first session of the Youth Empowerment Program, the City of Killeen said a group of four students from ages 14 to 17 completed 10 weeks of work.
Applications for the program will be accepted through Dec. 30. For more information, visit www.KilleenTexas.gov/YEP.
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