Our program connects youth to paid work experience, mentorship, and real-world skill-building that prepares them for what’s next. Developing early knowledge of the working world and how to manage in it, they are more likely to find good employment and earn more money in the future. Youth face many barriers to joining the labor force, especially in Columbia, MO because of substantial competition fr
om thousands of college students for the available entry-level jobs…but the CARE program can help break down those barriers! A particularly stressful summer of youth violence and unrest in Columbia’s central city, a high level of youth unemployment, and the untimely reduction in Federal youth employment programs compelled a group of community leaders to meet during the summer of 1981 to form a steering committee. Their goal was to learn about the violence and employment challenges facing the youth of Columbia and to make recommendations regarding what to do about it. In 1982, this steering committee established a pilot program to provide meaningful employment for 150 low-income Columbia youth, ages 14 to 20. This program was initially funded by an appropriation from the City Council and a grant received from the Columbia Board of Education. The Columbia Parks and Recreation Department provided the facilities and staff to administer the program, which was named CARE, an acronym for Career Awareness Related Experience. The CARE program was created because of the vision and efforts of this steering committee, which included several longtime Columbia Parks and Recreation employees, including the late Wynna Faye Elbert. CARE began over 40 years ago for the same reason it is still needed today, which is for Columbia’s youth to be ready to enter the workforce and become productive, self-sufficient citizens. Since 1982, the CARE program has provided comprehensive services for Columbia’s youth that include:
• job readiness training
• paid real-world hands-on work experience
• mentoring
• soft skill development*
• career exploration
*Soft skills, also known as people skills, are the personal characteristics that individuals have. Good soft skills will benefit workers no matter where they work or what they do. Supervisors usually consider soft skills to be more important than hard skills (the technical expertise and knowledge needed to do a certain job) in job applicants for entry-level positions. They want new employees to have strong soft skills, and then they will teach them the hard skills. From October 1 through mid-March, CARE staff will be available to provide one-on-one assistance in the Armory Sports Center (701 East Ash St.) with:
• Finding summer employment opportunities
• Applying for summer jobs
• Making resumes and cover letters
• Obtaining letters of recommendation
• Practice interviewing
To schedule your free assistance, contact Drew Turner at [email protected] or 573.874.6300. We Hire Columbia Area Youth During The Summer!
• Applications open December 1 and close March 3 (https://www.gocomojobs.com/postings/search)
• Pay above minimum wage
CARE Community Work Site Program
The CARE program hires 14- to 20-year-olds (must be at least 14 years of age on April 8, 2024) who live in Columbia, MO, attend a Columbia, MO school, and/or have a parent/guardian who works for the City of Columbia. CARE hires them and places them at local businesses (community work sites) where they gain much needed real-world hands-on work experience. The CARE community work site program is a 10-week program (June 23 through August 29) in which approximately 125 14- to 20-year-old trainees are hired at $12.50 per hour for new trainees and $13.00 for returning trainees to work up to 50 hours per two-week pay period at a local work site. CARE/CPS Teacher’s Assistant Program
The CARE/CPS teacher’s assistant program is a five-week program (May 30 to June 26) in which approximately 15 14- to 20-year- olds (must be at least 14 years of age on April 8, 2024) are hired at $13.00 per hour for new teacher’s assistants and $13.50 for returning teacher’s assistants to work up to 56 hours per two-week pay period at a Columbia Public Schools’ elementary summer school site. At the conclusion of CPS’ summer school, CARE/CPS teacher’s assistants may work as a paid camp assistant at the Armory Summer Camp if they want to. CARE/City Utilities Internship
The CARE/City Utilities Internship is a 12-week program (June 10 through August 29) in which approximately 10 interns (must be at least 16 years of age on June 10, 2024) are hired at $13.50 per hour for new City utilities interns and $14.00 for returning City utilities interns to work up to 56 hours per two-week pay period at a City utilities work site. We are hiring:
• Sewer and Storm Water Utilities, Sewer and Storm Water Intern
• Solid Waste – Administration, Administration Assistant
• Solid Waste – Landfill, Grounds Maintenance
• Water & Light – Electric Production, Maintenance Mechanic Intern
• Water & Light – Engineering, Engineering Intern
• Water & Light – Utility Services, Data Entry Specialist
• Water & Light – Water Distribution, Operator/Laborer
• Water & Light – Water Production, Operator I
Want to MAKE A DIFFERENCE while getting FREE LABOR during the summer? The City of Columbia’s CARE program hires local teenagers and places them at area businesses, where they gain much needed real-world hands-on work experience while getting paid. CARE depends on partnerships with area companies (work site partners) to provide the work sites for its trainees; however, 100% of the trainees’ wages are paid by CARE, which is administered through the Columbia Parks and Recreation Department. Work site partners are investing in our future by investing in our youth, while at the same time receiving free labor. The youth trainees gain valuable employment experience and soft skills while earning a paycheck. CARE is a win-win-win situation for the trainees, the work site partners, and the Columbia community as a whole. What is expected from CARE’s work sites? Work site supervisors are responsible for the:
• mentoring
• training
• explaining
• demonstrating
• monitoring
• daily supervising
• evaluating
…aspects of the paid real-world hands-on work experience. Most importantly, they must be able to keep your trainees busy with quality “entry-level” work experiences/assignments and supervise them for 25 hours per week for ten weeks (June 23 to August 29). Who does CARE hire? The CARE program hires 14- to 20-year-olds who live in the City of Columbia, MO and/or attend a Columbia, MO school. CARE applicants are local teenagers who do not YET feel comfortable in applying for, interviewing for, and getting hired for a summer job. The majority of CARE’s trainees are 14- and 15-year-olds. Most of them are ready to obtain their own employment after one or two summers in the CARE program. But what if my business does not hire 14- or 15-year-olds? That is okay because you do not “hire” them, the City does; therefore, they are full-fledged City of Columbia employees. They are not your “employees,” as they are actually volunteers at your business/agency. All employer responsibilities and liabilities, including workers' compensation, belong to the City of Columbia. Do we have to hire them at the end of the summer? No, you do not. However, about 25% of CARE’s trainees do such a good job they are offered continued employment from their work site’s own budget after the program is over. In fact, several former trainees are still employed at their CARE work sites many years after their placements ended. For more information regarding becoming a CARE summer work site partner, contact Ron Schmidt at [email protected] or 573.874-6377.
