At 17 years old, Winter Scott feels she is fully prepared for the workforce. After finishing the TeenWorks program in December 2023, Scott was armed with the knowledge she needs to accomplish her goal of working with kids.
TeenWorks is a non-profit organization in Fairfield County that focuses on assisting individuals aged 14-24. TeenWorks strives to prepare participants for real-world jobs with proper training and education in a classroom setting. Its mission is to provide employment skills and opportunities for individuals with unique barriers between them and their goals.
Photos courtesy of TeenWorks
Teenworks Student
As a resident of Fairfield County, Scott qualified for the program after her principal recommended her for TeenWorks. After jumping around between public school and homeschooling, Scott was open to participating in the program.
“I was going through a really rough patch but trying to find a good school, switching between home school and public school and jumping around,” says Scott. “And I think it was my public-school principal who may have suggested it, and he’s the one who signed off on me to go there.”
From February to December 2023, Scott immersed herself in the TeenWorks program and everything it had to offer. Scott currently works in retail, and she feels TeenWorks provided her with the skillset needed for real-world work experience.
Scott connected with many of the students in her program, which allowed her to ask questions in a judgment-free learning environment. She was able to complete multiple years of public school with the help and support of people she worked alongside at TeenWorks.
“I was still in a school environment but doing the work online and it was really, really helpful,” Scott says. “Like it put the work in a much shorter and efficient way to make it to where you get it done quicker which was really beneficial.”
TeenWorks’ programs and course options opened the opportunity for Scott to learn resume-building skills and gain office work experience. She learned better ways to communicate and cooperate in an office setting.
Odyssey completes dental assisting class TeenWorks
Tiffany Pelfrey joined TeenWorks in 2005 – when she was in ninth grade – and stayed in the program throughout high school. The organization has undergone a few changes over the years since Pelfrey was a participant, but the mission has stayed the same.
“It helped prepare me when it came to interviewing or resume skills (for) college applications,” Pelfrey says. “And even now when it’s come to not being in college, like being able to know what’s available when we started to pay student loans and whatnot.”
As a 33-year-old mom, Pelfrey applied the skills she learned through TeenWorks in her career. Its programs taught Pelfrey how to build a useful resume, which opened job opportunities for her after graduating college.
“I recommend TeenWorks to somebody because they provide a lot of information that many people don’t know,” Pelfrey says.
TeenWorks has divided its operation into three separate programs. Each program’s students must meet a set of qualifications to participate. Information about Opportunity Works, No Kidding Ohio and Subsidized Youth Employment Program can be found on its website. teenworks.biz/about-us/
Amber Phipps is an editorial assistant at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
