2007
Annual Meeting
Press
Release - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Willie Carlton
Minnesota Black Chamber of Commerce
4210 Park Glen Road
St. Louis Park, MN 55416
Phone: 952-401-3842
FAX: 952-401-3842
E-mail:
Website: www.minnesotabcc.org
“SUMMER
EMPLOYMENT FOR BLACK YOUTH”
THE
BLACK YOUTH APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM (BYAP)
Sponsored by the Minnesota Black Chamber of Commerce (MBCC)
MBCC is “An Alliance of Business Leaders and Entrepreneurs
Building Community”.
The Black Youth Apprentice Program will employ 20 youth
ages 15-19 residing in the North Minneapolis area. Selected
youth will be paid a stipend for their participation in
the program. The program will run from June 2007 through
August 2007.
The apprenticeship
program engages black youth in supportive career development
networks through short-term apprenticeships in black businesses
that expose youth to entrepreneurial knowledge, opportunities
and role models.
The summer employment
program will assist youth in identifying and developing
an individualized vision of meaningful work and mapping
a plan for the attainment of higher education/career goals.
The program will train youth in the basic etiquette and
communication skills that are appropriate to the culture
of business, teach youth how to understand cultural differences,
and leverage the asset of a diverse perspective. The program
will also place youth
participants in a supportive matrix that include a mentor,
an employer, and BYAP staff. This network will collaborate
to support the skill development and program success of
each youth. In addition, the program will assist black businesses
in prospecting for and recruiting young talent from the
local community.
Apprenticeships
through this employer-led model will give businesses the
opportunity to receive short-term support for daily operations
as well as to link with and give back to the community over
the long-term.
As the demographics
of our region shift, diversity and cultural competency in
the workplace will increasingly prove to be an asset. Through
the apprentice program, MBCC is working to create a nexus
where the values of preservation, support, and development
of black youth, investment in the future of our community,
and the interests of black business converge.
The
Minnesota Black Chamber of Commerce is a group of business
leaders and entrepreneurs building community through economic
development. For more information please call Willie Carlton
at 952-401-3842 or e-mail Willie at wdacis@aol.com
or contact Barbara Davis at 952-922-5556.
Call
for participants see links below.
Youth
Employment Opportunities
• Must live in North Minneapolis
• Age 15-19. Must be a current student
• Apprenticeship duration – June – August
2007
• Participants will be paid $3000 for 3 month participation
For
more information, call Willie Carlton at 952-401-3842
or e-mail Willie at: wdacis@aol.com
Employers
Local black businesses from the Twin Cities area seeking
short-term support for daily operations as well as to link
with and give to the community over the long-term.
Opportunities
• Connect with future workers
• Link with and give back to the community
• Receive short-term support for daily operations
• Receive subsidized assistance toward youth employment
stipends.
For
more information please contact Willie Carlton
at: 952-401-3842 or; e-mail Willie at: wdacis@aol.com
Mentors
BYAP is seeking mentors who are willing to foster supportive
relationships, encourage individuals to develop to their
fullest potential, and help participants realize and acknowledge
their vision and passion for the future.
For
more information please contact Willie Carlton
at: 952-401-3842 or; e-mail Willie at: wdacis@aol.com
Volunteers
Needed
We are in the process of forming 4 working committees for
the BYAP program.
• Youth
• Employer
• Mentor
• Fundraising
If you
are interest in serving on one of the above committees,
please contact Willie Carlton at: 952-401-3842 or; e-mail
Willie at: wdacis@aol.com
