On Friday, June 24th, Cathy Smith-Curry, Director, Office of Reentry Services, and Jamecia Phillips, Employment Resource Coordinator, with the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) joined MAX to discuss how F.R.E.S.H (Focusing Resources Effectively to Sustain Hope) Start Youth Initiative is transforming young lives.
F.R.E.S.H. Start provides DJJ youth with career opportunities by partnering with local business owners. The initiative is a program in the Department’s Office of Reentry Services that facilitates youth connections to services and support as they transition back into their communities. From Kubota and Home Depot to Goodwill of North Georgia and First Step Staffing, a number of employer partners are partnering with DJJ in giving youth a fresh start while also addressing their workforce needs.
In 2021, DJJ identified 83 released youth with employment needs. Within two months of their release from secure detention, nearly half of these youth had obtained employment. Top career choices included welding, truck driving, carpentry/construction, engineering/technology, armed forces, and supply chain management.
Special thanks to MAX board member Lee Hunter, Regional Coordinator with the Georgia Department of Labor, for hosting and moderating the discussion.
Click here for the recording.
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Launched in 2014, the mission of MAX is to advance economic competitiveness in the Atlanta region by strengthening connections, collaborations, and practices among workforce developers and organizations engaged in workforce development.
Through our webinar series, MAX Minutes, MAX seeks to bring timely insights to providers, intermediaries, and other partners in workforce. MAX Minutes features talks by key experts in the Atlanta region and beyond on important workforce matters.