About The Youth Council
The Youth Council is a subcommittee of the Workforce Board and is responsible for the oversight of Workforce Investment Act Youth services in the region. The Youth Council is an all volunteer subcommittee and currently has over fifty members that represent both public and private organizations that provide services to young people in our region.
The duties of the Youth Council include:
- Developing the portions of the local plan relating to eligible youth, as determined by the chairperson of the local Board.
- Recommending to the local Board eligible providers of youth activities to be considered for grants or contracts on a competitive basis.
- Conducting oversight with respect to eligible providers of youth activities.
- Coordinating youth activities that are authorized by the Act.
- Other duties determined to be appropriate by the chairperson of the local Board.
- FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT THE MASSHIRE NORTH CENTRAL WORKFORCE BOARD AT https://masshirenorthcentralwb.com/
In addition to these mandated requirements of the Workforce Investment Act our local Board through the Youth Council has several grants that provide the following:
School to Career
The Workforce Investment Board, through a grant from the Department of Education, provides staff and support to local schools to place students in internships with local businesses that develop academic and workplace skills through the use of the Massachusetts Work-Based Learning plan. The Board places over 900 students a year through this initiative.
CONNECTING ACTIVITIES
700-850 students participate in the School to Career Program in annually. Local businesses provide work and learning opportunities and helped students connect academics to work place requirements and measured students gain by using the Massachusetts Work Based Learning Plan.
WOMEN IN TECHNOLOGY
One of the highlights of our School to Career initiative is our Women in Technology program. Each year approximately 25 young women from several schools in the region participate in an internship with Tyco Fire & Safety and Simplex/Grinnell Corporation in Westminster. Students focus on real projects such as product development, internal communication and WEB design.
SUMMER EMPLOYMENT
Each year working with local businesses, community based organizations and chambers of commerce we place students in summer jobs with work-based learning plans that connect academic achievement and workplace skills.
More than 250 youth have summer work and learning opportunities each year. The Youth Council offers subsidized summer jobs for eligible youth in Leominster and Fitchburg through the States Youth Works program.
The Workforce Board also convenes a Youth Employment Collaborative that has raised private sector funding for an additional 160 youth employment opportunities. The Montachusett Opportunity Council, Mount Wachusett Community College, LUK, Inc., The Community Reinvestment Act Coalition, the cities of Leominster, Fitchburg and Gardner and many local employers are major contributors to our efforts to provide unsubsidized summer youth employment opportunities.
BANKING
Workers Credit Union opened a branch at Monty Tech, which included four student interns that were paid by Workers Credit Union as employees. Two seniors that graduated became full time employees of the credit union while the juniors were relocated to two WU branches as part time help for the summer. This was a win win situation.
- Sue Allaire
Nashoba Regional High School, Phone: 978-779-2257 – [email protected] - Maurie Bergeron
LUK, Inc. Phone: 978-829-2417 – [email protected] - Jon Blodgett
Boys and Girls Club, Phone: 978-534-8358 – [email protected] - Kristi Bruwer
Training Resources of America, Inc. – Phone: 978-343-4452 – [email protected] - Mary Chase
Training Resources of America, Phone: 978-534-1481 X252 – [email protected] - Jennifer Chavez
Employment Links, Phone: 978-343-4452 – [email protected] - Nicole Conroy
My Turn, Inc. – Phone: 978-345-1092 – [email protected] - Diane Corkum
The Institute of Professional Practice, Inc. – Phone: 978-956-4199 – [email protected] - Lisa Crossman
Sports & Recreation Director – Phone: 978-297-9622 x 15 – [email protected] - Joana Dos Santos
Cleghorn Neighborhood Center, Phone: 978-342-2069 x 208 – [email protected] - Craig Elkins, M.Ed.
Mount Wachusett Community College, Phone: 978-630-9112 – [email protected] - Beth English
Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission Fitchburg Regional Area Office, Phone: 978-345-1713 X 111 – [email protected] - Shana Fitz
MOC, Inc., Phone: 978-343-5706 – [email protected] - Adrian Ford
Three Pyramids, Phone: 978-342-6011 – [email protected] - Judith Fountain
Department of Developmental Services, Phone: 978-342-2140 X 315 – [email protected] - Yolonda Francois
Shriver Job Corps – 978-784-2656 – [email protected] - Fernando Garcia
Mount Wachusett Community College – 978-630-9821 – [email protected] - Mike Gerry
Workforce Investment Board, Phone: 978-534-1023 – [email protected] - Christina Gonzalez
Mount Wachusett Community College – 978-534-1481 x 251 – [email protected] - Jennifer Graves
Department of Youth Services, Phone: 978-345-6381 x 101 – [email protected] - Thomas Hall
LUK, Inc., Phone: 978-345-0685 x 217 – [email protected] - Gigi Harris
Workforce Investment Board, Phone: 978-534-1023 – [email protected] - Pam Hatstat
Department of Youth Services, Phone: 978-345-6381 – [email protected] - Adam Johnson
Department of Youth Services, Phone: 508-439-1703 – [email protected] - Goran Jovanovic
Department of Developmental Services, Phone: 978-342-2140 X 330 – [email protected] - Adam Keese
Upward Bound Program, Phone: 978-665-3439 – [email protected] - Cathy Keese
Dept. of Developmental Services, Phone: 978-342-2140 – [email protected] - Donna Larson
Vocational Consultant ACE Program., Phone: 978-827-6377 – [email protected] - Monique LeBlanc
Gardner Academy for Learning & Technology – Phone: 978-632-1606 x 3 – [email protected] - Maria LoBrutto
MyTurn, Inc., Phone: 978-345-1092 – [email protected] - Fran Longton
United Way of North Central MA, Phone: 978-345-1577 – [email protected] - Sharyn McLaughlin
Employment Links, Inc. – Phone: 978-534-1481 – [email protected] - Anthony Muhnisky
LUK, Inc. – Phone: 978-829-2428 – [email protected] - Christian Orobello
House of Peace and Education, Phone: 978-630-4752 – [email protected] - Julie Primeau
Upward Bound Fitchburg State College, Phone: 978-665-3439 – [email protected] - Eric Rodriguez
Cleghorn Neighborhood Center, Phone: 978-342-2069 x212 – [email protected] - Tim Sappington
Workforce Investment Board, Phone: 978-0534-1023 – [email protected] - Rocco Spagnuolo
Boys & Girls club of Fitchburg and Leominster, Phone: 978-534-8358 x18 – [email protected] - Michael Valia
Heywood Healthcare Hospital, Phone: 978-630-3311 – [email protected] - Lynette Valentine
Salvation Army, Phone: 978-342-3300 – [email protected] - Richard Vaughn
Fitchburg High School, Phone: 978-630-9248 – [email protected] - Michelle Waalkes
Leominster High School, Phone: 978-534-7735, x390 – [email protected] - Trish Woodliff
LUK, Inc. – Phone: 978-829-2435 – [email protected]