Author: Matt Debnam
As juveniles in North Carolina’s youth development centers approach young adulthood, many will soon be taking the big step back into society, and to be successful, they will need to find gainful employment. On July 23, juveniles at Chatham Youth Development Center had the chance to engage with professionals from a variety of fields during the facility’s annual Career Day.
“During the month of July, we like to offer a career fair for our students,” explained Chatham YDC Transition Coordinator Andre Mapp. “Our hope is to show them different careers and highlight different industries they might not have thought about.”
Professionals from eight organizations participated in the career fair, showcasing specialties including nursing, firefighting, trucking, cosmetology, barbering, engineering and military service. This experience is designed to be an extension of the career preparation work youth engage with in the classroom.
“As the transition coordinator, my job is to help them think about what they want to do when they grow up,” Mapp said. “We’ve done career assessments, we’ve looked at different career fields, and we’ve talked about what it takes to be successful.”
As youth cycled through the Chatham YDC gym, they had approximately five minutes to talk with each professional, enough time to explore the basics of what the career entails, how long it takes to earn credentials and what they can expect in terms of pay.
“I think this is a wonderful thing that they’re doing,” said Michael Cheek, owner of T and M Barber College. “I think it gives everybody an opportunity to get a real feel for what they need to do when they leave (the YDC). They have to go out and find something that they enjoy doing and make it work for them.”
“It’s about getting them to hopefully have a work ethic, and to show them what it takes to succeed,” Mapp added. “We don’t want them to give up and we don’t want to see them back here again. If we can link them up with resources when they get back home to their communities, then we think they’ll be a lot more successful.”
For the youth who participated in the career fair, having the chance to engage with professionals and learn more about the job options available to them was an eye-opening experience. Ultimately, it let these youth know that there are options as they move forward in their lives.
“I learned a lot about truck driving and how much money they make,” said one student, who wants to pursue a career in cosmetology. “I also didn’t know that RNs could do travel nursing and jump right into that.”
“A lot of the girls here are older,” added Chatham YDC Director Fleuretta McDougald. “This event gives them an outlook to start really thinking about what they want to do. I’m not the best person to tell them what they need to become a truck driver or a barber or a nurse. I’ve heard them asking a lot of questions, and I love it. I want to express my appreciation to the professionals who took time out to come and talk to this population. It lets me know that there is someone out there thinking about my kids.”