One of our greatest areas of need for support from our local community and partners is helping young people become self-sufficient and earn money through learning a marketable and valuable skill or trade. A large majority of the foster youth in placement are not bound for college or higher learning and will age out of the system forced to work in jobs that require little experience, expertise or skill. Many of these youth are highly creative, passionate and receptive to self-development and eager to learn about business, money making opportunities beyond fast food or retail work and willing to commit their time and energy to learning a new trade.
If you are a local area business, professional or independent contractor willing to teach our youth your skills so that they may earn a living in the future themselves, we want to hear from you! The intent is that they will gain invaluable insights, knowledge and career advice from people who are already successful in fields that do not require a traditional college degree and through your guidance, teaching and job shadowing, they can work towards financial independence.
In our recent surveys, our youth expressed the most interest in:
Photographers
Learning professional DLSR equipment, how to market themselves as photographers, how to shoot parties, corporate events, weddings, how to care for equipment, photoshop editing, how much to charge, etc
Fitness
Personal Trainers, coaches, yoga instructors, personal fitness motivation aids, gym staff, nutrition counselors, etc. Some of these areas require professional certifications and Heritage may be able to cover the cost for youth who show motivation and commitment to stay on the path towards certification.
Private Catering
Meal preparation, private parties, cake decorating, baked goods, preparing meals for busy families, corporate parties, trainings or events. A professional license or rental of a commercial kitchen may be required for this field and Heritage may be able to assist youth in this regard should they show talent, commitment and a desire to seriously work in this field.
Party and Event Planning
Many of our teens are wonderfully creative and love to decorate and plan party themes and events. If you are a professional party planner or event coordinator, how about allowing one of our youth to participate and learn what it takes to earn a living through this fun activity.
Maintenance/Repairs
Anything to do with repairs, plumbing, pool maintenance, landscaping, gardening, etc. If a professional license or vocational school is required, Heritage may be able to assist youth in obtaining the required license or training.
This is just a short list of areas that have the potential for higher earnings and also attainable to our youth with the proper training, experience and opportunity to work towards. If you have any other special skill that you feel would be appropriate for our youth, we welcome your call or visit to our office.