Job training programs very often address useful jobs that will lead participants to quick employment. What they don’t do is show people how to achieve jobs that are more creative and perhaps less mainstream.
The Y’s Fresh Eyes program does just that. It’s an employment training and enrichment program for young people who are looking for work. More that 50 youth ages 18-21 have served in the program. It uses arts skills to show youth how to change their approach to finding a job, how to shine in an interview setting and how to craft an attention getting resume.
They worked with Y-Arts director Margaret Edwartowski to in weekly improve classes, while her husband taught them about media creation, digital music composition, and resume writing. Students also worked with the Contemporary Art Institute of Detroit to beautify their spaces, and will work for CAID producing video segments about their work. The eventual goal of the program is to get them into a “forever” job with what they have learned.
“They really enjoy the arts arts programming in general, ” Margaret says. “For many of them, the world was as big as their block. It’s been a broadening of horizons across the board.”
Previous sessions have focused on performance poetry and video production. Not only have student gained job skills, they have improved literacy, creativity, and their self-image. The program ended with a showcase June 28.