Sunday, August 2, 2009

By Jennifer Huffman 

Napa Valley Register 

With typical teenage verve, Rondalyn Skramovsky has big plans for her life.

The 16-year-old wants to be a famous singer or model. Or do something artistic. “I like to sing and dance — the whole arts world is my passion,” she said.

So her part-time summer job with Arts Council Napa Valleyis a perfect match. “You know the saying, ‘If you find a job you love, you’ll never work a day in your life?’ That’s how I feel,” said Skramovsky. “I love everything I do here.”

Skramovsky’s opportunity comes through an unusual chain of events that started at the White House. First, federal stimulus money for youthjobs came to Napa County’s Workforce Investment Board. Local nonprofit On the Move then worked with the board and Napa Valley employers to hire and pay wages for more than 60 people ages 16 to 24.

Each youth works 15 to 20 hours per week for minimum wage, paid by an On the Move program known as CRUISE, or Creating Relationships Utilizing Inter-generational Summer Employment.

On the Move Executive Director Leslie Medine said her work began with efforts to line up potential employers. Even though the restaurants, nonprofits, schools and others in the program aren’t paying the wages of theirnew employees, she said, “It’s a lot to ask to take on the training and development of a young person as an employee. That’s a big order.”

Overall, 22 businesses agreed to host a youth.“Surprisingly no one told us ‘no,’” said Medine, whose organization tapped $130,000 in stimulus funds through the county for the program.

More than 160 young people applied for 60 part-timepositions, said Diana Gordon, CRUISE program director. “The hardest part of this whole program was saying no to 100 kids,” said Gordon.

Extremely low-income kids, foster youth, former fosteryouth and students receiving special education services automatically qualifiedfor CRUISE, said Medine.

“Yes, these are youths that have had difficulties in their lives,” Gordon said. “We told employers they were giving youth a chance who normally wouldn’t be given a chance. They were given lots of support to make it worth it on both sides. We screened (the job prospects) and did all the interviewing to make sure we felt they’d be successful. We matched skills and areas of interest to the worksites.”

Skramovsky, who attends Chamberlain High School in Napa,said she looked for a job but didn’t have any luck until she connected with CRUISE. For the past several weeks she’s embedded herself with the Arts Council, working on administrative and office tasks, and the organization’s Website.

“It’s like a dance,” said Skramovsky. “I feel like a part of a team — everyone has to be in unison so we all work together to reach the goal.”

In addition to work experience the youth receive training and support in academic skills. They also meet regularly with a job coach who connects with both employers and workers to ensure everything is going according to plan.

“We want the young people to have a great experience, but we equally want the employers to have a great experience,” Medine said.

Michelle Williams, executive director of Arts Council Napa Valley and Skramovsky’s boss for the summer, admitted, “You never know what you’re getting into when taking on a teen employee.” But, she said, ‘This amazing young woman comes in and basically runs circles around us. We give her something and she doesn’t need it to be explained twice. She sinks her teeth in and goes for it. She is one of the most such self-sufficient people I’ve ever worked with.”

“To have a really skilled worker and completely paid foris a dream come true. It’s the kind of help we really needed at this time,”said Williams. “It’s nice to see a concrete example of the stimulus money making an actual difference in the community.”

Even if the Arts Council can’t afford to keep Skramovskyon after CRUISE ends, she appreciates the opportunity. “Being a teenager is hard,” Skramovsky said. “Especially trying to find a job. Not a lot of people want to hire a 16-year-old.”

Not everyone who had a chance made it, either.

“We have a small number that have dropped out for various reasons,” said Gordon. “Since we have a lot of foster youth, some have moved or can’t get to work, and a few went back to jail, unfortunately,” she said.

Yet more than two-thirds of the way through the program, only five to 10 percent of the youths couldn’t continue.

“One of the important things these youth have learned is the idea of commitment,” said Gordon. “Think of where these youth are coming from. Many of them have no real good role model for what commitment means — and that is what a job is all about. The commitment to a team of coworkers is a new idea for many of these youth. To learn this is huge for them,” said Gordon.

Free employee?

When he first heard about CRUISE, Las Palmas Restaurant owner Juan Lopez had to ask twice to make sure he understood. “I thought, ‘No one can work for free,’” he said. After he figured out how it worked, “I was pretty excited because I had never heard of a program like that before.”

Elizabeth Carrillo, 17, applied for a job at Lopez’s restaurant without any other job experience. In fact, helping at a Vintage High School crab feed was her only previous food service work. But that didn’t stopher from jumping into her summer job at the Yajome Street eatery.

“I like it,” said Carrillo. “We get to do a lot of things like prep and wash dishes.” She actually likes washing dishes, admitted Carrillo. Next up is learning to serve and bus tables, she said. Besides thework, Carrillo said she likes getting her own paycheck. 

“It’s fun because I get to spend our money on whatever I want. Like school supplies and saving for college.”

“It feels great to give her the opportunity,” said Lopez.“I’m really happy with her work.”

After the CRUISE program ends, Lopez said he plans to offer Carrillo a job.

Is it harder to train a teenager? “Not when they want to work,” said Lopez. “When they want to learn it’s easy. Then it’s easy for me, too.”

Unlike some of the other youth working with CRUISE this summer, Stevi Dalbey already had some job experience as a nanny, working at a gym and at a restaurant. At 21, she’s also one of the older participants in CRUISE. Having never worked in an office before, Dalbey chose to push herself to try something new, even if it was a little out of her comfort zone. “I wanted to learn new skills. I don’t want to be working in a restaurant forever,” said Dalbey, a former foster youth.

At first, she said, “I felt like I would be rejected because I don’t have office experience.” At the Napa County Office of Education, Dalbey took on planning a special event to combat underage drinking as well as other administrative projects. “I really like it,” said Dalbey. “I fit in more than I thought I was going to.”

Dalbey “is doing a great job,” said Jennifer Stewart, development coordinator for NCOE. “Every day she is learning more.”

Even figuring out something as simple as what to wear towork is new for Dalbey. Usually dressed in gym or casual clothing for her junior college classes, at NCOE “I get to wear professional grown-up clothes,”said Dalbey.

There’s more good news for Dalbey. The office offered her a job after CRUISE ends. “They already have projects for me to work on after the summer program ends. I’ve got a job. I’m really excited about that,” said Dalbey.

Besides Dalbey, NCOE took on two other CRUISE youth this summer.

“We are amazed with how much they have blossomed during the time they have been with us,” said Stewart. “All they need is the chance to thrive, and that’s what we’ve given them.”

Punching the clock

Nearly two dozen employers are participating in the CRUISE program, agreeing to take on underprivileged young people with jobs paid for by federal stimulus dollars. Some youth also are working on projects for nonprofit On the Move, building a plaza and community center at McPherson ElementarySchool and developing entrepreneurial skills. Another group is documenting the CRUISE program.

Embassy Suites Hotel

River Terrace Inn

Taylor’s Automatic Refresher

Las Palmas Restaurant

Cole’s Chop House

PJ’s Canvas, Inc.

Independent Electric Supply

Boys & Girls Club of Napa

di Rosa Preserve: Art & Nature

Child Start Inc.

Arts Council Napa Valley

Payroll Masters

Napa County Office of Education

Community Resources for Children

Big Brothers Big Sisters

Napa County Historical Society

Tulocay Cemetery, Funeral Home & Crematory

Queen of the Valley Medical Center

Oden & Doucette Seal Coating

Catalyst Coalition of Napa County

Valley Oak High School

Boys & Girls Club of American Canyon

• Other organizations supporting the program include: NapaCounty Workforce Investment Board, Napa Valley College, the Napa County Office of Education, Junior Achievement and Napa Valley Adult School.