About two months after Luis Garcia went to work as the youth program coordinator at Community Works in Waukegan his job turned into an apprenticeship in Illinois’ initial Youth Development Practitioner Apprenticeship program.
It launched in early February.
When Garcia started his new job in November, he had no idea about the apprenticeship program leading to a certificate as a professional, guiding people between the ages of 16 and 24 along the road to their hopes for the future.
“This is a really good opportunity,” he said. “It’s an opportunity to learn and develop skills to work with a team, and do a better job for Community Works. It helps you set goals and expectations.”
The Youth Development Practitioner Apprenticeship program gives a cohort of people working in organizations devoted to helping the area’s youth make good choices toward their future.
Intended to be a far-reaching program, Jennifer Serino, the executive director of Lake County Workforce Development, said the group of youth development practitioners locally is the first in the state.
Along with Community Works, Serino said participants come from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Lake County, the Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) in Waukegan, YouthBuild Lake County in North Chicago and Curt’s Café in Highland Park.
“They are from a network of youth service organizations in Lake County,” Serino said. “They are enrolled in the (national) apprenticeship program. They are on a career path to make sure programs are aligned with the needs of the community.”
Placing the largest number of appetencies in the program is the Boys & Girls Clubs of Lake County. Germain Castellanos, the organization’s CEO, said nine members of his staff became part of the effort when it started.
“This is part of the not-for-profit ecosystem that has the responsibility of developing youth,” Castellanos said. “It will help them better know how to work with youth. It will help them to be trauma-informed and understand youth better.”
Working with young people to help them develop skills in media arts and information technology, Garcia said the classroom portion of the apprenticeship program has already helped him add tools like icebreakers to what he uses with youths under his direction.
“I’ll ask them to imagine a walk in the woods, and talk about what they see and who they want to be with.” Garcia. “This is really relationship psychology. They’re talking about their relationships, and what’s important to them.”
James Taylor was raised in Antioch and came to YCC as a teenager, where he learned computer skills before moving to Chicago and taking a job in the industry. He later returned to the YCC teaching others what he learned there. When the apprenticeship program arose, he embraced the situation.
“It’s an opportunity to get a certificate as a youth practitioner,” Taylor said. “It’s a way to give back and help the kids at YCC.”
Jennifer Yonan, the YCC’s executive director, said the apprenticeship program helps build a community of professionals who will work together to learn from each other and add more value to their organization.
“It helps them become enriched from this new experience,” she said. “They will build leadership skills to help take care of people in the community. It will enhance equity, relationships and social justice in our Waukegan community.”
Yvette Ewing, a co-founder of Community Works, said the apprenticeship program is helping not-for-profit organizations develop a level of professionals who will guide young people looking for careers toward their goals. They will also get their own designation.
“The (apprenticeship) program is helping us in the not-for-profit world develop a level of professionalship,” Ewing said. “They will walk away with the knowledge of the best way to do things.”
