KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — A statewide program is helping young people in East Tennessee transition more easily into adulthood.
Tennessee's Youth Employment Program pairs teenagers and young adults ages 14 to 24 with employers across different industries.
The Knoxville Area Urban League (KAUL) is one of the many organizations participating in the program. Carly Hammonds, KAUL's director of education and youth services, said the program gives young people a taste of what a professional career in one particular field could look like.
"I think that this is the perfect time to do that career exploration component and really get a deep dive of understanding what the day to day life of someone in that career is actually doing and experiencing," Hammonds said. "Can you envision yourself in that space?"
Participants can also earn up to $4,000—making $16 an hour as they work through the program.
"That is really significant when you are thinking about youth that are looking for post-secondary opportunities," Hammonds said. "Being able to save that money, or even something as close to home as wanting to purchase their first car."
Tiyah Crowley is an incoming high school senior in Knoxville who is participating in the Youth Employment Program over the summer. She works as an assistant receptionist at the KAUL.
"It has been mostly enjoyable because answering phones for some people was kind of iffy," Crowley said. "But, for the most part, it has been a good experience."
Crowley has certainly had to answer a lot of phone calls for the KAUL, but she admits she has gained some life-changing skills in the meantime.
"It has been very overwhelming because I am not really skilled with money management," Crowley said. "But as time goes on, I have been able to adjust to it and figure out how to save, how to use money for food and stuff like that."
If you want to participate in Tennessee's Youth Employment Program, click here.
