GED/WORK EXPERIENCE

A General Educational Development (GED) program is available to clients who have experienced little or no success in traditional educational settings, whose age suggests they will not complete their formal education, or whose placing agencies have requested that they be assigned to the program. GED instruction also includes remedial education and life- and consumer-skills training. Clients study independently in a guided classroom setting and/or in extensive homework contracts.

The Work Experience Program (WEP) was established as a part of the agency's educational program for clients who have already earned a diploma or a GED. It also accepts clients who are studying for a GED, but for whom acquiring work experience is a priority.

WEP enables clients to

• Gain valuable work skills
• Develop a positive work ethic
• Develop independent living skills
• Earn money for restitution or savings
• Enhance their self-perception
• Earn a GED.

WEP emphasizes work experience; therefore, most of the clients' time is spent on job sites. While it is more important to develop a good work ethic than to acquire specific job skills, WEP participants gain valuable experience in a variety of fields. These include commercial kitchen/laundry, housekeeping, landscaping/lawn maintenance, general maintenance, painting, demolition/salvage, woodworking, auto detailing, basic construction, and general labor.

For the past several years, WEP clients have volunteered for Habitat for Humanity. In this capacity, clients gain a wealth of knowledge related to construction and building rehabilitation; however, Habitat for Humanity projects are much more than opportunities to acquire new skills. Of equal importance is the lesson that all of us have an obligation to contribute to our communities and to help those in need. WEP participants donate an average of 80 to 120 hours a month to Habitat for Humanity, and we look forward to maintaining a positive relationship with that organization for many years to come.

The overwhelming majority of clients who participate in WEP leave Harborcreek Youth Services with feelings of confidence, pride, and satisfaction in what they have accomplished.

For more information about the GED and Work Experience Programs, contact Len Lombardo, Director of Service Delivery, at (814) 899-7664, Extension 307.

 

Send mail to nzawadzki@hys-erie.org with questions or comments about this Web site.
Copyright © 2006 Harborcreek Youth Services
Last modified: 05/05/2008