TEEN JOB SYMPOSIUM  

Teens represent a significant portion of today’s emerging workforce. However, many young people enter into the workforce not possessing basic skills necessary to be successful. Additionally, businesses incur huge costs in terms of time and financial resources spent working to develop these skills in the young people they employ. Thus, as a result of many young people entering the workforce lacking in these basic soft skills (e.g. time management, communication, creative problem-solving, organization skills, financial literacy, etc.), a metropolitan-wide planning committee of youth serving organizations and private industries have formed to provide an annual job symposium for teens.     

Teen Job Symposium is a free and annual event promoting employment skills development for area teens, through the combining of engaging workshops and direct interaction with a diverse array of area vendors. Morning workshops are interactive by design, catering to the interactive and more preferred hands on learning style of today’s young people; enabling teens to better understand, learn and practice basic skill requirements necessary in today’s workforce. The afternoon portion offers the opportunity for teen workshop participants to directly interact with various vendors regarding employment, volunteer and internship opportunities.   

Teen Job Symposium participating organizations, vendors, sponsors and businesses have included: Henrico County Prevention Services, Henrico County Youth Ambassadors, Henrico County Too Smart to Start Coalition, Urban League of Greater Richmond, Goochland Office on Youth, United Way, ECPI, Hanover I Care Coalition, Chesterfield SAFE Coalition, Investors 2000 Plus, Richmond Friends of Prevention Coalition, Central Virginia Foodbank, Footlocker, Charles City Office on Youth, William Byrd Community House, Comcast, Ukrops, Henrico County Public Schools, Kings Dominion, Virginia Department of Education, Job Corps, Partnership for the Future, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Charles City Parks & Recreation, Consolidated Bank & Trust, Charles City Coalition, Goochland-Powhatan Prevention Services, Chesterfield County Youth Planning and Development, City of Richmond Division of Youth and Workforce Development. Area youth groups are also involved in the event planning and event date activities as part of their leadership development.

Participation in the symposium is free, but through individual or group on-line registration only: www.toosmart2start.com. This year’s Teen Jobs Symposium, again entitled “Caution: Work Ahead”, is scheduled for Saturday April 17, 2010, 8:00 am-1:00 pm at J. Sargeant Reynolds’ Parham Rd campus. Teen Job Symposium is a regional collaboration. Interested individuals, groups, organizations, vendors or sponsors should contact (804) 222-2607 x-3060.

Workshops