Ashley Starcher, Intern at the Workforce Investment Act Youth Program

Ashley Starcher is a Transitions Coordinator intern at the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Youth Program through Tri-County Educational Services Center. The WIA was passed by congress in 1998 and is a workforce development system that helps employers find the right employee after they have been trained through the program. The WIA Youth Program is geared at helping young people gain the skills and resources necessary for long-term employment.

Tell us a little bit about your internship placement.

I work through Tri-County Educational Services Center, but my office is located at the Job and Family Services building in Ashland. The Workforce Investment Act is in place to help adults and youth, but I specifically service youth ages 14-21. Through the program, youth can gain paid work experience or receive funding assistance to further their education through individual classes or up to a two-year program.

What are your job duties at your internship?  What sorts of activities have you been involved in.

In my job, I place youth at worksites throughout the county. There they work for up to approximately 200 hours, all while getting paid. The goal is for them to obtain work experience to help knock down barriers to obtaining a full-time job on their own. While they are in the program, I assist them with goal-setting and other interventions they may need. If the youth is not enrolled in the program for work experience, they are placed in classes for training or other education, such as STNA classes. I can assist them with transportation and other possible needs, such as uniforms for clinicals. Most of the youth are in high school, so I get to work with them in school as well. I have been involved with a specific group of students multiple times during their first period class. I teach them different responsibilities, such as budgeting, creating resumes, and utilizing online resources to search for jobs or explore career options.

How has Ashland University’s Social Work Program prepared you for your internship?

I feel that learning about empathy in my classes has been very beneficial for me. I am able to create a healthy relationship with the youth because of the different techniques I was taught. Building relationships with the adolescents is very important for an efficient intervention, so I am very thankful for the skills I gained from my professors.

What have you enjoyed most about your internship so far?

My absolute favorite aspect of my job is working with the youth in the high school. Being able to teach them different approaches to success is interesting, and watching them retain the information is even more rewarding. I really enjoy watching them grow within their placements, as well. It allows me to feel like I am truly helping them in this vulnerable stage of their life.

For more information about the Workforce Investment Act, please visit their website.

For more information about Ashland University’s Social Work Program, please visit their website.