DJJ Youth Job Training

Program Overview

The Department of Juvenile Justice's (DJJ) Job Readiness for Teens (JRT) Program is an after-school and summer employability skills training program for at-risk high school students. JRT is designed to help prepare teens (ages 14 to 18) for success in future employment, as well as, in school and in their communities. JRT sites are typically located at schools or other community sites, including Teen After-School Centers (TASC). TASCs are daily after-school programs that provide supervision, homework assistance, structured daily activities, service coordination, and resource development for at-risk students and their families.

In 2011, two new JRT programs were developed by DJJ in close collaboration with the Cities of Laurens and Walterboro, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), the South Carolina Department of Commerce, and community partners in Laurens and Colleton Counties. These JRT programs operate out of the TASC sites in the two respective cities: Gospel Tabernacle Ministries in the City of Laurens and Colleton County Middle School in the City of Walterboro.

The Kershaw JRT program is a collaborative effort between DJJ and the Kershaw County School District. The program has two sites that serve three Kershaw County schools: one site at Lugoff-Elgin High and one at Camden High School serves students from Camden High and the Continuous Learning Center (CLC). This JRT program is funded by the Kershaw County School District's Safe Schools/Healthy Students grant and serves over 100 students each year.

By adding a JRT component, TASCs and other sites provides a strong employability training component and an array of comprehensive and enhanced services and opportunities to participants. Given the tremendous success of the existing JRT sites, DJJ is continually looking for partnership opportunities to expand this important program to serve even more teens of working age across the state.

JRT Program Goals and Objectives

The goals and objectives of the Job Readiness for Teens program include:

• Increasing the employability skills of high school students.
• Improving school attendance and academic performance.
• Decreasing school dropout rates, and increase high school completion.
• Helping prevent student gang activity, delinquency, and violence.
• Reducing the recidivism rate for students involved with DJJ that are served by the program.

Staffing for the JRT sites typically consists of a part-time (20 hours per week) JRT Coordinator. The Coordinators provide Job Readiness Skills Training to the students and arrange and supervise their community internships/work experiences.

Students enrolled in JRT programs receive a minimum of 20 hours of Job Readiness Skills training. Each student also has the opportunity to complete a 40-50 hour community internship in the fall and spring, and up to 80 hours in the summer, where they earn up to $7.25 per hour while gaining practical, "real life" work experience.

For more information about JRT please contact: Bill Latta DJJ Director of Program and Grants Development PO Box 21069 Columbia, SC 29221-1069 Phone: (803) 896-0103 Email: wclatt@scdjj.net

South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice
4900 Broad River Road
Columbia SC, 29212-3552
Telephone: 803-896-9749

The South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice does not discriminate in any programs or activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability or age. THE FOLLOWING OFFICES HAVE BEEN DESIGNATED TO HANDLE INQUIRIES REGARDING THE NONDISCRIMINATON POLICIES: Title IX -- Inspector General's Office -- 803-896-9595 Title II & 504 -- Special Education Office -- 803-896-8484.