Whether you are deciding which college to attend or which career path to pursue, CareerSource Broward is here to help. This summer, the business center is partnering with companies in South Florida, to give 800 high school students an opportunity to explore.
Korrect Optical is is an eyeglass laboratory that manufactures thousands of eyeglasses per day.
Dozens of employees work at their warehouse located in Fort Lauderdale and during the summer about half a dozen join the team through CareerSource Broward’s Summer Youth Employment Program.
“We partner with different local companies throughout the area, and what we’re trying to encourage is for more companies to serve as worksites so they can help us with developing our future workforce,” said Javon Lloyd with CareerSource Broward.
Javon said students can choose what type of company to work for. The program runs for 8 weeks, starting in June.
“They give staff on our team what their career interests are so maybe they want to go into child care [or] maybe they’re interested in working at a law office. What our team does is, we work with different companies in the area and try to find those employers who we can then match those students up with those worksites,” he said.
Students get paid, earning a wage of $8.65 per hour and can work up to 30 hours a week.
“The wages and the workers compensation is all covered with CareerSource Broward, and thanks to part to The Children’s Services of Broward County and additional funders,” added Javon.
“I love them, I love them and I do it every year,” said Andrea Butler with Korrect Optical.
Andrea said they hire 5-6 students every summer, except for last year because of the pandemic.
“We’ve always had good successes with it. The youth that come in [are] very excited. We have them in the lab, customer service, [and] lens department,” she said.
Andrea says a few students left the program with a full-time job, like Takwanzaa Davis.
Melissa: “What was that like for you, being able to meet them through the Summer Youth Employment Program and then get offered a job?”
Takawanzaa: “It was amazing. It was a great experience because I was comfortable working with them and I became more open with the business industry. I was able to learn new things.”
“They do a really good job, I had a manager that would want anybody else in this department except them because they work so hard, they’re enthusiastic and they just want to learn,” said Andrea.
Students who’ve been accepted, must complete a three-day employee ability skills training. The application period for the students is closed but CareerSource Broward encourages companies to apply to be a part of this year’s program. For more information, click here.
