Summer Youth Camp Helps Kids Learn Job Skills

ST. CLOUD -- A summer camp helping teach teenagers job skills is underway here in St. Cloud. CareerONE is a five-week youth camp working with 120 kids.

Career Solutions Executive Director Tammy Biery says this camp is unique because instead of the families paying for the kids to attend the camp, the kids can actually get paid. She says instructors meet with the attendees each day.

And talk to them about their work quality, the work quantity, did they dress accordingly to the dress code, did they bring all their tools...

Biery says if the kids do all of those things, they can earn a stipend of up to $1,020.

Biery says it is open to teens ages 14 to 17 years old.

Primarily the students are at risk for one of 14 different reasons, and we've got a long list of how they become eligible for the program.  They are more worried about basic needs than they are what they are going to be when they grow up.

CareerONE is hosted at the St. Cloud Technical and Community College and a lot of the work is done at CentraCare.

Besides the camp here in St. Cloud, later this summer there will be similar events in Sauk Centre and Paynesville.

The camp will wrap up next Thursday, July 25th with the Youth Awards Banquet.