February 12, 2020
DJJ Partners with The Home Depot To Provide Career Planning to Youth
Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice Partners with The Home Depot To Provide Career Planning to Youth
February 12, 2020
Decatur, GA – The Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) held a graduation ceremony for youth participating in The Home Depot Career Planning Workshop on January 9, 2020. Five youth from the Macon Youth Development Campus (YDC) graduated from the workshop which is designed to teach soft skills and provide job skills training to students.
DJJ’s Office of Re-Entry Services and The Home Depot created the pilot program in 2018 to help close the gap between youth in the juvenile justice system and their efforts to obtain gainful employment. Nine youth from the Atlanta YDC graduated from the eight-week program that same year.
“Our partnership with The Home Depot is a key initiative that allows students to utilize the knowledge they obtain when they reenter their communities, said DJJ Commissioner Tyrone Oliver. “Our core mission is to provide opportunities for the youth in our care to become productive and law-abiding citizens. I look forward to continuing this partnership to help teach youth the essential skills they need to be successful.”
The workshop offers web-based learning using three to four-hour training sessions on topics including effective communications, career planning relationships, resume writing, interview essentials, work goals and conflict resolution. The Home Depot representatives worked with the youth in the Macon YDC facility in Macon, GA.
“This is an opportunity for us to not only work within the community, which is something we are extremely passionate about, but it is the best opportunity for us to give back,” said Marci Scott, The Home Depot human resources manager and the workshop instructor. “This has been a phenomenal partnership.”
Youth participating in the workshop are enrolled in the DJJ Connections Graduate Program (CGP) which is designed to prepare high school and GED graduates for college and careers. The CGP collaborates with community partners to offer a variety of programs and workshops to prepare them for a successful transition back to their communities.