PG&E, Boys & Girls Clubs join forces for teens’ jobs program

Pacific Gas & Electric Co. and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Fresno County today will unveil a program to help underserved teens in Fresno and Clovis get a head start on employment.

The PG&E Summer Jobs Program will have two phases.

The first is a career-education and job-readiness program that will teach high school youths the skills necessary to get a job. The topics in the nine-week course include preparing a résumé, filling out a job application and identifying personal strengths.

Young people who finish this program can apply for one of 50 jobs in the private sector — the program’s second phase.

The jobs will be for six weeks, 25 hours a week, and pay $10.67 an hour — a gross income of $1,600 per worker. These jobs will be internships at Fresno-area firms and nonprofit groups.

In addition to receiving on-the-job training, the youths will be mentored by experienced employees on the demands and satisfactions of the workday world.

The program, including the wages, will come from a $200,000 grant from the PG&E Foundation. The Boys & Girls Clubs will administer the grant.

PG&E is seeking firms and nonprofit groups to participate in the program.

In a written statement, PG&E senior vice president/PG&E Foundation chairman Greg Pruett said the firms would help themselves and young people — “benefiting the entire Fresno community.”

In a written statement, Boys & Girls Club Executive Director Diane Carbray said a summer job “can help provide self-esteem, discipline, self-confidence and a sense of accomplishment that can last a lifetime.”

Fresno Mayor Ashley Swearengin views the program as another step toward a revitalized local economy.

“The lack of jobs and career training has a direct impact on the prosperity of our local community, so preparing people to enter the workforce is critical as we address our economic challenges,” Swearengin said in a written statement.

Those who get jobs will be 15 to 18 years old. They will get help to buy business-appropriate attire and receive bus tokens for transportation. The deadline to apply for the program is Friday.

Selection criteria include academic achievement, leadership potential and family finances.

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PG&E Summer Jobs Program

Young people seeking more information and instructions on how to apply can go to pge.com/summerjobs

Nonprofit organizations and local businesses interested in participating should contact Kristin Rojas, director of operations for Boys & Girls Clubs, at (559) 266-3117 or kristinr@bgclubfc.org

By George Hostetter