Hundreds of local students and young adults have participated in a summer employment program at the Jersey Shore providing them with both needed income and valuable work place experience. According to Cumberland County Freeholder Director Joseph Derella, “as the Jersey Shore presents terrific opportunities for summer employment, we have leveraged our resources, by providing grant based job coaching and transportation support to help our young people to take advantage of those opportunities.”
“Working with County agencies such as the Cumberland County Department of Workforce Development, the Cumberland County Empowerment Zone, as well as our local high schools, we have formed a great partnership with two companies which are synonymous with summer at the Shore, Wawa and Morey’s Pier,” explained Deputy Freeholder Director Darlene Barber.
Wawa employed approximately 150 area youths in the program in 2019 providing financial support for transportation as well the job coaching necessary for job success. “Since our partnership with Wawa began twenty years ago, hundreds of local youths have successfully held summer positions at 14 participating Wawa stores from Ventnor to Cape May”, added Barber. “Wawa has shown great commitment to providing opportunities to our young people evidenced by the fact that many work multiple summers, work part-time at stores close to home once school begins and some find rewarding careers within the Wawa organization after their schooling is completed”, Barber said.
Working with the Cumberland County Technical Education Center, Morey’s Pier employed 13 students for the summer of 2019. Deputy Director Barber stated, “Our Department of Workforce Development joined that partnership to provide transportation for the CCTEC students to and from Morey’s Pier in Wildwood”.
In describing the importance of the Summer Youth Employment Program, Freeholder Barber stated, “summer employment provides many of our youth with both needed financial support and critically important experience and skills to enable them to pursue successful careers after they complete their schooling.” “We hope to continue to expand the program with additional partners in the years to come”, added Barber.