Now in its ninth year, Workforce Lab continues to prepare rising ninth and tenth graders who live in the Parker Street neighborhood for life beyond high school as they enter the workforce. Workforce Lab teaches soft job skills and financial capability in an environment that is shaped by the Gospel.
“I am so touched by the unique image of Jesus each of these students in our program display,” says Sarah Bonner, PSM’s Young Adult Program Assistant Director. “So many of them are wildly different, yet this place brings them together to find unique commonalities. God is present and working in them strongly—what an honor we have to be a part if it!”
This summer, 12 students participated in experiential learning through:
- understanding the importance of budgeting and implementing in their own lives
- earning stipends and possibly losing stipends for infractions
- opening their own savings accounts and making deposits
- exploring different career options
- creating resumes for themselves and practicing interview skills through mock interviews
- volunteering at local nonprofits
- participating in a pregnancy prevention workshop
Financial Capability
Participants earned actual paychecks in the form of stipends with the goal of helping students learn about saving and developing the habit of saving now before they officially enter the workforce. Teaching responsibility, infractions and inappropriate behavior meant they did not receive their full stipends. As a bonus, a portion of these stipends will be matched when the students graduate on time from high school.
Lifetime Learning
Participants heard from community speakers including Matt Brown (Lakeland Fire Department Training Chief) and staff from A Woman’s Choice. They also visited/toured Lakeland Regional Health and Catapult Lakeland. In addition, participants learned their DiSC personality traits to better understand their motivations, stressors, and how to best work with others and reduce conflict.
Students spent time each week researching a career they would like to pursue and then presented their findings to the class. The chosen careers were: firefighter, veterinarian, fashion designer, F1 race car driver/mechanic, truck driving business owner, trauma surgeon, athletic trainer, business woman (to professionally help others build their own businesses), mortuary assistant, bank teller, registered nurse, and EMT.
Making an Impact
A highlight of the Workforce Lab program is its connection to other local nonprofits. Each week, students traveled around Lakeland to volunteer at organizations such as: Gospel, Inc., Lighthouse Ministries, ECHO Ministries, The Salvation Army, Volunteers in Service to the Elderly (VISTE), One More Child, and the Florida Children’s Museum. Teens participated in a variety of activities from yard work and packing food boxes to moving furniture and sanitizing.
“Our students were constantly being complimented by the different job sites they volunteered at, hearing they always seemed more mature than their age, and were extremely helpful compared to several volunteer groups even much older than them. They were set apart,” says Bonner. “I was especially glad to hear these compliments because this is the specific difference we were learning to practice as Christ followers in all places, especially the workplace. No matter what, their attention was on our summer verse: Colossians 3:23—Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.”
In Their Own Words
Here are a few reflections from these high schoolers:
- The Young Adult Program or YAP is all about teaching teens how to do interviews efficiently like how to look, talk or sit. We also learn skills to help better ourselves and learn how to use them to our advantage. We learn who we are, and how to help us in school and the workforce in general. – R
- I feel like this program is good for young people because it helps with future responsibilities. It also helps you with working in different environments and working with different people with different personalities. – S
- My first year in the Young Adult Program was an excellent experience for me. For 8 weeks I’ve learned lots of job skills and how to dress when having an interview. I’ve also learned teamwork and how to work well with others. – J
- My first time at the Young Adult Program has been a place where we learn new soft job skills, we learn how to save money and learn how to deposit the money into our savings account. The places that we worked in, we realized how much people needed our help and how much we can help them. – K
Thank You, Supporters!
Workforce Lab is made possible through the prayers and support of many. The 2024 Summer Workforce Lab Program was funded by: CareerSource Polk, Publix Super Markets Charities, Arby’s Foundation (Mosaic Red Hat Group), and Bank of Central Florida. Thank you for supporting these young people and helping them prepare for their bright futures!
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Parker Street Ministries (PSM) is a 501c3 in Lakeland, Florida, that follows a Gospel-centered model characterized by living, listening, affirming dignity, and building community together in and through the Parker Street neighborhood. Parker Street Ministries is committed to Gospel-centered community development through the focus areas of: Fostering Spiritual Growth so Christ and His Gospel are front and center, Supporting Lifetime Learners through educational opportunities, Stabilizing the Neighborhood by addressing the quality and availability of housing, and Cultivating Connections so gaps in relationships and services are bridged.