Y.E.S. program offers employment skills to Horry County teens

ATLANTIC BEACH, SC (WMBF)- It's safe to say when we think of teens on spring break, you  don't typically think about them sitting indoors, taking tests, trying to land a job. With a brutal job market out there, some Horry County teens are showing us you can never start too early.

Roughly 20 students took the first step in joining the Y.E.S program which stands for Youth Employment Services Program. It's a new program being brought to Atlantic Beach, Loris and Conway that has already been successful in Georgetown County.

Y.E.S gives students one-on-one training with career counselors who will help them complete job applications, write up their resumes and land their first or perhaps next job.

Tuesday was the first day teens and young adults could take advantage of the program at the Atlantic Beach Community Center.

"I think when we're able to start with youth that are younger, we're able to kind of focus on what their goals are so they can develop a goal plan and if we're able to get them into a position of something that they enjoy, they're more dedicated to fulfilling the goals that they have for themselves," says Career agent Virginia Vann.

The Y.E.S Program is offered FREE to teens ages 14 to 21 in Horry County because of federal funding from the Workforce Investment Act.

The KRA Corporation, which runs the program, already has office hours daily at its Conway office.

They will have once a week workshops in Loris every Wednesday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. during the month of May. During May, Career Counselors will be on site at the Atlantic Beach Community Center every Tuesday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.

For more details, you can call Virginia Vann at 843-359-1124 or email vvann@kra.com. Nicole Hilton is another career agent, her phone number is 843-855-0960 and her email is nhilton@kra.com.

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