The business case for hiring at-risk teens
On the surface, the diverse operations of Zeller Electric Corp., Wegmans Food Markets Inc., Channel 10 NBC, Unity Health System, Wendy’s Restaurants of Rochester, and Dixon-Schwabl Advertising Inc. have little in common.
Yet each has made a strong business case for employing high school students involved in the Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection (HW-SC).
The HW-SC is a nationally recognized program with a track record of helping at-risk youth stay in school, achieve academic success, and earn their high school diplomas while working part time. Launched in 1987 by Wegmans and turned over to the Hillside Family of Agencies in 1993, the program’s remarkable success is demonstrated by the fact that three-quarters of participating students graduate from high school and go on to college.
The business case for employing at-risk teens
Rochester-area employers have long been noted for their support of community and charitable projects. Finding meaningful and consistent work for intelligent, motivated teens who lack the social supports to finish high school and pursue higher education seems like a worthy goal for any community. Who would question the value of investing in the skills of tomorrow’s workforce?
But, for many employers in a tough economy, such feel-good benefits aren’t enough; they need to see a bottom-line return. Hillside and participating employers are quick to highlight the tangible benefits, including:
- Government incentives. Both state and federal programs offer companies tax incentives to employ individuals who are members of targeted groups. Employers find that these tax credits can outweigh the costs of training and mentoring at-risk teens.
- Improved retention and loyalty. The Hillside students tend to exhibit a stronger work ethic and sense of loyalty than many of their peers. “Wegmans has experienced over 70 percent retention of Hillside students, an excellent result for the retail industry,” says Gerry Pierce, vice president of human resources at Wegmans.
The students who go on to higher education typically choose Monroe Community College, says Annette Gantt, executive director of HW-SC, allowing them to continue working year-round for the same companies. That continuity of employment is beneficial to employers, and crucial for students who may have little other stability in their lives.
- Lower recruitment costs and a source of diversity. Companies who turn to the Hillside program for a ready supply of qualified applicants may spend less time seeking and screening good candidates. This is particularly true for employers who are recruiting talented minority candidates to help them achieve an optimum level of workplace diversity.
- Feeders for apprenticeship, internship and scholarship programs. Wegmans’ scholarship programs are well-known, but they’re not the only ones. Zeller Electric offers assistance with college tuition for HW-SC students who “make it through the program, work hard to maintain an agreed-upon GPA and write an essay explaining why they want to go to college,” notes Amy Hagler, director of human resources. Zeller also sponsors high school apprenticeships that allow students to work in a professional atmosphere and learn the day-to-day operations of a small company.
It’s easy to see how the Hillside program would work well for Wegmans and other large employers in retail, food service and health care. They require a steady stream of entry-level workers, their long hours mesh with teens’ after-school availability, and their established training programs are adaptable to integrate urban teens. Wegmans alone plans to employ 250 HW-SC students this year.
But smaller companies such as Zeller and Channel 10 NBC also have discovered the benefits. At Zeller, which employs 35, the program has been so successful that the company typically employs two to three students at a time in warehouse or administrative/clerical positions, Hagler says.
How Hillside screens and prepares students
Given the advantages, why don’t more employers participate in the Hillside program? Hagler speculates that awareness is low, and that employers unfamiliar with the screening process and success rate may perceive the risks as too high. But Hillside carefully chooses and screens applicants, and works with employers to ensure appropriate matches and satisfactory results.
The students in the program are required to maintain excellent attendance and a 2.0 GPA average, Gantt says. Hillside interviews the students and provides work-readiness training covering everything from writing a resume to understanding employer expectations and providing customer service. Hillside also requires candidates to perform community service, such as volunteering with the elderly.
Perhaps most important to the program, however, is the required interaction between the student and a professional youth advocate, who checks in regularly with the student and his or her supervisor at work, Gantt says.
In addition, Hillside provides other support as needed. For employers located far from public-transportation routes – such as Dixon-Schwabl in Perinton – Hillside transports the student to and from work. Gantt stresses that transportation concerns should never be the reason that an employer declines to participate, Gantt says.
Since 1987, the program has trained and placed some 11,000 students ages 14 through 18. In recent years, Gantt says, the program has expanded to include middle-schoolers – students who are too young to work but receive tutoring, job-readiness training, encouragement to volunteer, and the attention of a youth advocate.
The program is funded by the state Department of Labor and Office of Mental Health, the Monroe County Department of Social Services, the United Way of Greater Rochester, and the Rochester City School District.
What’s required of employers
Employers interested in participating do need to meet certain requirements, Gantt says. The student’s job cannot be busywork, but must be structured and encourage development of skills. And employers must provide the name of a supervisor or other contact whom the advocate can speak with regularly to gauge progress and offer assistance as needed.
Hillside also prefers that each job last at least a year. “It takes that long for skills to really develop and for the student to assimilate into the culture and adapt to workplace expectations,” Gantt says.
While Gantt stresses that employers are asked to treat Hillside students as they would any other employees, all involved acknowledge that the students – who are entering a completely foreign environment - often require an extra level of support from supervisors and co-workers.
Zeller, for example, provides coaching and mentoring to increase the odds the student will succeed. “We also work closely with the Hillside folks in finding the right students for the program and monitoring their progress at Zeller and in school,” Hagler says.
Gantt says that the company owner or CEO must set the tone of acceptance and support, and fellow employees will follow that lead. Providing consistent acceptance helps the students develop trust in adults – which typically is lacking at home.
At Zeller, buy-in has been high. “Our employees willingly assist our Hillside kids in any way they can,” Hagler says. “We all want them to be successful in the workplace.”
Conclusion
The HW-SC program is a proven business model that provides employers with tangible results while helping address the community’s needs. There are a number of youths who are employment ready. Any employer looking for a subsidized program that will support the grooming of its future workforce is invited to contact Annette Gantt at 585-325-1517 ext. 102 or visit www.hillside.com
