By Wayne Grant

wgrant@hometownnewsol.com

DAYTONA BEACH - A federal program, called the Paid Summer Experience, came just in time for Robert Schiffer-Ross, 17, of Daytona Beach.

The program, coordinated by the Center for Business Excellence, provided training and summer jobs to at-risk youth. It was financed by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

"I was looking for a job for a year and was starting to get worried because my girlfriend and I have a two-year-old baby," he said.

"We didn't know if we would be able to buy formula. And then my probation officer told me about this program," he said.

The couple live with his mother.

"My mother works but we needed more money," he said.

Like many of the young people in the summer program, this was his first job.

"I found out I love to work," he said. "It puts money in my pocket."

Mr. Schiffer-Ross said the training he received in the program will help him in the future.

"I feel more confident. They taught me a lot about how to get a job and how to be a good employee," he said.

It turned out to be more than just a summer job, Halifax Harbor Marina has offered him a permanent landscaping position.

Mr. Schiffer-Ross said having a job will enable him to go to Daytona State University and get his GED and possibly a college diploma.

Christine Sikora of the Center for Business Excellence said the program not only helped hundreds of young people, it provided dozens of local companies with employees for the summer.

In the program, young people ages 16 to 24 were given a combination of training in job skills and actual work experience.

To qualify, they had to be from a low-income household and have at least one "at-risk" factor such as low grades or pregnancy.

Mr. Schiffer-Ross' employer at the marina, Marc Phillips, praised his summer workers.

"The kids had a great work ethic," he said. "They were always on time and very aggressive."

Ms. Sikora said four companies that specialize in training were used in the education part of the program.

The companies were Paxen Learning, Hinkels and McCoy, the Chiles Academy, and SaSo Training Institute.

Some participants received six weeks of classroom training while others were trained for a week and then placed in a summer job.

Alexandra Jones of Daytona Beach received a job offer from Daytona Beach Cultural Services after the summer program ended.

Ms. Jones said working in the department was a good opportunity.

"This has opened my eyes to a lot of things," she said. "I didn't even know this type of work existed. Every day I meet new people and see more opportunities."

Ms. Jones plans to study marketing and psychology at DSU and eventually work with children.

Helen Riger, Cultural Services administrator, said it was a winning program.

"We found an employee and she found a job she had never even thought of," she said.

In addition to job-hunting skills, participants were trained in skills such as handling money, making a first impression, developing good work habits and getting along with different personalities.

Ms. Sikora said employers that hired the youth included the cities of Daytona Beach, Deltona and New Smyrna Beach, the YMCA, Girls and Boys Clubs and many private businesses.

The goal at the Center for Business Excellence, Ms. Sikora said, is to help those in the community looking for work, and also help the business community.

"We were able to accomplish both with this program," she said.