The Bullitt County Extension Service has been working with the Bullitt County Board of Education to develop a program to help graduating seniors at the Riverview Opportunity Center to complete that would include resume writing, mock job interviews, along with basic life skills in budgeting.  The Riverview Opportunity Center is the alternative school in Bullitt County that houses the career readiness, vocational school, along with the teenage parenting program. 

In the fall of 2017, 26 seniors and 11 juniors have been selected to participate in the Workforce/ Life Skill program.  All 37 youth have been placed in to career readiness meaning they are geared more towards the workforce rather than college after completing high school.  Of the 37, 28 have completed at least area vocational training and certification.  11 of the students have secured an apprenticeship in a skilled labor area.  The goal of these youth is to gain employment upon graduating high school in a skilled labor area.

These high school students are being taught workforce readiness lessons from the Workforce Preparation & Career Preparedness Curriculum recently developed by 4-H Agents and Specialists around Kentucky along with Northwest Youth Financial Education developed by the University of Idaho Extension Service.   

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment of construction and extraction occupations is projected to grow 10 percent from 2014 to 2024, faster than the average for all occupations, increasing from 6.5 million jobs to 7.2 million jobs. Overall growth in the economy and population will increase demand for new buildings, roads, and other structures, which will create new job openings for construction and extraction occupations.

After completing the fall series, the students at RVOS were surveyed:

-95% of the youth are more confident with their interview skills

-89% of youth have a better understanding of credit scores and how it can effect their spending in the future

-86% reported being more comfortable in working with multigenerational employees in the future.

-70% improved the quality of their resume