Young people get paid to prepare in summer jobs program

The students pepper electrician Francis Vigil with questions: Is being an electrician dangerous? Is it hard? How much does the job pay? What do apprentices do?

"They've got to be decent at math and they have to have a good work ethic," said Vigil, who is the training director for the Colorado Springs Electrical Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee, which trains the city's electricians.The class spends three hours each morning on school work, a mix of science, technology, engineering and math. After lunch, the students visit a different business each day. The employers range from AspenPointe, a behavioral health provider, to Sturman Industries, which designs electronic valves for engines, to Chico Basin Ranch, a working cattle ranch.Vigil said one student from the Industrial Revolution applied and was accepted as an apprentice - the union interviews 150 to 200 people a year and accepts only 10 to 20.Anthony Williams, a 19-year-old who wants to become a chef, said the job market is very tough for young people."It lets you talk with people and find out what they're looking for with employment," he said."If it could go through a full year, that would be amazing.""I was on the hunt for a job and there's none, really, or they're just minimum wage," the 21-year-old said. "This is like a one-stop shop. They really care about you and want you to succeed.""I wasn't really getting anywhere finding a job," he said. "I've applied for over 70, at least."The 4-year-old program is funded by the federal Workforce Investment Act. Students take an assessment test before and after the program and generally show improvements in their academic performance, said Jeanne Cotter, spokeswoman for the Pikes Peak Workforce Center."I think that young people get a lot out of it, tying academics to the real world," Cotter said.For instance, you need to know a fair amount of math to be an electrician.All in all, it's a pretty good summer job, said Tiffany Gavaldon.The Industrial Revolution program, he said, "answered my prayers."

Vigil said one student from the Industrial Revolution applied and was accepted as an apprentice - the union interviews 150 to 200 people a year and accepts only 10 to 20.