More than 1,400 youth from West Tennessee were able to find summer jobs at 350 different employers. Of those participants ages 14-24, 30 were able to secure full-time employment as part of a job stimulus program, according to a report from a local agency. The program was part of a joint effort between the West Tennessee Workforce Investment Board, Southwest Human Resource Agency and the state government.

On Thursday, the annual meeting between the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and West Tennessee Workforce Investment Board was held at the Holiday Inn.

Linda Sampson, with the state labor department, said this program was funded by stimulus money and was a success."When you hear about the stimulus bill, you don't hear people talk about things like this program," she said. "About $25 million was spent on this, and that had a trickle-down effect on our economy in Tennessee."

Twelve counties make up this organization's Local Workforce Investment Area. In addition to summary reports, awards were given to youth and adults who were participants in the Workforce Investment Board's SummerWorks Program. Richard Davis of Blue Goose received an award as an adult member of the program. After working for more than 20 years in the tool and die industry, Davis was laid off last year."There wasn't anything out there for me to be placed in," he said. He went to the investment board's regional office and asked for help. The organization paid for his classes at Tennessee Technology Center."Now I'm training in drafting and CAD skills so I can better myself so employers will be willing to hire me," he said. "If it hadn't been for the Workforce Investment Board, I wouldn't be able to take these courses. I couldn't train myself."

Davis was one of 1,196 people who were a part of this year's adult worker program, said Blake Carroll. He is a spokesman for the West Tennessee Workforce Investment Board. The 24 awards given to participants Thursday were for people who have been able to find work as a result of the program."They successfully went through the program and performed wonderfully," he said. "They are all successfully employed."

Submitted by SWHRA