Graduation ceremonies marking the successful “End of Summer” for the Summer Youth Program sponsored by the Santa Barbara County Workforce Investment Board will occur in three locations Aug. 20-26. The public are invited to attend the ceremonies.

Community leaders, County officials, families, friends and supporters are expected to gather to celebrate the accomplishments of about 350 young men and women ages 14 to 24 years old who completed a variety of work assignments. In all, the Summer Youth participants logged about 104,000 hours in the public and private sector workplaces throughout Santa Barbara County, earning almost $1 million in wages.

“It’s really amazing to see what our young people can do when given a chance. For many, this was their first real job where they earned a wage,” said Raymond McDonald, Workforce Investment Board’s Executive Director. “The Summer Youth program gives participants a sense of accomplishment with the tangible results of a paycheck and the foundation of a positive work experience to carry forward into the future.”

The “End of Summer” celebrations will be held in Lompoc, Santa Maria and Santa Barbara on the following dates and locations. All programs begin at 5:30 p.m.

  • Friday, August 20—Lompoc High School Cafeteria, 515 West College Ave., Lompoc
  • Tuesday, August 24—Santa Maria Veterans Hall, 313 W. Tunnell St., Santa Maria
  • Thursday, August 26—Cabrillo Pavilion Arts Center, 1118 E. Cabrillo Blvd., Santa Barbara

The Summer Youth Program is funded by the Santa Barbara County Workforce Investment Board through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds, via the Workforce Investment Act, according to Ray McDonald, Executive Director of the Workforce Investment Board.

“The Summer Youth Employment Program is a great investment in the future of our youth and our local community. While they learned lasting work and employment skills this summer, they also accomplished a ton of work for local businesses, non-profits, and local government.”

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