Enrollment for the next sessions of the New Jersey Youth Corps and Higher Opportunities for Women (HOW) programs at Project Self-Sufficiency is underway. 

The 16-week Youth Corps program, open to Warren and Sussex County residents, launches Monday, Oct. 8, at Project Self-Sufficiency in Newton.  The New Jersey Youth Corps gives those who have not completed high school the opportunity to boost their literacy skills, prepare for the high school equivalency exam, obtain on-the-job work experience, and transition into a career, college or the military. 

Interested participants are invited to attend an open house at Project Self-Sufficiency to learn more about the New Jersey Youth Corps and to complete an application.  Open houses will be held on Tuesdays, 5-6 p.m., Sept. 10, 17, and 24, and on Wednesdays, 9-10 a.m., September 11, 18 and 25.

Participants in the New Jersey Youth Corps must be Warren or Sussex County residents, aged 16-25, who have not completed high school.  The program includes assessments, testing, employability skills training, life skills workshops, academic instruction, community service projects, field trips, and counseling services.  Program participants will prepare for the high school equivalency examination and have the opportunity to receive a weekly stipend based on attendance for the full week.  Free transportation is provided.  Childcare is also provided free of charge at the Little Sprouts Early Learning Center. 

In addition, Project Self-Sufficiency is offering a $100 gift card to those who refer a young adult, ages 16-25, to the New Jersey Youth Corps training and education program.  In order to receive the gift card, referred individuals must enroll in the program, complete the two-week orientation and be inducted into the program.

The fall session of HOW (Higher Opportunities for Women) will also launch Oct. 8. Open to area residents, the 16-week HOW program combines intensive computer skills training with classroom instruction and off-site internships to prepare women who have been out of the workforce or underemployed to seek entry level office administrative positions.   Computer training and classroom instruction will take place at the agency’s main campus, located at 127 Mill Street in Newton. 

Women who take part in the agency’s HOW program can expect 80 hours of computer skills training, including instruction in Microsoft Word, Excel and other applications.  The HOW program also includes 40 hours of classroom instruction and 120 hours at an unpaid externship at a community employment site, which further prepares participants to successfully venture into the job market.  Coursework focuses on workplace navigation, life skills training, resume preparation, and interviewing strategies. 

Deborah Berry-Toon, executive director of Project Self-Sufficiency, explains that the HOW program is more than just a job-skills program: “The Higher Opportunities for Women program offers participants the opportunity to gain the skills and confidence to compete in today’s job market, and that in turn, helps put food on the table, pay the rent, and ultimately turn around the prospects for the entire family.  Giving our participants the tools necessary to become economically self-sufficient makes families stable and helps the entire community.”

Interested HOW participants are encouraged to attend an open house to learn more about the program. They will be held at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 10 and Thursday, Sept. 19; at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 11, and at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 17, and Monday, Sept. 23.

Those who are interested in learning more about the New Jersey Youth Corps or HOW program at Project Self-Sufficiency are encouraged to call 973-940-3500 or 844-807-3500.  To register, or to find out more about other programs and services offered by Project Self-Sufficiency, visit www.projectselfsufficiency.org.