Employment Pathways Collaborative celebrates students’ successes

There’s a group of young people in East Tampa who’ve been working particularly hard over the last few months.

The comrades – ages 18 – 24 – are all a part of Eckerd Kids’ Employment Pathways Collaborative program, which works with recently incarcerated youth to make their transition back into the workforce or education system a successful one.

“We really are making a difference,” said Program Manager Tessa Randolph. “The team does a great job of connecting with our students. We try to encourage them in any way we can. If they need to earn their GED, we can help. If they need to practice a mock-interview, we can do that too.”

On Friday, April 28, Randolph and her team took a time-out from their traditional classroom structure at Gary Adult High School to celebrate the students’ successes.

Whether they recently landed a job, had completed the three-month program, or were still relentlessly working towards their goals – it didn’t matter much. Everyone got a piece of cake, the chance to win a raffle prize, and a few words of encouragement.

“It’s helpful,” said student Kevin Pierce, 19. “Coming here has kept me off the streets and out of trouble. They even helped me get a job.”

To submit a referral or for more information about the Employment Pathways Collaborative program, contact Tessa Randolph at (813) 539-0175 or Zrandolph@paxen.com.