850 teens accepted into DeKalb’s virtual career academy this summer

Fourteen-year-old Tyrik Adams normally gets a summer job cutting grass. Not this year.

Instead, he’s one of the 850 young job seekers who will earn money while learning through DeKalb’s Virtual Career Academy. He wants a paycheck to help the family budget.

“It helps with my brothers so that my mom can like get stuff for them,” Adams told Channel 2′s Sophia Choi.

DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond said many students bank on a summer job to help with the family budget.

But this summer, he expects 50% of teens in some communities will be unemployed.

“Jobs that have been there for teenagers, for younger adults are no longer there. Those jobs will be filled with unemployed adults who are also desperate for employment” Thurmond said.

More than 7,000 people applied for the 850 slots in the Virtual Career Academy. DeKalb changed up the program this year, more than doubling the number of jobs for students.

The county used a lottery to choose the lucky 850 who will make $9 dollars an hour, 20 hours a week, from June 1 through July 31.

The county also partnered with DeKalb schools and Georgia Piedmont Technical College. The program will focus on academic and life enrichment, as well as career skills.

“It’s a win-win, not only for the students but for educators as well who will get paid," Workspace DeKalb Executive Director Theresa Austin-Gibbons told Choi.

Thumond said it’s not just about the money, but also about the experience.

“This is how young people learn workplace skills. This is a first step in a career development process. My first summer job really changed the trajectory of my life," Thurmond said.

Raven Cook is looking forward to the experience. She just graduated from Tucker High.

“This money will also not only help me get the financial load off my parents but also to help my sister," she said. “We can get food and we don’t have to worry about like where are we going to get the money to pay for everything.”

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