January xx, 2003

							                                                          Hall of Records ~ 465 Dr. Martin Luther King Blvd.
Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr.                                 Newark, New Jersey 07102
 Essex County Executive                                   973.621.4400      973.621.6343 (fax)
                                                          www.essexcountynj.org




  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                       Contact:            Teresa Ruiz
  October 7, 2003                                                                 973-621-4404

                     ESSEX COUNTY EXECUTIVE DIVINCENZO UNVEILS
                        ESSEX COUNTY YOUTH RESOURCE CENTER
       NEW PROGRAM PROVIDES OUT-OF-SCHOOL AND UNEMPLOYED YOUTH
      WITH JOB TRAINING, ACADEMIC ASSESSMENT AND MENTORING SESSIONS

  Newark, NJ - Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. has announced the creation
  of the Essex County Youth Resource Center for County youths who have dropped out of school.
  The center is located at FOCUS headquarters at 443 Broad Street in Newark.

  As the 2003 fall school season gets underway, DiVincenzo is encouraging County youths, who
  also are unemployed or possess a GED, but desire to improve their academic and employment
  skills, to take advantage of the wide range of services offered at the new Essex County Youth
  Resource Center.

  In an effort to expand services for youths, the County’s Office of Workforce Development has
  awarded FOCUS with a contract for $102,379 to administer the Youth Resource Center, which
  provides clients with complete academic and employment assessments. The center also offers
  testing for adult basic education, workforce literacy training, English as A Second Language
  classes and GED referrals.

  “Our new Youth Resource Center is designed to help assist our youth who have dropped out of
  school and want to get back on track,” said DiVincenzo. “By evaluating their academic and
  employment skills, FOCUS staff members will be able to work with our clients and see to it that
  they receive the proper instruction and counseling,” he added.

  Betty Brown, Director of the Essex County Office of Workforce Development, said “Our goal is
  to provide young people with an opportunity to improve their educational level and employment
  skills. Ultimately, the objective is to assist our youths with becoming self sufficient.”

  The program, which began in June, is open to all Essex County residents, who have dropped
  out of school, and are between the ages of 19 to 21. All participants also must meet the
  eligibility requirements under the Workforce Investment Act.

  Under the new County program, FOCUS serves as a day-to-day reporting center for clients and
  several FOCUS staff members are assigned to the Youth Resource Center, Brown said. Services
  are offered Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Tuesdays and Thursdays
  from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 12 noon.

  Since retention is a vital component of the program, Brown said, FOCUS staff members will
  implement a variety of retention strategies and a client completion program. Through computer
  based learning, students are able to work at their own pace, she added.

  For more information about the Essex County Resource Center, please call 973-395-8681.

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