American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009

The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians’ Department of Employment and Training was awarded the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) Supplemental Youth Services grant for program year 2009. The purpose of the grant is to provide employment skills training and job opportunities for twenty (20) Choctaw Tribal members, ages 14 – 24 years, who are from low-income families, and the training will continue for six (6) weeks. The program also employed one (1) staff member to provide counseling and supervision to all of the participants. The ARRA Supplemental Youth Services program is in the process of serving sixteen (16) additional Choctaw youth, thus bringing the total number of participants served to thirty-six (36). The goals of the ARRA Supplemental Youth Services program are:

1. Complete Job Readiness Training during the course of their program participation, a course of instructions relating to job readiness or world-of-work skills. The course also includes training to develop positive work habits and attitudes and behavior, such as punctuality, regular attendance, presenting a neat appearance, getting along and working well with others, exhibiting good conduct, following instructions and completing tasks, accepting constructive criticism from supervisor and co-workers, showing initiative and reliability, and assuming the responsibilities involved in maintaining a job.

2. Complete work experience activities with classroom-based learning activities where appropriate so that the youth are provided with assistance in developing and refining attitude, values and work habits, which will contribute to their success in the workplace.

3. The Employment and Training staff added the additional goal of Complete Career Assessment for participants enrolled in the program. During the course of their program, all participants will complete a formal Career Assessment of occupational interests, values, skills or aptitudes, leading to an identification of career for which the participants may be suited.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act – Supplemental Youth Services Program also formed a partnership with East Central Community College Integrated Technology Center to assist Choctaw Tribal youth in accomplishing their goals and becoming more competitive in the workforce.

East Central Community College Integrated Technology Center’s instructors provided classroom and hands-on instructions that led to ARRA participants receiving their Modern Multi-skill Manufacturing (M3) production and advanced production level certifications. ARRA will be the third technology applications class from the Department of Employment and Training to earn the M3 Credential, which is supported by West Alabama – East Mississippi (WAEM) Regional Initiative. The M3 Credential shows a prospective employer that the right core technical skills and knowledge to perform the job have been achieved, saving time and training dollars for the company. The certification qualifies for multi-discipline coverage within the industrial work environment, thus providing the ARRA participants a competitive edge during the hiring process. ARRA participants who successfully completed the program were awarded the M3 Credentials Level I and II.

East Central Community College Integrated Technology Center’s staff administered the Work Keys Assessment for the second time for the Department of Employment and Training. Work Keys is a Job Skills Assessment System measuring “Real World” skills that employers believe are critical to success.

The ARRA participants who received the certificates now have a State-recognized credential certifying their workforce skills levels in the following categories:

Applied Math
Reading for Information
Locating Information

These three areas have been identified by employers nationwide as essential foundational skills needed in the workplace for job placement and career advancement, as well as for the development of a skilled workforce. Based on the Work Keys Assessment, a person received a gold-, silver-, or bronze-level certificate stating the exact skill levels that the person has gained in the assessed area.

Bronze level – core employability skills for approximately 30% of the jobs
Silver level – core employability skills for approximately 65% of the jobs
Gold level – core employability skills for approximately 90% of the jobs

ARRA Supplemental Youth Services Program also formed a partnership with Choctaw Natural Resources Department to provide work experience to all participants. ARRA participants’ job titles included:

Forestry Assistant
Natural Resource Assistant
Recycling Assistant
Horticultural Assistant

Some of their duties included:

1. Split, store, and deliver wake wood and cooking wood
2. Assist in the removal of trees in yards and on highway expansion projects
3. Perform maintenance and repair on equipment and facilities
4. Paint new signs, fire cache reorganization
5. Apply herbicides on invasive species
6. Participate in ongoing fire crew physical fitness training and fire fighter training
7. Receive training and certification on operating small forklifts
8. Assist in hazardous fuel reduction
9. Plant trees that aided in beaver control
10. Train in the use and transportation of bulldozers, farm tractors, skid steer, ATVs, amphibious buggies, dibble bars, and brush mowers
11. Assist in Choctaw Farmers’ Market with sales of fruits and vegetables
12. Perform grounds-keeping duties
13. Harvest blueberries
14. Plant flowers

Other duties included: attend Job Readiness Conference, Youth Leadership Conference; Presentation on Native American History, Career Readiness Assessment, Resume’ Writing, Interview Techniques and Job Application practice.

The Tribe’s Grant Compliance Officer is Bea Carson. She can be contacted by email at bea.carson@choctaw.org, or by phone at 601.650.1510.