EMPLOYMENT SERVICE PLEADS FOR YOUTH JOBS.

Byline: Michael Coit Daily News Staff Writer

Recent federal funding cuts have eliminated 300 jobs from Ventura County's primary summer employment program for disadvantaged youths, prompting an appeal for more employers to hire young workers.

The Summer Youth Employment and Training Program faced elimination before a budget compromise reached in Congress last month limited cuts to 25 percent of last year's funding. The approval also calls on public employment agencies to join business and industry and develop more jobs not subsidized by the federal program, officials said.

Recognizing that reduced job opportunities send a negative message to youths, the county Board of Supervisors last week sent a letter to 4,000 employers seeking help.

``We've seen a lot more kids then we have federal money to subsidize,'' said Bruce Stenslie, acting director for the county Workforce Development Division. ``We don't want to turn those kids away. If they're interested enough in summer employment to come to us, it's our obligation to go out and find them employment opportunities.''

The effort is bolstered by continued help from local employment services that provide counseling, workshops and job referrals for young men and women from families of all income ranges.

The summer employment program provided jobs and education programs for 950 county youths in 1995. With funding cut from $2.4 million last year to $1.8 million, the program can only subsidize jobs and education programs for some 650 youths this year, Stenslie said.

The program is available to youths ages 14 to 21 from families with low incomes, as well as to high school dropouts and the disabled. The program subsidizes minimum wage-paying jobs with public agencies and nonprofit organizations.

Because there is an emphasis on training and learning, case workers are assigned to monitor job sites and place youths in training and remedial education programs, as needed.

The county contracts with two employment training agencies to oversee those efforts.

Milli Kelly, coordinator for Arbor Training Center, said many private employers she has spoken to see an opportunity in hiring youths through such a cooperative program with the county.

``What's happening in today's market is the kids that graduate from high school don't really have an expectation of what's expected of them in the job market,'' Kelly said. ``(This way) they will start developing work ethics and they will learn the nuts and bolts of what it means to be employed.''

Stenslie said business and industry are increasingly being sought out of a fear that federal subsidies eventually will be eliminated for employment programs targeting disadvantaged youths.

``It might stick around and it might continue to drop every year until it eventually goes away,'' he explained.

``So what we're asking is for private employers to come forward and post some job listings with us and hire some kids that they otherwise may not.''

JOBS PROGRAM

Employers interested in participating in the Summer Youth Employment and Training Program should call [phone]. Youths or parents interested in the program should call [phone].

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Box: JOBS PROGRAM (see text)