Waterford, Michigan – Oakland County Michigan Works! today announced the launch of its Summer Young Professionals Program, which gives eligible young people ages 18-24 the opportunity to earn a free industry-recognized certification for an in-demand job, a cash bonus and a laptop computer upon certification.

“Youth programs such as this are so important to our long-term workforce development strategy in Oakland County,” said Oakland County Executive David Coulter. “The goal is to continually fuel the talent pipeline with qualified individuals of all ages to help meet the workforce needs of our employers across various industries in our region.”

The program, which begins this month and runs through December, offers tuition-free certificate training programs for the following jobs:

• PC Technician (average hourly wage: $19.76*)
• CNC Operator (average hourly wage $19.00*)
• Medical Front Office Administrator (average hourly wage: $17.17*)
• Pharmacy Technician (average hourly wage $16.32*)
• Medical Administrative Customer Service (average hourly wage $16.69*)

*Source: O*Net

Eligibility is based on a several factors and will be determined on a case-by-case basis. The certification programs require a commitment of approximately 20 hours per week for 8-14 weeks, depending on the certificate track. All work is completed online. Participants are required to complete three career readiness courses online, choosing from the following topics: resume development, interview skills, job search skills and financial literacy.

As an added incentive, participants receive a free laptop computer, which is theirs to keep upon successful completion of their program. In addition, a monetary bonus of up to $1,100 is provided to participants who earn a certification.

“A lot of young people are looking for ways to gain an edge in today’s job market, so we’re very excited to be able to offer these no-cost certificate training programs completely online,” said Jennifer Llewellyn, director of Oakland County Michigan Works! “We think this will be a very attractive option for eligible persons to secure necessary training in a number of in-demand positions.”

For more information or to apply, go to www.OakGov.com/YoungProfessionals.

Once a completed application is received, a youth coordinator from Oakland County Michigan Works! will contact the applicant, typically within 48 hours.

Oakland County Michigan Works! operates service centers in Novi, Oak Park, Pontiac, Southfield, Troy and Waterford. Combined, they assist more than 105,000 job seekers annually. Services include career coaching, interviewing workshops, job search workshops, placement assistance, training courses and job trend information.

Service centers also assist more than 3,000 employers seeking assistance with talent recruitment, apprenticeship programs, job fairs, candidate pre-screening, hiring and training support, layoff support and labor market data.

Service center staffs remain available by virtual appointment to work one-on-one with job seekers to build their resumes, prepare for job interviews and help address other needs. To schedule a virtual meeting, contact the nearest Oakland County Michigan Works! service center at 1-248-858-5520. The centers also are hosting several virtual workshops for job seekers. A schedule can be found at www.OaklandCountyMIWorks.com.