When the Atlanta chapter of SHRM was looking for ways to provide a charitable community service, it says it decided to turn to the Mayor’s Youth Program.
This program matches high-school seniors in the Atlanta public school system and the children of city of Atlanta employees with internships at various area companies after graduation.
SHRM-Atlanta, the fourth-largest SHRM chapter in the United States with 2,000 members, says it was excited to pair its members with these students, helping them grain valuable work experience and insight into their chosen field of study.
More than 70 volunteers from SHRM-Atlanta signed up to help, and they worked hard to provide the curriculum and educational materials.
In fact, SHRM developed a corporate “survival skills” program, with the help of the Atlanta Workforce Development Agency. The six-week sessions met every Saturday and included Budgeting and Finance, Car Town, Communications, Dressing for the Workplace, Ethics, and Time Management.
SHRM-Atlanta volunteers helped 526 children in the Mayor’s Youth Program, with 390 completing the full set of six classes.
Upon completion of the program, each student received a collared shirt to wear to his or her internship position.
SHRM-Atlanta’s volunteer leaders say it was “a huge undertaking” but was an investment in future leaders. The chapter is already planning to help out in next year’s program.