Greetings My name is Jason Perry and | oversee the Workforce training center at RCC. As you know, in 2009, RCC in partnership with the Lancaster Library developed a Summer Youth Employment program called Youthworks for 11" and 12" grade students in Lancaster and Northumberland counties Through the support of the Dupont foundation and support from businesses and your EDA, students with barriers to employment have been placed in local businesses and industry to gain valued added employment experiences. Many of the youth continue on to work for the employer long after the funding is exhausted. The purpose of me being here today is not to ask for additional appropriations but instead thank you for contributing $15,000 in 2016, and for longstanding support of the program. Here are few points that highlight the previous program year thanks to your investment. First, due to funding constraints, Northumberland County chose not to participate in FY 2016. However, through RCC's pursuit of River Counties Community Foundation funding, the program is now expanded to Middlesex County for FY 17. Due to lack of grant fund sustainability, the program is in its final year. However, RCC (perhaps in partnership with other agencies) plans to pursue additional grant fund support in FY19. From 2014 to 2016, the program served 82 participants. Of these, 4 were placed at the Tides Inn, 11 were placed at the Boys and Girls Club of the NN, 2 were placed at the Lancaster DSS office, 3 were placed at Lancaster Schools, 2 students were placed at Ingram Bay Marina, and 2 students were placed at NN Insurance. The remaining businesses each had one student placed. Those businesses included Connemara, Chesapeake Bank, Allison's Ace Hardware, Abilities Abound Physical Therapy, Omega Protein, Rappahannock General Hospital, Quinton Oaks Golf County, and many other small businesses in the NN. In FY17, we were able to offer 16 placements, but could only fill 13 slots. We contributed this to a turn in the economy and students are now able it seems to get local jobs at an even higher pay rate than what was offered in the programCareer exploration and Workplace Readiness were key components in this program. Many of the students earned career readiness certificates (77 of 82 students), and were trained in other business-related topics such as leadership skill development, Communications, Interviewing skill development, personal finance and resume writing. If you need a more detailed report of those served, | can provide additional data. The skillset gained through this program suggests an ongoing need and continued focus on the importance of career education. Although this program is discontinuing, the focus on career education remains. These skillsets will still continue in the Lancaster Schools through the help of our RCC career coach, Karen Huchens. Again, we want to thank the EDA for their valuable role in this initiative and we look forward to developing a partnership with you in the near future. | would be glad to answer any questions you may have and thanks for your time today