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County-funded youth employment program reports 21 youth placed, staff seek better outreach
Summary
Willamette Workforce Partnership reported the Youth Employment Program placed 21 youths and reimbursed about $8,898 for roughly 1,780 hours worked between Oct. 2024 and Jan. 2025; WWP plans increased outreach and school promotion to boost participation ahead of summer hiring.
Sarah Coutley presented the Marion County Youth Employment Program biannual report to the Marion County Board of Commissioners, saying the county's agreement with the Willamette Workforce Partnership (WWP) provides $60,000 annually through June 2026 to support employer hiring of youth ages 14'17.
Dean Craig, Business Services Director for the Willamette Workforce Partnership, said the six-month contract period produced applications from 20 businesses; nine were approved and 21 youths were employed. Craig provided program activity totals for Oct. 2024 through Jan. 2025, reporting an estimated 1,779.6 work hours and $8,897.95 reimbursed for those hours.
WWP Executive Director Kim Parker-Llarenas told the board the program faces challenges collecting end-of-employment surveys from youth and plans to increase promotion in high schools before summer to attract more applicants. The presenters described employer screening to ensure work is appropriate and cited multiple outreach methods, including email, social media and QR-code-accessible surveys.
Commissioners thanked presenters and suggested promoting the program at community events such as AG Fest and Career Connections to improve employer and youth awareness. No formal action was required of the board on the presentation.
The board will receive future updates as WWP continues outreach and refines its survey process to document youth outcomes.
