New Camden truancy program offers paid job training to at-risk youth. Here are three of their stories.
Hopeworks, a nonprofit in Camden, is trying to get young people off the streets with a new tech-training initiative.
They cut classes regularly or dropped out of school. Some landed into trouble with police and went to jail.
Now they are getting a second chance in a new Camden County truancy program that offers an alternative to getting at-risk youth back on track. They get paid to undergo technical training and obtain a skill set to help them become gainfully employed.
After studying grim crime statistics for Camden City, the Camden County Board of Commissioners spearheaded the youth employment program with Hopeworks, a nonprofit offering training and work experience in tech to young people. Hopeworks agreed to make 50 slots available for the truancy program.
Although the program is open to youth from across the region, the effort is specifically targeting the city of Camden, which has one of the highest chronic absenteeism rates in New Jersey. Truancy rates increased during the pandemic when 800 to 1,000 city students disappeared from school rosters. Camden was among the last districts to resume in-person learning after the pandemic.
» READ MORE: ‘COVID crushed us’: Chronic absenteeism plagued N.J. schools during pandemic
“Time and again we are seeing members of our youth population that have given up on school and are out in streets with negative results in our neighborhoods,” Commissioner Director Louis Cappelli said in a statement.
According to statistics from the Camden County Police Department, city youth between 16 and 19 are most at risk for dropping out of school and getting into trouble. In 2023, there were 95 repeat violent arrests in that cohort and 24 involved a firearm.
County Police Chief Gabriel Rodriguez attributed the escalation of violent crime in the city mostly to teens outside of the school system. Losing thousands of young people to the streets has presented a challenge to public safety, he said.
The police department is recommending participants for the pilot program mostly through its Open Gym initiative, a community outreach effort that provides a safe recreational space, said acting Captain Vivian Coley. The Camden school district and other agencies are referring youth, also.
But kids from anywhere are welcome, said Coley, the chief’s executive officer. “No matter what you do or where you come from, we’re going to try to help you.”
Since the program launched in June, nearly three dozen youth have been signed up for the nine-month program that operates in a downtown Camden office. Hopeworks also has a location in Kensington that has about 65 youth enrolled.
With a $250,000 grant from sponsors, Hopeworks expanded its program in Camden to incorporate the truancy target, said Dan Rhoton, chief executive officer. About 270 young adults 17 to 27 typically enroll annually, he said.
Hopeworks, created in 1999, touts a holistic approach that provides high-tech training and paid work experience. Participants can move at their own pace, obtain a high school diploma, or apply to college. They learn web design and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology. They make about $400 a year initially while in training, and have the potential to land jobs that pay $43,000 annually.
“Anyone who doesn’t believe in second chances hasn’t tried a diet,” Rhoton said. “We all try and fail.”
On a recent morning, Hopeworks bustled with activity as the newest recruits mixed with other youth. They worked on developing websites, and conducting data analytics for Hopeworks clients such as American Water, and learning medical billing and coding.
Hopeworks participants typically begin with six to eight weeks of self-paced technology training modules. They work a six-month paid internship with Hopeworks. They receive professional development, and get help from career coaches to find full-time jobs.
In addition to tech training, the program offers emotional and social support, as well transportation, a life coach, academic support, career readiness, and permanent job placement. It also assists with basic needs like housing, food, and free clothing.
Hopeworks works with businesses that generate 100 jobs a year, according to Rhoton. It boasts a high placement rate and 93% retention for youth who successfully complete the program. The county hopes the truancy initiative will be a model for other cities.
“They are young adults who have so much to offer,” Rhoton said. “By not giving them what they need, we’re leaving all of that awesomeness on the table.”
Meet some of the participants.
Samaya Dallas, 21: ‘I was sitting home doing nothing’
Dallas dropped out of Camden’s Mastery High School when she was in the 11th grade to care for her infant niece when the sister was sentenced to prison. She never returned to school and worked low-paying fast-food jobs.
“I liked school,” she recalled. “I was very hard working.”
Dallas entered the Hopeworks program in 2021, but realized she wasn’t ready to buckle down. She entered again in June after she was sitting home doing nothing and “thought I could be here.”
“I just wanted to take the opportunity again,” she said.
In a short period, she completed the modules and has been elevated to the program’s training room. Now she helps newcomers navigate the program. She is thinking about college and possibly a career in social service.
“I want to be able to find a job I’m happy with,” Dallas said. “I feel like the program changed my life tremendously.”
Vimere Kearney, 22: ‘I don’t have any time to waste’
Kearney began a downward spiral after getting addicted to prescription pills when he was 13. He dropped out of school his freshman year. He was released from jail in May after serving 10 months for theft. His intensive supervision program officer recommended Hopeworks.
“I was already at my worst,” Kearney said. “I’m not trying to go back there.”
Kearney said he tried the Hopeworks program in 2019, but “wasn’t in the right state of mind.” A chance encounter with a teacher in the program convinced him that this time he would finish the program.
“It was like time to do something with your life. It was bad,” he said.
Kearney has changed his daily routine, waking up early and making his bed regularly. He hopes to obtain a driver’s learning permit and a high school diploma and catch up on things he missed when he was in the streets. He’s interested in website design.
“I do everything I’m supposed to do,” Kearney said. “I don’t have any time to waste.”
Ziair Crawford, 20: ‘I have a lot to prove’
Crawford was trying to figure out his life when a friend referred him to Hopeworks this spring. He had a strained relationship with his family who told him “you’re not going to do anything with your life,” he said.
“I didn’t know what direction I wanted to go. It was better than being at home,” he said softly.
A 2022 Pennsauken High School graduate, Crawford thrived in the program and quickly completed the required modules. He started the internship phase last month. Next month, he will move into transitional housing provided by Hopeworks, and stop “couch surfing,” like he was when things got tough at home.
Crawford said he is considering pursuing a career in website design. He previously worked as a dietary aide at a nursing home.
“I definitely feel more control in my life,” he said. “I have a lot to prove.”