Today I have the pleasure of introducing you to Alex K., a young man who recently completed a job skills and confidence building program known as Youth LIVE. The goal of the program is to prepare youth to find and maintain gainful employment and it’s working wonders.
Don’t take it from me; check out the below letter written by Alex K. after completing the program.
Alex K. celebrates completing the Youth Live program.
“I want to thank you all for what you’ve given me over the last six months. I’d become used to failing just about everything I did, with no one putting the slightest bit of trust in me. Teachers and principals made me feel that I was a bad person who just sat around and did nothing. When you’re told those things enough, you start to believe it yourself. I was getting overweight and basically gave up on life. It was almost like the decision to give up had already been made for me.
Youth LIVE has taught me that I do have the potential to achieve great things. This is something I really needed to learn and it motivated me to become more than an overweight high school dropout. During the last six months, I’ve felt better about myself than I have in the last 17 years of my life. It felt good to know that people were happy about what I was doing for once, being told that I am more than a dropout and that I can actually do something with my life. I gained so much self-confidence through this program. You guys are doing a great thing and I appreciate the help and support I’ve been given more than you will ever know.”
- Alex K.
2011 Youth Live participant
Way to go Alex! Thanks for sharing your story with us. Youth Live provides a great service to our community. Visit www.halifax.ca/police/YouthLIVE if you know of anyone who could benefit from this program.
Have you heard of other job and life skills programs that could help our youth? I’d love to hear about them.
- Don
