Job Experience Training Intern (JETI) Program

Oberlin Community Services (OCS) is a responsive community-based organization that serves low-income and vulnerable community members by providing food, financial assistance, referrals, educational outreach, and other basic needs. Since its inception in 1955, OCS has grown into one of the largest social service organizations in the county (by points of service), providing well over 50,000 points of service each year.

One of OCS’s fundamental commitments is to offer opportunities for people to work toward improved resiliency, largely through educational outreach. To provide income-insecure youth with work experience, job training and professional development, OCS has partnered for several years with OhioMEANSJobs’ TANF program to be a worksite for a number of youth aged 16-24. The JETI program (Job Experience Training Intern) at OCS began in the spring of 2020 in response to the pandemic’s creating a necessary temporary hold on OCS’s volunteer program, a need for workers and a commitment to OCS youth. However, it has always been a goal of OCS to include more resiliency programs long-term.

The resiliency cornerstone is a crucial aspect of OCS. It includes JETIs, providing low-income and at-risk youth with a well-paying job, a diverse skill base and mentoring. This program has grown to see a total of 12 interns. The JETIs are an invaluable asset to OCS, assisting with the People’s Garden, administrative tasks, events, and all aspects of food distributions. In addition to the job experience, JETIs are provided targeted mentoring opportunities such as how to file taxes, financial literacy information, and education on opioid addiction and prevention. We also bring in guest speakers to increase JETIs knowledge and access to resources.

With the new Resilience Coordinator in place, OCS is expanding resources and opportunities for the JETIs to add further skills and additional learning opportunities. This includes offering assistance with landlord/tenant relationships and the rental process, resume writing and mock job interviews, career counseling, pursuing driver’s licensure, providing a document safety box, referrals for mental health counseling, and Substance Use Disorder (SUD) and Opioid awareness and prevention education. These are just some of the many ideas considered for the JETI program.

Oberlin Community Services is pursuing consistent and ongoing support of the JETI program for the purpose of meeting real needs and empowering at-risk youth to be prepared and ready for independent living.

Duties and Responsibilities of the JETIs:

  • Assisting in the warehouse – unloading pallets, stocking, breaking down boxes, inventory, loading or unloading the cooler and walk-in freezer, cleaning

  • Assisting in the pantry – bagging bread, packing food for distributions, cleaning, organizing, building boxes

  • Assisting with food distributions – packing, loading and running carts to load cars

  • Assisting in the People’s Garden – weeding, watering, harvesting, repairs

  • Assisting with events

  • Other, as necessary

This position will be offered PT working from 20-40 hours, depending on OMJ’s approval, available funding and individual availability.

Please visit the JETI Position page if interested.

For additional information, or referrals please contact: The Resilience Coordinator: Marla Brewer 440-774-6579, marla@oberlincommunityservices.org

Or the Outreach and Volunteer Coordinator: Rosa Gadsden 440-774-6579, Rosa@oberlincommunityservices.org