BALTIMORE — Crime rates and unemployment rates in Baltimore are impacting young adults more than ever before.
Two programs called ROCA and REMIX at Treyway Multi Treatment Services came together along with Amazon, to host mock interviews for young adults who have trouble getting and keeping jobs due to their life circumstances.
Each participant had three interviews and the ones who did the best had an opportunity to win a free laptop from Amazon.
Many of the participants have only had odd jobs, some of them have been homeless or are dealing with mental health issues or drug addiction.
The purpose of the event is to allow the young adults to use their difficult pasts as a strength, and for them to do well in job interviews in hopes that they will get real employment.
"So, they have had times where they've secured a job and not been able to keep a job. So to be able to own your background during the interview there wont be any surprises two months down the line when your background check comes back, because now your being hired not just for your skill set but because you've overcome some life challenges. So this is giving them more power than they even know that's happening today," said Ericka Alston Buck, Chief Operating Officer of REMIX at Treyway Multi-Treatment Services.
The youth programs along with Amazon plan on conducting these mock interviews quarterly so that everyone involved in the program can better their job interview skills.
