Spring, 1998, Vol. 4, No. 2

Alumni PROFILE

Steve Wallman, A.M.'94 and the Youth Employment and Training Initiative

By Elizabeth Mages, a second-year SSA student with a concentration in administration. Her placement is at Youth Guidance.

Steve Wallman, A.M. '94, has created the perfect niche for himself in the world of social service. He has managed to combine a business background, social work education and life experience while helping urban youth transition from school to work. After graduating from SSA in 1994 with a clinical concentration, Wallman joined Youth Guidance, a social service organization serving youth in Chicago Public Schools.

Officially, Wallman is the Coordinator of the Youth Employment and Training Initiative (Y.E.T.I.) at Youth Guidance. Unofficially, he mentors, guides, nudges and encourages urban high school students as they prepare to enter the job market. Y.E.T.I. is a four year program for high school students from families receiving Temporary assistance for Needy Families (TANF). This innovative program seeks to prepare high school students for employment by providing career awareness opportunities, job readiness training and support services such as individual, group, and family counseling. The program's objectives include motivating students to stay in school, rewarding students for positive attitudes and behavior and fostering students' sense of responsibility for their own growth and development.

Wallman describes his transition from a career in business to one in social work as a crucial experience in his life. It helps him to understand the fear that many of his students feel at the prospect of working in an unfamiliar setting. "It felt like life or death," said Wallman. "Either I stayed at a dead end where I was or I could take off in a new direction. The choice was mine." He continued to explain that his students have a familar choice. "They can either stay at a dead end or really participate in the program and find out what opportunities are available to them."

Wallman and Y.E.T.I. recognize that students are affected not only by what happens in school and in the program, but by their peers, families and communities. The program operates in four high schools located in some of Chicago's most impoverished neighborhoods. For most participants, simple job skills training is not enough to promote successful transition from school to work. Counseling services are an integral part of the program. Wallman says, "Most vocational education programs are strictly curriculum based, which is fine for some students. Our program adds social services which allow us to better help youth who face intense stressors such as poverty and parental joblessness."

Before becoming Y.E.T.I coordinator, Wallman worked with Y.E.T.I. in a south side high school which happened to be his alma matter. His connection to the school and community has helped him to understand the difficulties facing Y.E.T.I. students who have grown up seeing few work opportunities available to them or their families. Wallman feels that as a youth he could have benefitted from a mentor and emphasizes the mentoring component of the program. In addition to matching students with mentors, Y.E.T.I. provides career awareness training and develops job opportunities which students can pursue.

Wallman places enormous value on front line Y.E.T.I. workers, who serve as mentors, counselors and job skills educators. He seeks out staff who, like himself, have experience not only in the social service sector, but also the for-profit sector. "My workers need to be able to tell kids what is expected of them by employers and how to handle tough situations. Workers with a professional business background can share what they have learned with students." Wallman is able to blend social work and business experience, clinical and administrative skills to help Y.E.T.I. students deal with the very same struggles he has faced both professionally and personally. Wallman's ultimate goal is that his students establish not only a respect for self- sufficiency, but a belief that it is personally attainable.

Elizabeth Mages is a second-year SSA student with a concentration in administration. Her placement is at Youth Guidance.

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