Education to Careers (MEETCP)

MEETCP (Metroeast Education to Careers) is a comprehensive workforce development organization for youth ages 14-25. It has job placement contracts with over 80 business partners in the Metro-East area (St. Louis, Missouri and St. Clair County, IL). These corporations agree to provide job opportunities for customers serviced by MEETCP. Business partners are from a range of industrial sectors and include Edward Jones, A.G. Edwards, Anheuser Busch, AmerenUE, Target, Wal-Mart, and Monsanto.

MEETCP handles referrals from a variety of educational sources, of which Emerson Park’s Tomorrow’s Builder Charter School is a primary source. Additional referral sources are School Districts 188 & 189 (encompassing East St. Louis and surrounding communities), Illinois Office of Rehabilitation STEP (Secondary Transition Experience Program) Program and the Regional Vocational Educational Program.

When customers are referred to MEETCP, the job placement process begins. Each customer receives a functional evaluation to measure their interests and abilities and a community-based assessment to match them with jobs corresponding to their evaluation. Customers are then placed on a job for a five day trial period. At the end of this period, the customer, an MEETCP staff member and the supervisor meet and decide whether both parties want to continue the employment process. If both agree, then a six week trail period is initiated, during which an MEETCP staff member performs random site visits once a week to collect supervisor evaluations (both verbal and on a written form) and help the customer adapt to the new work setting. At the end of the six week period, another meeting occurs in which all parties meet to decide whether full-time employment is desired. After permanent placement, MEETCP performs weekly follow-ups with the customers and their supervisors for 180 days.

MEETCP also administers a variety of other workforce development programs beyond just job placement. Each February about 150 students participate in a job shadowing program, in which they follow professionals in a variety of trades throughout the workday. MEETCP also hosts a Youth Exploration Fair, in which all existing business partners come to set up booths and recruit students to their professions. New businesses are also recruited for this fair. Finally, MEETCP hosts career specific days during which professionals from certain fields (such as health care, recording industry, MEETCP…) come to discuss their professions with students.

DONTAY LAMPKINS Before attending YouthBuild, Dontay Lampkins was a homeless, 16-year-old high school dropout with a bad temper and an arrest record. The YouthBuild program helped him become a leader. “I didn’t know how to channel my anger but YouthBuild taught me how to humble myself,” says Dontay. “They listened to me and sincerely cared about me.” Dontay began to see the program as a way to a better life. Determined to succeed, he took the GED test more than 20 times before he finally passed! Dontay graduated from YouthBuild in 2003. Now at age 25, he makes $23 an hour working as a laborer in East St. Louis. Dontay has purchased a car and currently has his own apartment. “EDPC gave me a second chance so now I mentor kids by reaching out to them because someone reached out to me,” says Dontay.