What is YouthNet?

YOUTHNET is a new initiative launched by the Virgin Islands Department of Labor with the full support of the Administration to help in addressing the needs of our at-risk youth. It mirrors the Federal Shared Youth Vision Collaborative Partnership which has given the charge to state agencies across the Nation to collaboratively develop and implement youth programs that will focus on serving the neediest youth.

YOUTHNET’s vision is to establish an inter-agency, virtual, one-stop continuum of services aimed at increasing levels of self-sufficiency for at risk youth ages 16-24. ”Its mission is to establish a “NETwork” of agencies that recaptures, counsels, mentors, educates, trains, rehabilitates and transitions youth into self sufficient members of society.” YOUTHNET will create a safety “Net” so to speak, if they fall from the system and drop-out of school or are otherwise displaced. It will focus on our neediest youth—our high school dropouts.

YouthNet is the brainchild of Commissioner of Labor Albert Bryan Jr. who had realized the waste of government funds on duplicate services. For example, although there are many individual programs put in place to help youth in need, the services offered are often redundant and incomplete in relation to addressing specific individual counseling needs. It is through YouthNet's unique compilation of businesses and organizations that a wider range of specialized counseling services can be available in one easy to use network.

Furthermore, it is the program’s hope to counsel and rehabilitate at-risk youth such as children of incarcerated parents, adjudicated youth, those who are disabled, homeless and runaway youth, and those in the foster care system. “If we are successful, Virgin Islanders in school will be able to see a bright future for themselves here and abroad as employees, professionals and most importantly entrepreneurs,” said Lauretta Petersen, Coordinator of YouthNet.

Why YouthNet?

Research shows that in the Virgin Islands on a yearly average, 400 or eight percent (8%) of our students drop-out of high school for a variety of reasons. According to the 2000 Census 40% of our workforce have no High School Diploma or GED.

Youths are hopeless and disillusioned, unaware of the resources and the job opportunities available in the territory. They vanish from our educational system only to surface in our judicial and health care system, unemployed, undereducated, under skilled and with numerous barriers to leading self sufficient lives. What we found to be quite disturbing is there is no Territorial Dropout Prevention Plan. Where do they go for help? How do they transition from school to the world of work? To address this concern, the Department of Labor has been working tirelessly to promote strategic partnerships with key government agencies such as the Departments of Education, Human Services, Health, Justice, and the V.I. Housing Authority, and businesses, unions, community organizations and the Workforce Investment Board to create the YOUTHNET system.

What is the YouthNet System?

The system will be broken down into three separate components: PREVENTION, RECAPTURE AND REHABILITATION. In a nut shell, it will stem the tide of dropouts by creating programs and activities to encourage and prevent students from dropping out of school by providing counseling, mentoring and guidance for students identified as heading in that direction; it will provide a system to follow up on students when they fall out of the system by creating a “Net” or tracking system that will rapidly identify out of school youth in crisis and recapture them in the system; it will provide a system to rehabilitate youth that have multi-tiered problems (drugs, education, abuse, homelessness) by offering opportunities to be educated and receive a GED, post secondary vocational training, apprenticeships, high growth and other employment opportunities.

The TABS Edge:

By successfully integrating its technology and training division capabilities, BIZVI LLC., a subsidiary of TABS Worldwide Inc., has been training VI Youths on entrepreneurial skills with e-commerce technology (a proprietary educational program designed and developed by TABS). In the past few years, BIZVI has worked with more than three hundred (300) Virgin Islands’ Youths by training and preparing them for the 21st century.

Now, as the Interagency Facilitator for the YouthNet Program, we emphasize the fact that BIZVI is the only company in the Virgin Islands that not only understands the dynamics that are challenging our today’s youth but also has extensive practical experience in integrating technology based solutions with on the ground footwork in yielding highest results. While working with Virgin Islands’ Department of Labor in the past few years, BIZVI and its training division have constantly increased the bar for training and reporting quality standards in the Virgin Islands.

BIZVI also has deep understanding of Virgin Islands labor market challenges and issues faced by our job seekers. TABS’ subsidiary Career.VI provides us detailed information about the VI job market as it grows to be the largest online HR system. We strongly believe that success of this project lies between a careful integration between the technology based monitoring and reporting system and a market based interactive services provision system.

How We Do It?

BIZVI not only work with the Virgin Islands Department of Labor in managing its YouthNet Program, but also helps in improving the existing programs and procedures within the Department of Labor by bringing its strong expertise in training, technology, research and marketing.

By providing Career Coaches in both Districts, BIZVI Staff can provide one-on-one counseling and services to the youths by reaching them in the schools, at the Department of Labor offices and at the BIZVI facilities.