ANAHEIM : Anti-Gang Project Will Be Expanded

The city’s anti-gang program is being expanded through the use of mentors who will be matched with youths entering the job market.

Under the program, 15 mentors from business and industrial fields will work with recently employed youths and new employers to help prevent misunderstandings that could lead to problems in the workplace.

Kay Turley, who is coordinating the effort through the North Orange County Regional Occupational Program, said employers often don’t understand how to work with youths who have been affiliated with gangs.

And the youths, many of whom have no work experience, often don’t know how to build and maintain a good relationship with an employer.

“Sometimes they just need a friend,” Turley said of the youths, who are between 16 and 22 years old.

The mentors, members of the city’s Private Industry Council, and the staff of the city’s Project Save-A-Youth, will work with 30 youths to assess their skills and interests for job placement. Each mentor will then spend a few hours each week with a youth and his or her employer.

A joint application between the North Orange County Regional Occupational Program and the city was filed last week for a $50,000 federal grant to finance the program. If accepted, the city will provide matching funding.