Inner-City Youths Graduate From Job Training Program
A group of 175 inner-city high school students graduated Thursday night from a job training program designed to improve their employment possibilities.
Formed in 1993 in partnership with the Los Angeles Unified School District, the Shell Oil Co. Academy offers juniors and seniors from 10 South-Central schools classes in computer use, resume writing and interviewing techniques, said company spokesman Bob Russ.
Additionally, students gain hands-on experience through paid internships at Shell service stations and at other companies where the oil concern pays for 50% of the students’ salaries, Ross said.
The academy on South Western Avenue is part of the company’s $10-million commitment to rebuilding South-Central neighborhoods that bore the brunt of the 1992 riots, Russ said.
To date, 786 students have graduated from the academy, and 93% of them are in college or working, he said. The company runs similar academies for disadvantaged youths in Chicago and Oakland.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
