Colton Offley, 17, is a veteran of the Meeteetse Youth Employment Program.

When Colton began work at the Outlaw Café, he was brand new to the workforce. Colton’s employer, Sharon Blake, and the Employment Program coordinator, Kandi Bennett, described him as unsure and a little lost when he first started, but as time went on, he “got really outgoing,” talking with customers, Sharon said.

As Colton put it, learning his job and getting used to working at the café “crept up” on him.

The Meeteetse Youth Employment Program provides teens in Meeteetse, Wyo., (population 351) with opportunities for work experience they might not otherwise have had, and it also allows employers to hire much-needed workers whom they might not otherwise have been able to afford.

Kandi, a career counselor for the Meeteetse schools, said students needed a way to learn the “soft skills” that they would need for any job (such as communication, organization, and responsibility) within their community. While the schools already offered vocational skills training (welding, auto mechanics, etc.), Bennett did not see students necessarily learning the things that would benefit them across various career paths.

Coincidentally, the WYCF had learned of various efforts to put high school kids to work in Meeteetse. Pulling together Wyoming Workforce Development Office representatives, local employers, community leaders, the town of Meeteetse, and Kandi with the school system, the WYCF, through its affiliate, the Community Foundation of Park County, made a significant grant of $10,000. A matching grant from the state, along with other contributions from individual donors in the Meeteetse area, set the program in motion.

With the program in place, students and employers registered to participate. In summer 2008, 22 students and 13 employers were registered with the program.

The students’ wages are paid using the funds raised through the WYCF and the state. Students’ paychecks and income tax are handled by the town of Meeteetse, through a generous donation of the town’s time, effort, and staff. Not only does this relieve employers of the burden of paperwork associated with hiring workers but it also relieves them of related expenses, thus allowing even the smallest of businesses to afford hiring a student employee.

For Colton, “It’s been a lot of fun” working at the restaurant and learning new skills. He started work as a waiter, and later began working as a cook. He now alternates between the two positions.

Colton has also been practicing his cooking skills when he’s back in the kitchen. He likes to make hamburgers, especially when there’s a quiet time and he can make one for himself. He said that now when somebody comments about the food, he can “give a personal opinion” since he’s sampled his own cooking.

“I have fun doing work down there,” Colton said.