Yesterday, the City of Newport News’ Summer Training and Enrichment Program (STEP) won the Workforce Excellence Award for Talent Development at the Peninsula Council for Workforce Development’s 11th Annual Meeting. Dr. John Olson, Chairman of the Greater Peninsula Workforce Development Board, presented the award to Assistant City Manager Alan Archer and STEP Program Administrator Latoya Delk. STEP is one component of the Building Better Futures - Youth and Gang Violence Prevention Initiative to increase positive outcomes for youth and young adults between the ages of 16 to 24. The 10-week program provides meaningful work readiness training, offers participants paid work experience, workshops, financial literacy, and GED preparation classes.

The Peninsula Council is a group that works to meet the workforce development needs of area employers through initiatives that focus on both known and anticipated human resource imbalances and ensures the maximization of available resources to build local workforce talent. They hold this meeting each year to celebrate the organization's’ success while pursuing new opportunities. The annual meeting brings together Members of the Greater Peninsula Workforce Development Board, workforce partners, and general members to encourage a dialogue that connects to improving workforce readiness for citizens and employers here on the Peninsula.

Awards were also given to AARP, the nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization for people age 50 and over, for its partnership efforts with the local One-Stop Career Center and Bayport Credit Union for their creation of a Financial Reality Fair that serves as a financial education resource to high school students.