Applications are being accepted for two programs designed to help young professionals in the early days of their careers.
The Columbia County Chamber of Commerce offers the programs. They are Young Women on the Way (YWOW) and Young Men on the Move (YMOM).
“So, we’re talking about 22-year-olds to 30-year-olds, and this is an important part of starting their career,” David Jameson, interim President and CEO of the chamber, told ABD. “They will benefit from this mentorship-based program. It’s career-focused, and it’s built to help them be stronger earlier in their career.”
The Augusta Metro and Aiken Chambers of Commerce support a young professionals group within their organizations. Those are open to individuals up to age 40 to help members with networking, community service, and social activities.
Jameson said YWOW and YMOM have a more unique mission.
“It’s really the first time I’ve seen something like this, and it’s designed to work with a mentor to help these young people gain confidence, build their leadership skills, their communication skills, and their professional skills. And I think it pays off greatly in the long run, because it’s like a pipeline development program for this community,” he explained.
Among the leaders in the business community providing mentorship are Jamie Wier of Blanchard and Calhoun and Erik Smith, owner/operator of the Chick-fil-A restaurant in Grovetown.
Wier said keeping the membership eligibility to ages 22 through 30 has a specific purpose.
“They’re kind of starting their career but probably running into problems that they’ve never had to encounter before, whether that was being a young female who was in a predominantly male-dominated industry asking for a raise. How to handle conflict with your boss, or how to speak up for yourself in a professional environment. All of those kinds of topics come up,” said Wier.
Smith has been involved in entrepreneurship and is an aspiring leader for more than a decade. He said he learned a lot through failures along the way, and having a program like YMOM providing mentorship when he was starting his career would have been beneficial.
“So, now I get to impart those lessons to these candidates,” he said. “I think it’s really valuable for them to have somebody that’s kind of a few steps ahead of them, that’s kind of been there, done that, and has learned from experience, that’s a little bit more battle tested, that can really help, help guide them at their stage and their journey.”
Jameson said the YWOW and YMOM programs are not open-ended. Successful applicants will spend 10 months on what is essentially an immersion program to learn all facets of the community.
“They will get exposed to a lot more things, not just what they’re doing at their job, but they’ll get a broader picture of what’s going on in the community and the workforce,” he said. “When you’re working with a mentor, you get the benefit of their knowledge on a one-to-one basis, and you learn tricks of the trade. It’s almost like working with a professional career coach for this 10-month period of time.”
Wier said the programs do not focus just on career development. They offer participants lessons in appropriate workplace dynamics and how to communicate with different individuals.
“But then there are also things like building your network, the importance of a financial future. How to socialize and build your network, how to dress appropriately for work. So, it’s kind of the questions that you don’t necessarily go over in a professional setting,” she said.
She added that it can be as simple as learning basic office decorum.
“If somebody was behind a closed door, and you knock and the person doesn’t answer, you just come back a different time. Or if somebody’s in their office, you wait for them to be done. The people who are coming into these organizations now don’t necessarily know that etiquette, because it’s never been taught to them,” she said.
Applications are being accepted through December 5th. Smith said the ideal candidates have two goals. First, they care about their personal and professional development.
“If somebody does not have a desire to grow, they need not apply,” he advised. “Secondly, if they can envision their trajectory being one of greater people and process influencers over the coming years, that’s a great candidate too, because the lessons that they’ll learn in this program can certainly be applied in those areas.”
YWOW is provided with support from Peach State Federal Credit Union. YMOM has the backing of Jani-King.
To apply, go to www.columbiacountychamber.com and click on the “Programs” tab.
