University of Southern Mississippi

Youth in the Workplace Initiative	MISSISSIPPI

PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION

In Mississippi, there are approximately 132,000 young people aged 16 to 20 in the workplace. This group includes both high school drop-outs and students who work part-time. Traditional youth traffic safety programs and messages are targeted at non-working in-school youth. Youth in the workplace have different attitudes and motivations, and often the employee/employer relationship is stronger than the teacher/student relationship. By implementing company policies and education programs relating to traffic safety, companies can motivate employees to practice more positive traffic safety behaviors.

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

The goal of the University of Southern Mississippi Youth in the Workplace Initiative is to improve the traffic safety behavior of young people through targeted activities in the workplace. Specific objectives include:

Locating Mississippi's major employers of youth aged 15 to 20

Identifying community agencies to provide support for traffic safety efforts

Increasing employers' awareness of the necessity for traffic safety programs for young employees and the general employee population

Developing an information packet on youth traffic safety issues and general traffic safety issues for all employees

Conducting a minimum of 10 traffic safety programs for employers and young employees on the benefits of positive traffic safety behavior

University of Southern Mississippi

Youth in the Workplace Initiative (cont'd)

STRATEGIES AND ACTIVITIES

The Workplace Initiative Program, originally planned to be conducted in 1994, evolved

into a comprehensive Youth Initiative Program. The Division of Public Safety Planning hired a Youth Initiative Coordinator to help implement the project. The program includes a statewide assessment of the youth drinking/impaired driving problem in Mississippi. The Youth Initiative Coordinator identifies programs specifically geared for youth, and those governmental agencies and private sector organizations interested in tracking the drinking/impaired driving issue. These organizations then form a coalition whose purpose is to better identify the scope of the youth-related alcohol problem, gaps in services and potential programs to undertake in the future.

RESULTS

In January 1995, approximately 40 students from rural Greene County High School who work at least part-time received a half-day training program on traffic safety issues. A second student worker program was held in May at Southeast Lauderdale High School for approximately 35 students who work part-time.

The Youth Initiatives Coordinator held workshops for management level employees on a wide variety of topics including stress-related issues, traffic safety information and alcohol/drug problems. These employees were charged with passing pertinent information along to other employees and youth who work during the summer and as interns. The Coordinator also held regional traffic safety workshops and two programs for college/university employees. A national speaker was welcomed to Mississippi and presented his powerful traffic safety message to over 150 participants.

In addition, the Youth Initiatives Coordinator developed an information packet addressing youth traffic safety issues as well as general traffic safety issues for all employees. Contact was made with several agencies to explore ways to assist area businesses. The Youth Initiatives Coordinator also assisted with projects, campaigns and conferences throughout the project year and continued to assess the problems of youth alcohol use and impaired driving, identifying services for youth and gaps in service, building coalitions among agencies interested in youth-oriented issues, and developing future strategies.