By: Nishat Kurwa, Turnstyle News

In the San Francisco Bay Area, a first-of-its kind program rolling out next month will steer at-risk and low income youth into public health careers, a play to turn neglected neighborhoods into fertile ground for recruiting new emergency responders.

The EMS Corps, established by Alameda County’s Health Services Agency, trains young adults for internships within the department; others complete a first responder training program administered in partnership with the county. And the program has grown to include young people who have been in trouble with the law.

Errnesto Diaz is a sweet, bright 19-year-old spent seven months at Camp Sweeney, a residential facility for youth offenders. He’d been arrested on assault charges. Diaz said given the opportunities that have resulted from the mentorship and training he received, “…if I could go back in time, I wouldn’t change anything. I would go to Camp Sweeney, do that time, because it’s worth it.”

The county health department training during his sentence has put him on course to a career as an emergency medical technician. The program’s motto pretty much sums up the transformation – “save lives, don’t destroy lives.”

County health department Director Alex Briscoe led the team that developed the EMS Corps, the program that will create employment opportunities for young men like Diaz. “In marginalized communities your sense of the future gets constrained,” Briscoe said. “Young people need to be shown a world of possibility, and then given a specific and clear path to achieving it.” (Disclosure: Briscoe’s department funds programs at Turnstyle’s parent company, Youth Radio).

In every job interview, the employers goal is to obtain important information while building a friendly, respectable relationship with you. But some questions are just a little too friendly. Here are 30 questions that employers CAN'T ask you. There's also a way that they can ask you the same question in a legal form.

Nationality

What they can't ask: Are you a U.S. citizen?

What to ask instead: Are you authorized to work in the U.S.?

What you they ask: What is your native tongue?

What to ask instead: What languages do you read, speak or write fluently?

What you they ask: How long have you lived here?

What to ask instead: What is your current address and phone number? Do you have any alternative locations where you can be reached?

No two people study the same way, and there is little doubt that what works for one person may not work for another. However, there are some general techniques that seem to produce good results. No one would argue that every subject that you have to take is going to be so interesting that studying it is not work but pleasure. Everyone is different, and for some students, studying and being motivated to learn comes naturally. If you are reading this page, it's likely that you are not one of them, but don't despair, there is hope! Your success in high school and college is dependent on your ability to study effectively and efficiently. The results of poor study skills are wasted time, frustration, and low or failing grades. It's your life, your time, and your future. All I can say, upon reflection of many years as a teacher, is that time is precious and not to be squandered, no matter what you believe right now. Effective study skills must be practiced in order for you to improve. It is not enough to simply "think about" studying; you have to actually do it, and in the process use information from what you do to get better. This is the central idea of this page. All that follows depends on this single concept. There is a saying that goes like this: "Practice doesn't make perfect; perfect practice makes perfect." If you want to be an achiever, take this saying to heart. The value of a schedule. Before you even begin to think about the process of studying, you must develop a schedule. If you don't have a schedule or plan for studying, then you will not have any way of allocating your valuable time when the unexpected comes up. A good, well thought out schedule can be a lifesaver. It's up to you to learn how develop a schedule that meets your needs, revise it if necessary, and most important, follow it. When do you study?

Hi, my name is Lolita Jenkins. I'm a student from Youth Radio and the topic I am talking about today is my struggle to find a job.

My struggle started at 16. I wanted a job and I was in high school so asked all my teachers "Can you help me get a job?" They told me that all I have to do is just go down to where I want to work and ask for an application.

It wasn't that simple. I went to get a application and the person who I asked for an application said that I was to young to work. At the time, I wasn’t trippin. I planned to go on about my days until I got to be 18.

But now that I am past 18 it’s still hard even though I want to be independent. It is hard because I'm shy. But the biggest difficulty is that I feel like I should be further along than I am, instead of asking people for help to filling out an application to get a job.

Most people wish they knew the secret to winning the hearts and minds of employers. Every employer is looking for a certain set of skills for that particular job. The good news is that most people have the skills employers are looking for. Once you understand the skills  that most employers are looking for, you can change your job-search, your resume, cover letter, and interview language to show how well your background aligns with the employers requirements. I did some research on skills that employers look for and found out that "numerous studies have identified these critical employability skills, sometimes referred to as "soft skills." We've distilled the skills from these many studies into this list of skills most frequently mentioned. We've also included sample verbiage describing each skill; job-seekers can adapt this verbiage to their own resumes, cover letters, and interview talking points." The following skills and bullet points are from Yahoo Jobs. 

Skills Most Sought After by Employers

Communications Skills (listening, verbal, written). By far, the one skill mentioned most often by employers is the ability to listen, write, and speak effectively. Successful communication is critical in business.

Sample bullet point describing this skill:

Exceptional listener and communicator who effectively conveys information verbally and in writing.
Analytical/Research Skills. Deals with your ability to assess a situation, seek multiple perspectives, gather more information if necessary, and identify key issues that need to be addressed.

Businesses are booming and horizons are beginning to broaden. I did my research and found more industries that are growing. So far the future is looking good for us youth. Here's a list of six fields that may interest you.

Nurses
The number of registered nurses is expected to swell to 3.2 million by 2018, accounting for approximately 581,500 new jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That's up from 2.6 million today, and it represents the largest overall growth projection out of all occupations in the U.S. economy, for good reason. Americans aged 65 and older will make up 19% of the population in 2030, up from 12.4% in 2000. As the population ages and the growth of the working-age population slows down, there will be an increased demand for health care services in general, and home health care services in particular. In the past year, the home health care services industry has experienced sales growth of 11.2%, making it the fastest growing industry in the U.S., according to Sageworks, a financial analysis company. Along with registered nurses, Sageworks projects that home care aids, physician assistants, pharmacists, and other medical professions will be in high demand for the foreseeable future.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics has the employment and unemployment among youth stats for the summer of 2010. From April to July 2010, the number of employed youth 16 to 24 years old rose by 1.8 million to 18.6 million. This year, young people who were employed in July was 48.9 percent, the lowest July rate on record for the series, which began in 1948. (The month of July typically is the summertime peak in youth employment.) Unemployment among youth increased by 571,000 between April and July , about half as much as in each of the two previous summers. (Because this analysis focuses on the seasonal changes in youth employment and unemployment that occur each spring and summer, the data are not seasonally adjusted.) In the labor force, the youth labor force 16- to 24-year-olds working or actively looking for work grows sharply between April and July each year. During these months, large numbers of high school and college students search for or take summer jobs, and many graduates enter the labor market to look for or begin permanent employment. This summer, the youth labor force grew by 2.4 million, or 11.5 percent, to a total of 22.9 million in July. The labor force participation rate for all youth the proportion of the population 16 to 24 years old working or looking for work was 60.5 percent in July, the lowest July rate on record. The July 2010 rate was down by 2.5 percentage points from July 2009 and 17.0 percentage points below the peak for that month in 1989 (77.5 percent). The July labor force participation rate for 16- to 24-year-old men, at 62.7 percent, was down by 2.2 percentage points from a year earlier, and the rate for women, at 58.1 percent, was down by 3.0 percentage points over the year.

I will be more focused, eat healthy and find a job that I love. It's almost time for that New Years Resolution. People always say that they'll strive to find their dream job, they'd do anything to have a successful career. How far would you go? How hard would you work in your dream job? I found ten of the most dangerous jobs where people really risk their lives everyday just to do something they love. 4,340 people died on the job last year, according to new data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That's a rate of 3.3 deaths per 100,000 workers -- the lowest ever reported by the BLS. Here's a look at how workers keep themselves safe. 

Fisherman

Fatality Rate: 200 per 100,000

Median Wages: $23,600

The most perilous job in the U.S. is held by those who fish the waters in cold-weather states. Freezing water and icy boat decks can lead to horrific accidents, and storms can swamp small fishing vessels, sometimes claiming entire crews.

Compounding the danger is catch rules: By limiting fishing seasons, fisheries management creates a race to fish, according to the Environmental Defense Fund.

That forces fishermen out in dangerous weather and keeps exhausted crews on the water. In Alaska, the season for halibut and crab has been, at times, reduced to just three days.

Even warm-water fishers face hazards. Wayne Magwood has shrimped the waters off South Carolina for 40 years and says the biggest danger is heavy machinery, such as the power winches and cables that haul nets and other equipment.

"My dad taught me to keep my shirt tucked in," says Magwood. "Your clothes can get tangled up and you can get pulled overboard. One guy broke his neck recently."

Magwood also lost a friend when the crewman was answering nature's call and a sudden roll pitched him into the water.

Logger

Fatality Rate: 61.8 per 100,000

Median Wages: $34,440