Twenty-five-year-old Lewiston resident Madison Elzea was a cashier and registrar, until she got diagnosed with a chronic pain condition. This diagnosis had Elzea adjust and make some career changes to fit her new lifestyle.

In order to make those changes a reality, Elzea approached the Idaho Department of Labor in Lewiston for extra support. The department was recommended from a friend that had a positive experience in the jumpstart program for workforce training. The youth program offers education, training and employment opportunities to out-of-school youth ages 16 to 24.

Graduate from Lewis Clark State College, Madison Elzea, stands proudly from her accomplishment.

“I pursued the youth program to go back to school, so I could be eligible for more specialized positions rather than customer service,” Elzea said.

Elzea wanted to transition into the medical field and work in an office environment rather than customer service and wasn’t sure where to start. She expressed that people who are interested in going into this field, preferably need an education.

To make that dream a reality, the department connected her to attend Lewis Clark State College to obtain her certificate in medical billing.

“The youth program was helpful to move things along more smoothly,” Elzea said. “The department was able to assist with the cost of books and programs on my laptop. It was really helpful to not worry about the cost of school and tuition.”

In the end, she completed the coding program with a 4.0 GPA and passed the Certified Professional Coder exam a month later.

Workforce Consultant Amanda Shaffer from the Lewiston office was a resource and assisted Elzea with obtaining the proper education and cheered her on every step of the way.

“Amanda was really personable, she remembered me, remembered what part I was at in my schooling and she kept up to date with my journey in the program,” Elzea said. “She genuinely cared and wanted to see me succeed.”

After completing the youth program and obtaining her certificate, Elzea has since started working at Catalyst Medical in Lewiston as a medical billing coder.

“So far, it’s going really well. With the certification and background in schooling I got through the program, I am ahead in the training and understanding,” Elzea said. “To be certified is a benefit, because I have a lot of background and knowledge in everything going on rather than being overwhelmed.”

Elzea recommends the youth program to others who qualify and are looking to further their education because it helped her move her life forward. She stated that the youth program was really helpful and is not as daunting and scary as it seemed when she first started.

“Now, I am going to be able to live alone and support myself, like I did before I got my pain diagnosis and build my individual life again,” Elzea said. “This program made it much more feasible again and I am excited to be more self-sustaining before I got my condition.”

For more information about the youth program and participant eligibility, visit labor.idaho.gov.

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The Idaho Department of Labor’s employment services programs are funded by the U.S. Department of Labor for SFY25 as part of Wagner-Peyser Act grant (72%) and state/nonfederal funds (28%) totaling $8,497,701.

Lindsay Trombly, Public Information Specialist

Idaho Department of Labor