Youth Job Center and City of Evanston work together to employ nearly 350 youth in summer jobs!

(Evanston, IL)  “Collaboration pays off,” states Youth Job Center Executive Director, Sacella Smith.  “This year, the YJC and City of Evanston were able to give over 350 youth summer jobs-58% more than last summer!”  Between the Mayors Summer Youth Employment Program through the City of Evanston, the Youth Job Center’s Summer Tutors, ABC Boosters and Companeros programs, and the Career Pathways program which is a collaboration between the City and YJC, nearly 350 young people had the opportunity to earn a paycheck and gain valuable job experience during the summer months.

“The City was able to employ 275 youth and young adults through the Mayors Summer Youth Employment Program,” states Kevin Brown, Youth and Young Adult Program Manager with the City.  “We worked closely with the YJC to recruit youth into the program this year and the results speak for themselves!”

With youth unemployment still hovering around 25%, finding employment opportunities for youth particularly those with little to no work experience, remains a challenge.  “The YJC combines job-readiness training with job placement,” explains Smith.  “We want to make sure that when we place a young person in a job, especially a first job, they are prepared for the world of work.  Research shows that the experience a young person has on their first job can impact their entire career so it’s imperative that the experience be a positive one.”

The City of Evanston and the YJC continue to work together on the “Career Pathways to Sustainable Employment program” which is geared toward out of school youth, ages 16-25.  This program is having enormous success at working to place youth in subsidized internships and enroll them in relevant certification/credentialing programs leading to full-time employment in a high growth industry sector.

The Youth Job Center is a nonprofit agency in Evanston that assists job seekers ages 14-25 in finding employment.  The YJC also works with employers to help them meet their staffing needs by referring applicants who are trained in basic job skills and ready to get to work.