Since celebrating another successful summer at the Gifford Youth Achievement Center (GYAC), the Youth Employability Program (YEP) continues to build momentum during the new school year. On October 19, YEP hosted its first “Meet and Greet Career Showcase” with 20 participating employers and agencies. Attendees, including 32 YEP students in grades 8 – 12 and 13 of their parents, were eager to learn about the businesses involved. They also had the chance to learn about potential 2024 summer work opportunities, as well as future post-high school career opportunities and pathways. About halfway into the 90-minute event, 27 Pre-Employability Program (PREP) students in grades 5 – 7 had the chance to participate in the event by asking career-related questions to several of the employers and agencies in attendance.
The YEP team is also excited to announce that its hosting another “Meet and Greet Career Showcase” on January 16, 2024. This showcase will focus more on YEP students and employers who may be interested in having these students complete summer internships with them in 2024. Since November 2023, about 45 students have been targeted for these summer work opportunities.
Meanwhile, the YEP has other exciting news to share! The program has partnered with Junior Achievement (JA) of The Palm Beaches & Treasure Coast to further enhance its current work readiness training resources for students in grades 8 – 12. Junior Achievement USA is the nation’s largest organization dedicated to giving young people the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their future, and make smart academic and economic choices. The core content areas of JA’s programs, career readiness, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy, ignite the spark in young people to realize and experience the realities/opportunities of life in the 21st century.
The partnership between the YEP and JA provides an excellent opportunity to supplement the current work readiness training resources with JA program’s curriculum. While the YEP’s work readiness training resources have led all of its 23 students in 2022 and 29 students in 2023 to meet or exceed the summer worksite expectations, the partnership with JA will enhance its capacity to prepare a projected 40 – 45 students for summer jobs in 2024. In addition, the YEP will use the complete JA curriculum for its Pre-Employability Program (PREP) students. Implementation of the JA program begins in December 2023.
The YEP continues to inspire students to seek new possibilities as they embark on their career journeys. At GYAC, we believe: “All kids are capable of success…NO EXCEPTIONS!”
