Why does Youth Jobs Connect exist?

Youth Jobs Connect was founded in response to the COVID-19 economic crisis and a current inequitable system marred with racial injustice. Youth were disproportionately impacted as Youth Employment Programs were forced to cancel or dramatically cut their program offerings in the Summer of 2020. As designed, Youth Employment Programs were unprepared to respond to the demands of today’s labor market, let alone the added demands of a pandemic. Youth Employment Programs are rooted in old systems that do not map to the skills needed for the Future of Work.

Youth Jobs Connect is mapping opportunities for youth with access to digital, blended, and COVID-ready jobs; foundational skill development for the Future of Work; and mentors and job coaches.

What are our plans?

By being the connective tissue for the people and programs of SYEPs, our goal is to ensure a more equitable society in which all youth have access to meaningful employment before graduating high school, and the network and skills to create and protect their future regardless of their ethnicity and/or socioeconomic class.

We’re connecting the dots. There are so many great organizations already doing impactful work, but the connections are limited, which means youth, dependent on their zip code, receive different experiences and exposure, yielding varying outcomes. Youth Jobs Connect is connecting all of the stakeholders in our ecosystem -- youth, program administrators, employers, and government. With shared knowledge, innovative technology, and a centralized marketplace to provide youth experiences that consistently prepares them for the Future of their Work.

It's time we stop talking about the problems and start implementing solutions.

What we’re doing about it

We are partnering with cities to incorporate hyper-local solutions while also building national consistency, all while having young people at the table. We’re listening and observing programs to understand the pain points and solve with systems that help with:

  • Youth applications

  • Job matching

  • Coach pairing, coupled with skill development for coaches in need

  • Participation tracking

  • Nationwide mentorship program

  • Digital curriculum for the future of work skill development