STL Youth Jobs

STL Youth Jobs was created in 2013 as a mechanism to change the landscape of employment opportunities for youth living in underserved areas so they are connected to opportunities through which they can gain experience and develop skills required to meet employment demands. Independent analysis of STL Youth Jobs' programs have shown the organization's ability to successfully:
-Increase access to job training and paid work experience
-Increase knowledge and understanding of skills needed in the workplace
-Improve key workforce skills like problem-solving, communication, and critical thinking
-Increase motivation to pursue additional education and/or training
-Increase opportunities for exploring and preparing for employment/careers
-Develop self-esteem and self-confidence as it relates to the world of work
-Improve banking and spending habits

From exploration to acceleration, STL Youth Jobs aims to be responsive to a variety of ages and skill levels by meeting youth where they are within their career journey and offering four service delivery models:

-Discover You- for youth, ages 14-15, provides training and work-based experiences that help youth learn about themselves, explore career paths/occupations of interest, and build awareness of how those paths match their own strengths, interests, and values.

-Summer Work Experience (SWE) - for jobseekers, ages 16-24, provides training and connections to summer employment for youth to develop early job skills and gain early work experience and exposure to a variety of career paths.

-Career Accelerator Pathway (CAP) - for alumni, ages 18-24, builds upon youth's existing skills and accelerates the pursuit of postsecondary/career success through intermediate-level work experiences and deep exposure to their desired career path.

-Learn and Earn - for eligible St. Louis Public Schools high school seniors that provides paid spring internships, mentorships and assistance with solidifying their post-high school college and career plans.

This continuum of services provides a natural progression of activities and experiences to support youth within their career development as well offer developmentally appropriate work experiences that enable young people to develop the key workplace skills and experiences required to accommodate employer needs. Based on best practices, all STL Youth Jobs programming includes training, mentoring and comprehensive support through a Job Coach, and paid work-based experiences.