Youth Job Center officials say they’ve placed 605 young people in permanent jobs and served over 1,500 youth with its programs and services during its just-completed fiscal year.
“The YJC is doing what everyone is talking about,” says Executive Director Sacella Smith. “We are preparing youth for success in the workplace. And we have the metrics in place to measure that success — 605 permanent jobs at a time when youth unemployment is at an all time high.”
The Youth Job Center works closely with employers in high-growth industry sectors in an effort to ensure that an entry level job can develop into a sound career track.
The YJC also ensures that its clients, youth ages 14-25, are ready for work when they exit the building. Every YJC client must meet with a job counselor and go through a rigid job-readiness program before they can even fill out a job application.
“It’s the effort we put into job-readiness that makes our clients successful,” Smith says. “Job placement is great, but it’s job-retention and career growth that really impacts the community.”
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.