Youth Job Center

We’re sweet on everyone who supports Youth Job Center—donors, volunteers, advocates, social media followers, and ‘secret admirers’ (folks who donate anonymously or share our message through word of mouth). Thank you all for spreading the love and supporting our young people!

Congratulations to the new Youth Skills and Employment Accelerator cohort! 👏 We were lucky enough to be selected as participants in last year's cohort and appreciated the opportunity to learn from industry professionals and connect with other youth workforce development agencies around the country. Here's wishing all that and more for this year's participants! It's heartening to know that good work is being done all across the nation to give young people the support they deserve in building their futures.

YJC's Peter, Lupita, and Ellen came to Evanston Township High School (ETHS) last week to help students get ready for the City of Evanston's MSYEP* Job Fair, with help from ETHS's Brittany Johnson. Students learned how to optimize their resumes, got interview tips, and practiced their elevator pitches and interview answers with each other. The big event is on March 1, and the folks who showed up for this workshop reported feeling enthusiastic and better prepared. 💪 We can't wait for these young people to put what they've learned into practice! *Mayor's Summer Youth Employment Program, open to Evanston youth aged 14-18 years old

Here's to Hagerty Consulting, longtime YJC gala sponsor and, now, project manager for Los Angeles's Palisades fire recovery efforts! 👏 Article from Evanston Now: https://lnkd.in/ghtNUrpU

We had so much fun at last year's YJC gala! Will you join us at the next one? April 24 at Revel Motor Row — Let's enjoy a night of connecting and dining together and support youth workforce development while we do it. 🎟️ Tickets are available here: youthjobcenter.org/gala

YJC is honored to be included in Public Narrative's first Narrative Change Monthly Toolkit! 🧰 Check it out for resources on immigration, health, journalism, and more: https://conta.cc/4hAoaMH (And if you're not familiar with Public Narrative and the good work they do, we recommend checking them out as well!)

Meet our new employment relations manager: Ellen! Ellen will be building and maintaining relationships with employers, supporting and improving the training our clients receive, and generally helping to create positive, lasting partnerships between young people and employers. Before starting at YJC, Ellen honed her skills in a variety of roles: guiding first-generation college students through their academic and socio-emotional development at a youth-serving Chicago nonprofit, cultivating partnerships to help people secure and sustain meaningful employment at a family-focused Chicago nonprofit, and providing case management and nurturing program growth for a nonprofit dedicated to economic equity and thriving workplaces. Ellen describes herself as "passionate about addressing the complexities and barriers individuals face in entering, re-entering, and thriving in the workforce." We’re glad to have her on board to help our clients and employer partners find success.

When you train with YJC, you don’t just gain skills—you gain friends. After our most recent culinary cohort wrapped, we asked the young people who participated, “What was your favorite part of the program?" Lots of participants mentioned the cooking—no surprise there. But you know what over half the respondents (two thirds, in fact) mentioned? The sense of community! Meeting new people. Making friends. Sharing the experience with their fellow cooks-in-training. There really is something powerful about not only following your passion but learning and exploring alongside your peers, being joined on the journey by other folks who share that same curiosity and drive. If someone you know wants to pursue their dreams in the company of their peers, tell them about YJC! Info about all our programs is at youthjobcenter dot org.

We’re #hiring a new Workforce Readiness Coordinator!

Gain exposure for your company and provide support for YJC’s programs—sponsor the 2025 Youth Job Center gala! Swipe through for details about each sponsorship tier. Prices below. 🔹 Table Sponsor – $1,500 🔹 Silver Sponsor – $2,500 🔹 Gold Sponsor – $5,000 🔹 Premiere Sponsor – $10,000 🔹 Presenting Sponsor – $25,000 Sign up, and learn more about the gala itself, at youthjobcenter.org/gala.