Youth Job Center

Let's hear it for our client of the month: Yasmine! 🎉 Fresh out of high school and contemplating her future, Yasmine came to YJC with a general idea of where she wanted to go—college, a healthcare career—but unsure of what steps to take to get there. Fortunately, YJC was able to get Yasmine everything she needed to put her plan into action. Yasmine enrolled in YJC’s healthcare pathway program, building foundational skills in interviewing, communication, and personal independence, then homing in on how to build a career in healthcare. Yasmine’s career coach Charlette helped her apply to and earn financial aid for school. The venture was a success, and Yasmine successfully completed the Medical Assistant program at Midwestern Career College. Next, Yasmine earned her pharmacy tech license, and YJC connected her with a paid work experience (which is like an internship) as a pharmacy technician at Walgreens. All through the process, YJC made sure Yasmine had everything she needed for success, offering assistance with transportation (to get to and from both school and her job), school supplies, and uniforms. Coach Charlette notes, “Yasmine’s persistence and dedication have allowed her to greatly benefit from YJC’s services.” Indeed: Yasmine made good use of all her support and, after her paid work experience at Walgreens was complete, she got a permanent position as a pharmacy technician at Bienestar! Yasmine is enjoying her job and says, “My favorite thing about my new job is being able to prepare medications for patients and being able to support them physically and mentally.” The benefits don’t stop there; she adds, “I’ve gained lots of confidence and made relationships with coworkers.” Her next goal is to earn a nationally recognized professional Medical Assistant certification. YJC is helping by providing tutoring lessons for the exam, offering helpful studying tips, and keeping her feeling motivated. “I like working with my coach,” Yasmine says. “She really is on task with me, making sure I get things done and don’t waste time, and leads me into the pathway that I’m reaching for.” Yasmine has turned her dreams into her life and is headed for even bigger things. We’ve celebrated multiple successes with her in the year and a half since she’s been a YJC client, and we can’t wait to cheer her on as she accomplishes even more.

My work is the mission of developing our most important human resource… young people. Particularly, those who are NOT going through a traditional pathway of a University degree. Youth Job Center actually pays for our young people to get training and credentials at training centers and/or community college programs. We pay for paid work experiences so they can build their resumes and learn the industry they have an interest in. And we help them find the job by connecting with employers who understand that trade careers and non-degreed jobs and careers are available and important. And all of this is done through fundraising solely for the benefit of youth workforce. April 24, 2025. Join YJC for our annual gala at historic Chicago landmark Revel Motor Row. You’ll be in for a fun-filled evening of dining, connecting, and learning, all in support of YJC’s life-changing youth workforce development programs. Your ticket includes cocktails, dinner, and desserts (and, if you select the V.I.P. option, access to an exclusive V.I.P. reception one hour prior to the main event). https://lnkd.in/g_WjznYu

Join us for a live panel discussion on youth employment in Chicago! ⬇️ 🔸 WHEN & WHERE 🔸 - Wednesday, March 19, 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. - City Colleges of Chicago-Harry S Truman College, 1145 W. Wilson Ave., Chicago 🔹 PANELISTS 🔹 - Kenyon Douglass, LCPC (Executive Director, Workforce Equity Initiative, City Colleges of Chicago: Kennedy King College) - Cierra Morris (Workforce Equity Initiative Director, Triton College) - Awilda González Reyes, BHD, MHEdL (Director of Chicagoland WIOA Programs, National Able Network) - Paul Thompson (Chief Economic Empowerment Officer, YWCA Metropolitan Chicago) We'll share more information about our diverse and seasoned panel of experts in the coming weeks. Until then, mark your calendar, tell your friends, and plan to join us!

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.