Youth Jobs+ A Win for the Community this Summer

1567-07162015_WFD-Olivia Quinonez Internships_BLOG_640x295px_v1_Ana is at Yerba Buena Alliance planning an event for 2,500 attendees. Demetrios is at Luminalt soaking up knowledge at this solar panel company. Christian spends his summer days surfing, as in gaining web marketing expertise at ROI-DNA.

Yes, summer 2015 means getting much-needed employment experience. This contrasts the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics numbers, which show a June 2015 unemployment rate of 18.1 percent for Americans aged 16-19 years.

There are 26 young adults who found employment via internships this summer with the help of MEDA’s indefatigable Job Coach Olivia Quiñonez. She is tasked with helping hone resumes, conducting mockup interviews and offering tips on what can make you stand out from the crowd as a jobseeker.

“I was pleased to work with such a determined group. They were eager to start working this summer and did what was needed to take them there,” explains Quiñonez.

Quiñonez did not undertake this task alone: she worked closely with United Way of the Bay Area, which runs Youth Jobs+, while SFMade located the paid internships. It was true community collaboration for the betterment of youth.

These jobs were at some top-notch companies. LinkedIn. Salesforce. Bank of America. At some jobs, the young adult will shadow employees from different departments, thereby deciding what their career path should be.

Youth Jobs+ helps young adults succeed in three ways:

  1. High school students can get their first real job, gaining valuable experiential knowledge of the world of work.
  2. Those who have not received their high school diploma will earn 10 credits, all while getting training and a paycheck.
  3. Those entering college can earn money for tuition and books.

“These are great summer jobs. Kids learn how to be the next generation of entrepreneurs. They can also add this work experience to their resume. That’s huge!” sums up a zealous Quiñonez.

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