YAPWorx®: Workforce Development for Young People Facing Employment Barriers
Connecting to the world of work is something most young people are able to with just a little help. Unfortunately, many of the participants we serve need extra support connecting to people and experiences to develop the knowledge, skills, and abilities required for long-term labor market success. Young people we serve have lower rates of labor force participation and fewer opportunities to discover their own unique contribution to the world of work. YAP® Advocates expose young people to career pathways, service opportunities and skill building opportunities. Through their donations to the Tom Jeffers Endowment Fund for Continuing Education scholarship, YAP® staff also help to “spark” program participants' investments in education, skills training, and pursuing positive lifestyles by showing them how it relates to future economic self-sufficiency.
YAP®’s Workforce Development model is developed on a Positive Youth Justice (PYJ) framework. It’s a departure from traditional Workforce Development approaches used 1:1 or in groups; and it is individualized to meet the specific needs of each program participant. It can be delivered in a classroom, living room, kitchen table, or on a front stoop or park bench. YAP® Advocates are “feet in the street” and meet program participants where they are, building a trust relationship through their relentless outreach and responsiveness to individualized needs and preferences. These attributes help to engage individuals who otherwise may not succeed in more traditional workforce development programs.