YJC July 2022 Newsletter
YJC's New Information Technology Training Program!
YJC has partnered with National Able to create a free Information Technology (IT) training program! This accelerated training program is designed to help clients transition from the classroom into careers in just 16-weeks. The training program includes a combination of classroom instruction and online coursework, with 18-hours of coursework per week. The program is fully funded through our WIOA grant and all clients will receive a laptop which they can keep!

Upon completion, clients will receive three industry recognized certifications: Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA), CISCO Certified Network Associate (CCNA), and ITIL 4-Foundation Level. To enroll, clients must be between the ages of 18-24 years old, currently be out-of-school and legally eligible to work in the United States.

Evanston's Mayor's Summer Youth Employment Program

Each summer YJC partners with the City of Evanston for the Mayor's Summer Youth Employment Program (MSYEP). MSYEP provides Evanston Township High School students with workforce development training and job opportunities. The program gives youth nine weeks of entry-level work experience in a variety of jobs and industries within the community.

This year, there are 46 youth participating in the MSYEP and our staff is hard at work ensuring each student is trained for their new jobs! Since launching earlier this summer, our team has trained clients in: confident communication, conflict resolution, goal setting, career exploration, financial literacy and credit building, and the importance of personal branding. Each session, clients have been actively participating to ensure they fully grasp the subject material. We also have introduced a weekly raffle for clients based on their attendance, so far six youth have won an Echo Show!
Our FY21 Annual Report is here! Click here to view.
Client of the Month

In February 2022, Jacinta began attending our high school Work-Readiness Trainings and Job Clubs to help support her with job preparation, resume development, and more. Jacinta is a rising senior at Walter H. Dyett High School for the Arts and is currently participating in our This Way ONward (TWO) internship program with Old Navy.
 
Jacinta joined YJC eager for her next job and excelled during our TWO trainings. After completing training, she gained a part-time internship with Old Navy as a Brand Associate. Jacinta loves engaging with the customers and assisting them with their needs. Whether that’s finding a certain clothing item or just making conversation while they shop. She is happy to be a part of a team where she continues to grow and learn new things. After the internship is complete, Jacinta plans to continue to work at Old Navy!
 
Congratulations, Jacinta! YJC is proud of all your accomplishments and can’t wait to see what the future holds for you.
Looking for a job?

If you've been looking for work, or are having trouble landing a job, then come to one of our Work-Readiness Training (WRT) sessions. WRT prepares youth 18-25 years of age to succeed in finding and keeping a job. If you are interested in attending one, please click here to learn more! 


Upcoming Work-Readiness Training sessions:

  • July 25th - 29th and August 1st - 5th, Monday - Friday from 10am - 12pm
  • August 8th - 12th and August 15th - 19th, Monday - Friday from 10am - 12pm

Meet the YJC Team

Meet our Training Manager, Brittiny! Brittiny joined our team as a Career Advisor almost a year ago, working to enroll clients into our Career Pathways program and assisting them in gaining certifications in a trade. Now as our Training Manager, she helps our clients prepare for the workforce by facilitating our work-readiness trainings. Brittiny grew up in Englewood and saw that there were not many options for youth to grow within her community. She shared joining YJC felt like home! She loves having the opportunity to help youth in her community find success in the workplace and most importantly, life.

Brittiny’s favorite part of her work is interacting and engaging with our clients and watching them achieve their goals. In February, Brittiny worked with a shy, yet determined client who was not a native English speaker and had never had a job. Brittiny and her client worked together to overcome their language barriers and Brittiny assisted them in enrolling into an ESL program and facilitated their job training. This client is now working at Jewel-Osco and thriving at work and school. Brittiny feels like a proud “mom” whenever they have a check-in!

The one piece of advice Brittiny would give today’s youth is “positivity breeds positivity. You determine the energy you will receive at work." When Brittiny is not facilitating YJC’s work-readiness trainings, she loves to surround herself with family and friends and travel.

Our clients are lucky to have such a wonderful support system in Brittiny!