Youth Employment

Core Result: Youth Ready to Enter the Workforce / Children Ready to Learn and Succeeding in School

Youth Employment: Career Experience and Confidence

By linking numerous area businesses with teens for custom mentoring experiences, Youth Alliance is a regional leader in helping teens develop stronger career skills, academic skills and leadership drive.

Verbal instruction is important, but seeing how words translate into action is crucial during the teen years. The Youth Employment programs offered through Youth Alliance emphasize the importance of having positive role models. Journey to Unite Mentors and Parents (JUMP) and Northwest Missouri Mentoring Partnership (MMP) connect young people with adults willing to walk them through important life skills relating to employment and parenting.

YouthBuild, is a program for young adults, 17 – 24 years old.  This program is for those who have dropped out of high school and are motivated to change their lives for the better! YouthBuild St. Joseph has a construction or a Certified Nurse Assistant career pathway. If a person is interested in working in one of the construction unions or wants a foot in the door to the medical world, this program will make that possible. When enrolled, the young adult will have six months to earn their HSE and complete their training to start their career. Also, during those six months, the participant will be paid to be in class and training. That is right! PAID to learn. You can fill out an application here. Come learn, grow, and find purpose! We look forward to helping you on your journey!

Journey to Unite Mentors and Parents (JUMP) is a mentoring program designed to meet the unique needs and concerns of pregnant and parenting teens. A collaborative effort between the YWCA, Mosaic Life Care, and Youth Alliance, JUMP links teens with a trained mentor who provides support, encouragement, and occasional insight on parenting skills, academic achievements, and long-term goal setting. Program participants can provide in a variety of program activities including: school visits, group meetings, mentor mixers, and more to enhance their mentee/mentor relationships, and to gain the greatest benefit from the program.

Northwest Missouri Mentoring Partnership (MMP) is a program designed to develop employment skills in teens ages 15 ½ – 21 years. Young people in the mentoring program receive six job preparatory classes covering topics such as: job search, resume creation, application completion, writing a cover letter, interviewing skills and job retention. For participants who find employment, the program facilitates on-the-job mentoring relationships to build appropriate lifelong work habits.