Step 1: Apply
Check eligibility and apply
Job seekers, ages 14-24, should apply online. We will check your residency eligibility that directs you to the appropriate pathway.
We recruit youth from priority communities where our program can make the greatest impact. As our ability to employ youth expands, our priority communities will expand as well. All young people are encouraged to apply. Those who are residents of the priority communities will take precedence.
After submitting the application, check your email for confirmation that we received it.
step 2: Intake
Document review
After an application has been submitted, a Job Coach contacts the individual for an intake. The documents needed for intake are listed to the right. Please gather these documents before your scheduled intake & reach out to youth@stlyouthjobs.org if you need assistance gathering any of these items. During the intake, the Job Coach will review the essential employment documentation in order to be enrolled in programming.
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Step 3: train
Preparation to start experience
We invest in each youth with multiple types of trainings and skill-building to prepare them for success in the workforce. For many of our youth, their experience at STL Youth Jobs is their first job and this skill-building is critical. Employers receive job-ready youth, and youth are equipped with skills that will serve them for a lifetime. Our trainings include:
Job readiness: how to assemble a resume, fill out an application, search for jobs, network, and approach interviews.
Essential skills: how to dress for work, navigate coworker relationships, improve interpersonal skills, handle conflict, and professional presentation.
Financial literacy: understanding core components of budgeting, money management, how to handle checks and cash, and the importance of opening a checking and/or savings account.
Step 4: Job match & Work experience
Paid job or career shadowing with a local employer
Once a young person is ready for work, we connect them with a paid, valuable employment experience. These employers receive job-ready youth. Employers provide any necessary specialized training, employment oversight, and feedback. We consider the below factors to match young people at a worksite that best fits their needs:
Areas of interest – youth indicate areas of interest and we do our best to connect them to experience in this industry/sector.
Availability – we place a youth with an employer based on how an employer’s schedule and youth’s availability match.
Location – we also consider where the youth lives in proximity to the business location and access to transportation.
Skill building – we meet youth where they are in terms of skill level and help them gain the desire and needed skills based on their assessment and indicated interested. Youth are placed at worksites where they are able to grow and thrive in these areas.
Step 5: MENTORSHIP
Ongoing support from a Job Coach
From the earliest stages of the program, youth are connected to a Job Coach who is committed to their success. This Coach provides the initial assessment, works with both youth and employers throughout the duration of the program to ensure success and support, and provides additional resources to help remove barriers to employment. Job Coaches help young people accomplish their short-term employment goals while setting them up to accomplish their long-term goals.
step 6: evaluatE
Complete our online evaluation to share feedback about the program
All job seekers in the program that have logged hours at a worksite are encouraged to complete our end-of-program survey. Incentives are provided to compensate for the time it takes to complete the survey.