STL Youth Jobs

Since 2013, STL Youth Jobs (STLYJ) has provided training and paid work experiences to more than 7,800 young people from under-resourced neighborhoods of St. Louis City and North County. In partnership with other youth-serving organizations (including the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, Fathers & Families Support Center, and the St. Louis Internship Program), STLYJ helps strengthen the ecosystem for youth employment in our region.

Evaluation results over the past three years have shown the following:

• 93% of STLYJ participants rated their job-readiness skills more highly at the end of the program as compared to the beginning. Skills showing the most improvement included workplace communication, motivation/work ethic, problem solving, and dependability.
• 92% of STLYJ participants indicated they were more confident and prepared for seeking employment in the future.
• 91% of STLYJ participants reported they had gained new professional contacts, including summer employment supervisors who were willing to provide future references.
• 86% of STLYJ participants reported savings from their summer earnings; of these, 56% saved $600 or more and planned to use their savings for college tuition, the future purchase of a car, the purchase of computer equipment, and/or for starting their own businesses (among other personal and family expenses).
• Employer-partners reported that 90% of their youth workers were ready for future entry-level positions at the conclusion of their internships.
• 75% of employers indicated that their STLYJ participants were assets to their organizations, adding valuable knowledge, skills, and/or experience to the workplace. 

From career exploration to acceleration, STL Youth Jobs is responsive to a variety of ages and skill levels by meeting youth where they are within their life journeys and offering three service delivery models:

-Discover You, for youth ages 14 and 15, providing skills training and work-based experiences that help youth learn about themselves, explore career paths/occupations of interest, and build awareness of how those paths match their own strengths, interests, and values.

-Summer Work Experience (SWE) serves young people between the ages of 16 and 24, providing training, financial education, mentoring/Job Coaching, and paid summer jobs that enable participants to explore different careers/occupations, develop early job skills, and gain work experience. 

-Career Accelerator Pathway (CAP) for young adults, ages 18 to 24, building upon participants' existing skills and accelerating the pursuit of postsecondary/career success through advanced training and intermediate-level work experiences in participants' desired career pathways.

This continuum of services provides a natural progression of activities and experiences to support young people in their career development while contributing to their financial stability and building a foundation for social and economic mobility.