Seattle Youth Employment Program

Seattle Youth Employment Program: Help with School and Jobs

The Seattle Youth Employment Program offers participants year-round academic support including tutoring and classes so they can complete homework assignments, earn high school credits, build basic writing and math skills, and prepare for standardized tests. The program also:

• provides many additional services including referrals to counselors if needed; social skills and leadership classes; college and career awareness workshops, job fairs and field trips; community service opportunities; violence prevention workshops; bus passes, vouchers for work clothes and other financial assistance; referrals to other services, and post-graduation follow-up;



• requires that participants improve school performance and have good school attendance before they can pursue jobs through the program; and



• helps participants attend the Seattle Public Schools Interagency Academy , which is located on the same floor as the Seattle Youth Employment Program.

To provide job training and skills development, the Seattle Youth Employment Program places youth in internships and jobs with businesses, nonprofit organizations or government agencies and pays their salaries. Youth who are making progress in school are employed about half time during the summer and for a few hours a week during the school year. In addition, the program:

• provides a way for many participants to find a summer job when they might not otherwise find one;



• teaches workplace behavior and entry-level job skills; work site supervisors provide detailed job expectations and daily on-site supervision; in addition, program staff visit work sites every week;



• offers services such as employment skills development workshops, resume writing coaching, job fairs and job search assistance; and



• includes Start Out, a Certified Nursing Assistant program at South Seattle Community College; Start Out classes and internships give about 20 bilingual youth from immigrant families a health care education, and help to fill the growing need for bilingual health care providers.

Each year increasing numbers of participants find temporary or permanent jobs on their own as a result of what they learned in the program. Local employers who have hired program youth include Washington Mutual, Port of Seattle, and Starbucks.

Seattle Human Services Department
Street address: 700 5th Avenue, Suite 5800, Seattle, WA 98104
Mailing address: PO Box 34215, Seattle, WA 98124-4215

Phone: 206-386-1001
Fax: 206-233-5119
TTY/TTD: 206-233-2778

Accommodations for people with disabilities provided upon request.