Ending Youth Homelessness

Homeless Youth Employment Services

PRO Youth Employment - The New Working Zone

Employment services are essential for homeless youth who have to support themselves and maintain stable housing.

The Working Zone provides employment training services to homeless young people by offering paid internships. It is part of PRO Youth, a partnership of the City of Seattle and seven local social service agencies operating throughout King County.

Each year, more than 100 homeless youth between the ages of 15 and 22 enroll at the Working Zone job sites. At these sites, youth gain employment skills including professional behavior, work ethics, job search and retention, writing, and customer service.

This Working Zone homeless youth employment program, started in 1994, is funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development McKinney Act, and by City of Seattle General Funds. In 2011, approximately $96,895 in local funding leveraged an additional $315,270 in federal funds for the Working Zone.

2011 Funded Agencies and Programs

• Catholic Community Services University District Youth Center, serving the University District and North Seattle
• YMCA, serving southeast Seattle
• YouthCare Orion Center, serving downtown Seattle and Capitol Hill

Barista Training and Employment

The Barista Training and Education Program is run by YouthCare and serves youth and young adults ages 16-24. The program is housed in YouthCare's Orion Center and partners with FareStart to deliver an 8 week Barista training curriculum. Interns receive case management to assist in housing stability, internship completion, educational achievement (either GED or high school credit) and job placement.

YouthCare's Barista Training and Education Program began in 2003 and received City of Seattle funding starting September 2007, providing approximately $64,584 of General Funds in 2010.

Information

For more information about this program and other Seattle Human Services Department-funded youth programs, call 206-386-1017 or e-mail youthservices@seattle.gov.

For information about The Working Zone, call the program at 206-633-7901. For information about related programs, call the 211 Community Information Line by dialing 211 or 1-800-621-4636.

Resources

Youth CONNECTED: A Youth Employment, Training and Education Resource Guide - Is a resource guide offering program descriptions, eligibility and age requirements, and contact information for resources and organization in the local community that provide enrichment for young adults. Youth CONNECTED is the result of partnerships between the Seattle Human Services Department, Seattle Office of Economic Development, Seattle Office for Education, Seattle Jobs Initiative, and the Seattle-King County Workforce Development Council.

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.