YOUTH JOB TRAINING
WORKFORCE INNOVATION AND OPPORTUNITY ACT (WIOA)
Reducing economic barriers for eligible participants pursuing educational and career goals
Our WIOA program offers out-of-school youth (16-24 years old) with a High School Diploma or GED an opportunity to participate in training that will assist them in obtaining employment. Through this program, we serve disenfranchised populations of youth that have limited work skills, lack work experience, and face other barriers to economic success; provide education and training options to help unemployed young adults access quality jobs and advance in their careers; and help disadvantaged, and unemployed young adults earn while they learn through support services and effective employment-based activities. Since 1998, Bethel Family Resource Center has helped more than 2,000 young people find jobs through our employment programs. We help job seekers prepare for and find jobs, connect them to career services, and provide a range of resources, including:
- Paid Occupational training in 40 high demand careers
- Post-secondary education
- Resume writing & Interview skills
- Financial literacy
- Job placement
The Illinois Youth Investment Program (IYIP)
The Illinois Youth Investment Program (IYIP) is a multi-faceted approach to youth employment that invests in the future of Illinois’ at-risk transition-age youth (16-24). This approach to youth employment accounts for the youth’s employment barriers as well as the physical, emotional, social, and mental health needs while helping them to secure and sustain long-term and/or career employment, thereby ensuring a greater likelihood of success and self-sufficiency. The Department has identified four program categories designed to consider various stages of a youth’s employment readiness and needs. This multi-faceted approach allows providers to consider programming and services best suited to meet the needs of young people.
Though IYIP we offer:
- Short-term, Summer Employment
- Work-based Learning
- Career Development Experience
- Pre-Apprenticeship programs
- Long-term Employment
- Youth Apprenticeship programs
OPPORTUNITY WORKS
Opportunity Works trains out-of-school youth in suburban Cook County and connects them with businesses looking for new employees. If you are selected for this program, you will participate in a paid internship exposing you to exciting careers that you may not have thought about before. Opportunity Works will also connect you to the resources you need to get a good-paying job.
In addition to job training, our participants undertake hands-on training in the full range of construction-based activities under the watchful eye of experienced tradespeople. Our youth also receive OHSA 10 certification before being placed on a construction-related worksite.
