About the Nonprofit
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Our mission is to teach youth and young adults ages 16-24 the skills needed to secure and maintain meaningful employment, and to offer programs that help young people improve their employability, career choices, and quality of life.
YES serves as a bridge between young adults who are seeking employment and the local business community who are seeking capable and enthusiastic employees. Over the last fifty years, YES has served more than 50,000 local youth, at no cost, through our curriculum-based services.
YES serves young people ages 16-24. Orange County youth are as unique and individual as any, and YES makes every effort to provide programming wherever needed. As Orange County’s homeless and “unstably-housed” youth population grows, every effort is made to identify these clients and make services available. This occurs primarily through nonprofit community partners, though many reach out to us on their own.
We also serve high-functioning special needs classes, primarily through Orange County high schools, with great success.
All clients have the same goals—they want to earn, contribute both at home and in the community, and enjoy the satisfaction these things bring. Providing all clients the opportunity to learn the same skills demonstrates that learning about one’s self is a universal practice and that we all do it a little better with guidance.
Our key programming includes an Employment Skills Workshop, Personal Finance Workshop, and Mock Interview session. We likewise offer additional services such as Career Mentoring sessions, Resume Consultations, Job Search Assistance, and more.
Our foundational Employment Skills Workshop covers the skills needed to search for and secure employment. During this interactive, two-hour class, clients learn how to make themselves stand out by learning tips on the application process, identifying their skills/strengths, developing their elevator pitch, and gaining confidence in answering/asking interview questions. Clients leave feeling empowered and more confident in their interviewing process.
Often conducted in partnership with local banking professionals, our Personal Finance workshop teaches crucial financial literacy skills such as managing paychecks, opening bank accounts, budgeting, and establishing and maintaining good credit.
Our one-on-one Mock Interview sessions often feature us partnering with local business professionals which allows youth to hone presentation skills, calm nerves, and grow from immediate professional feedback.
