Employers that provide Boston’s young adults with a good first job can make an incredible difference in their lives while filling a key business need. Boston’s two career centers, MassHire Downtown Career Center (at JVS) and the new MassHire Boston ABCD Career Center, help employers connect with recent BPS graduates who are looking for their first career-track job.
Knowing that a significant number of BPS graduates never start or finish college, the PIC and the two career centers are piloting young adult career center services with the goal of preparing young adults to succeed in a range of employment opportunities.
The young adult career center services empower young adults to explore careers, develop skills, and gain access to jobs and job training. Young adult career navigators at both career centers engage young adults with interest inventories, skills assessments, individualized career plans, guest speakers from various industries, and virtual reality career exploration technology. The team helps them imagine their long-term career goals, manage their finances, and think about the future while surviving in the short-term.
In addition, the PIC’s High School Transitions Coordinator connects non-college-going Boston Public Schools students to the career centers, so that they are familiar with the system before graduation.
The work is funded by a grant to the Opportunity Youth Collaborative from the Ballmer Group and the Aspen Forum for Community Solutions.