Youth Job Development

The department provides youth employment services for at-risk adolescents and young adults, age 15 through 25. Services are provided at selected WorkSource Center and EDD Office sites. Services include job search/placement, job training, a mentoring program, peer counseling on employment issues, and workshops. There are no geographic restrictions.

The program is targeted to youth and young adults who are at risk of dropping out of school, or at risk of not meeting their educational goals. The program emphasizes education, assessment and peer advising. Youth who meet eligibility as "at risk" may include economically disadvantaged youth, foster or homeless youth, gang members, minority youth, youth with poor literacy or language skills, youthful offenders and teen parents.

Peer advisers, who are selected from YEOP participants, work as advisers in the YEOP program under the direction of EDD staff mentors. The Youth Aides or Student Assistants receive intensive on-the-job training as job service specialists, and provide assessment and advisement to help youth attain their goals. EDD staff and YEOP student assistants also work together to present workshops on education and employment issues for participants.