Year Up Chicago Recognizes Talent Among Urban Young Adults in Chicago
Published: May 13, 2013
Despite talent and motivation, 6.7 million young adults in this country lack access to higher education and careers that provide them with a living wage.
At the same time, our economy needs help. U.S. businesses are calling for more and better-trained talent to compete on the global stage, but there will not be enough skilled workers to meet that demand.
On May 8th, hundreds of Chicagoans and thousands of Americans participated in Year Up's Walk for Opportunity. We took to the streets to raise awareness of the talent that lives in our cities, and the need for effective training programs that connect talented young people with employers that need their skills.
We walked because we believe in our students, and we believe that Chicago’s urban young adults are economic assets, not social liabilities.
Year Up is an intensive, one year program focused on preparing urban young adults (ages18-24, with a high school diploma or GED) for corporate careers. The first 6 months of the program are focused on coursework in the areas of information technology, business communications, and professional skills. After successful completion of the coursework, the students are then placed on a six month internship with a corporate company. Some of our corporate partners include JP Morgan Chase, Google, and Bank of America. Additionally, through our program our students have the ability to earn up to 18 college credits from Harold Washington College for free, as well as an educational stipend totaling approximately $600 per month while they are taking classes and $900 per month while they are in their internship. Year Up has achieved wonderful outcomes including 100% placement of qualified students in internships, 84% employed or in school full time within 4 months of completing our program, and graduates of our program have an average starting salary of approximately $30,000 annually.
For more information about Year Up or to find out how you can reach your full potential, call us at 312-726-5300 x4514. Our next class begins in August and we are now accepting applications.
A strong Year Up applicant will:
- Be motivated and have a positive attitude
- Have an interest in technology
- Be able to handle a college level class (community college English 100 or 101)
- Be able to commute downtown every day and commit to the entire year of the program
- Be able to meet high expectations regarding punctuality, attendance, completing assignments