Career Exposure, Immersion, & Experience for Central MA Youth
2023 By the Numbers…
- $34 million: State funds invested in youth summer and year-round employment
- 7,655: Youth hired through state YouthWorks funding
- 611: Worcester area youth placed in jobs by WCAC (see below)
- 78+: Worcester area employers hosted YouthWorks participants
WCAC Sparks YouthWorks Program Successes in Worcester
Partnerships between MassHire regional workforce boards and state and local employer partners drives youth employment in the Commonwealth. In 2023, the Worcester Community Action Council (WCAC) placed more than 600 youth in jobs across multiple industries. Discover how collaborations propelled the YouthWorks 2023 Summer program in Central MA and the real, tangible benefits to participants, employers, and the regional economy.
Dakota's Six Months from Fast Food Server to Healthcare Hero
When Dakota Wright graduated high school in Spring 2022, “I was a kid with little ambition, working part time at McDonalds making minimum wage. I didn’t know what else I could do.” She knew one thing, though: An innate ability and affinity to care for elderly people. So, she decided to become a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)/Home Health Aide.
While talking about her goal, she found out her elder siblings participated in The Fieldstone School’s CNA program. “I applied and was accepted to Fieldstone’s Healthcare Career Development Program,” she said. After enrolling in September 2022, she cited The Fieldstone School’s personal case management as “a key factor that helped me finish the program, pass the state exam, and earn my CNA license.” Dakota works weekends at a local nursing home and earns $26/hour.
The Fieldstone School unleashed her inner learner, she reflects: “I’m enrolled full-time at QCC pursuing an Associate Degree in Business/Real Estate and hope to become a realtor.”
Acknowledging the challenges of balancing school, work, and family, Dakota says, “I want to do better in life: I’m going focus on my work and studies, buy a car, and not get overwhelmed by things I can’t control.”
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) programs are administered by the U.S. DOL. WIOA supports job seekers and business by providing career and training services such as job search help, workforce preparation, and classroom and work-based learning opportunities. The Fieldstone School, LLC is a WIOA Youth subcontractor.
Hopedale & Sutton YouthWorks Students Sharpen Multimedia Skills
A YouthWorks participant from Hopedale delivered a presentation to adults and peers about his summer work experience at Northbridge Community Cable TV, sharing that the program helped him grow his communication skills exponentially.
A Sutton YouthWorks participant created and shared this video capturing his summer work experience, which involved scripting and helping produce a VR experience showcasing a local company.
YouthWorks is a state-funded youth employment program operated by Commonwealth Corporation. Participants (teens and young adults up to age 25) are placed in paid short-term jobs (6-8 weeks) during the summer and/or year-round (September – May). YouthWorks programs use the Signal Success curriculum to help participants learn and practice skills they use at work, school, and in life.