The Youth Business Program is an 11-week immersive experience designed for youth and young adults aged 16–24 from underserved communities. This program provides essential job training, workforce development, and entrepreneurship skills to build a foundation for a successful career in tech, business, and the trades.
- Equip youth with job-ready skills and certifications.
- Foster entrepreneurial thinking and financial independence.
- Bridge opportunity gaps through mentorship, internships, and digital fluency.
- Provide pathways into tech, business, trades, and self-employment.
Phase 1: Career Foundations (Weeks 1-5)
Participants begin by building a professional foundation. This phase covers workforce readiness, resume development, and identifying career goals. It progresses into job-specific training tracks (Customer Service, OSHA-10, ServSafe), essential digital skills for the modern workplace, and a solid introduction to financial literacy, including budgeting and credit.
Phase 2: Entrepreneurship & Application (Weeks 6-8)
The focus shifts to an entrepreneurial mindset. Youth dive into a bootcamp on creating a business idea, branding, and storytelling. They then advance to pitch preparation, learning about pricing, marketing, and sales. The phase concludes with practical preparation for securing real-world opportunities through application writing, mock interviews, and job search strategies.
Phase 3: Real-World Experience & Launch (Weeks 9-11)
This final phase is all about practical application. Participants are placed in a community internship or job shadow for a full “Field Week” of on-site learning. They then finalize their career action plans with mentors and guest panelists, culminating in a Youth Business Showcase where they present their plans, compete in a pitch competition, and graduate from the program.
11-Week Program Breakdown
| Week | Theme & Key Activities |
|---|---|
| 1 | Orientation & Workforce Readiness: Program intro, goal setting, soft skills, resume/LinkedIn setup. |
| 2 | Understanding the Workforce: Industry overview, panel with local professionals, workplace rights. |
| 3 | Job Skills & Certification (Choice of Track): Customer Service (NRF), OSHA-10, or ServSafe certification training. |
| 4 | Digital Skills & Tech Readiness: Google Workspace, professional email/Zoom etiquette, intro to coding basics. |
| 5 | Financial Literacy Foundations: Budgeting, credit, savings, and an introduction to banking. |
| 6 | Youth Entrepreneurship Bootcamp: Business ideation, one-page business plan, branding workshop. |
| 7 | Advanced Entrepreneurship & Pitch Prep: Pricing, marketing, elevator pitches, and final pitch deck creation. |
| 8 | Internship & Apprenticeship Prep: Application writing, mock interviews, overview of local opportunities. |
| 9 | Community Internship/Job Shadow (Field Week): On-site placement with a local business or nonprofit. |
| 10 | Career Action Plans & Guest Panels: Finalizing plans with mentors, guest panel of entrepreneurs. |
| 11 | Youth Business Showcase & Graduation: Final presentations, pitch competition, and certification awards. |
Join Us in Building a Healthier Future
Invest in a Young Professional’s Future
Your partnership provides the mentorship, training, and opportunity young adults need to launch successful careers. Together, we can build a skilled workforce and empower the next generation of leaders.
For more information or to discuss collaboration, please email us at
info@givegoglobal.org or call +510-398-4743.