City of Berkeley YouthWorks

City of Berkeley Youth Works for 14 year old?

Oct 2012

My son is turning 14 in February, and I was thinking to send him to Youth Works in March to get set up for a summer job. I am concerned that he is unmotivated and left alone he would spend the summer in front of his computer for hours (we cannot afford the $500 week day camps!). Is Youth Works a good program for kids that have never held a job and are not particularly motivated or driven to do so? Has anybody had any experience with this program? anon

Just wanted to give a thumbs up on Youth Works. My son did 3 different stints there, one at BUSD, and 2 at City Hall. All were pretty mundane office type jobs, but it gave him work experience and some money in his pocket. Like everything else, persistence is key. They do take into account whether or not you've worked with them before, and will not give you an opportunity if you've just worked with them. All 3 jobs were short term, but they were all flexible in terms of vacations and time off. Mollie

No, your son has to be very motivated. That program has twice the number of applicants that they have positions for. The resume has to look good and should show paid or unpaid experience in either clerical work or work with children. Your son should show some genuine passion for wanting to work and demonstrate why he would be a good choice for the program, no matter how mundane the work might be, such as filing the whole time. In addition he must be available for two interviews and three mandatory 1-3 hour training sessions on weekends, usually called on short notice. (If you can't make it, you're out). From the application to the actual assignment, it is quite a process! These jobs are not just given to students, they basically have to earn them. My daughter worked in this program last winter when she was 14 and she enjoyed it. She is going to apply again right now. This program is a slice of real life work experience. Anonymous