While many teens were off the clock this summer, 40 Philadelphia-area students ages 15 to 19 developed the workforce development skills, connections and confidence to launch their careers.
Through the Greater Philadelphia YMCA’s NextGen Teen Leadership programs, students completed a Workforce Development Career Bootcamp at the Community College of Philadelphia. For several, the experience has already opened doors to real-world opportunities.
“When we believe in young people, challenge them to achieve more, and give them access to the resources they need, they consistently exceed expectations. I’ve seen it happen time and time again” said Joe Ferguson, the president and CEO of the Greater Philadelphia YMCA, in a press release. “Youth development is at the core of who we are at the Y, and this bootcamp is that promise in action. We commit to more than instruction. We put them in a college classroom, connect them with employers and help them see themselves in careers they may never have imagined. Watching three of them walk into a top law firm is proof-of-concept for our NextGen program and its partners. When a community invests in its young people this way, everyone’s future gets brighter.”
Over the course of the bootcamp, students moved through hands-on learning and career-focused workshops designed to prepare them for the modern workplace.
They built essential skills in resume writing, interviewing, and professional etiquette; gained digital literacy training through CISCO; and developed financial literacy in partnership with Junior Achievement USA. The goal isn’t just exposure, but a genuine path to employment. That path is already taking shape.
Additional Information
Following the program, three students — Shou Shi, Nala Noel and Justin Evans — were selected for externship opportunities with Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP, one of the region’s leading law firms. They are gaining direct exposure to a professional legal environment.
The bootcamp is part of the Y’s NextGen suite of teen-focused leadership and development programs, which includes Y Achievers, Youth Civic Engagement, Model United Nations, and the Teen Tech Center, among others.
Across the NextGen portfolio, students develop character, strengthen their social-emotional skills, and build community with their peers while exploring college, career, and civic pathways. The Workforce Development Career Bootcamp reflects the Y’s growing focus on equipping teens with the practical, professional skills employers say today’s young workforce most needs.
Why It Matters
According to the Greater Philadelphia YMCA, this type of program matters for teens for the following reasons:
- Employers say young workers need exactly these skills. A 2024 Harris Poll of 1,200 managers conducted for Fortune, found 82% said their Gen Z hires need additional training in soft skills like communication and problem-solving — the very abilities this bootcamp targets. Source: The Harris Poll / Fortune (2024) → fortune.com
- Career programs boost earnings for young people. Rigorous evaluations of youth workforce programs — including paid-internship models like New York City’s Young Adult Internship Program — found participants earned more in the year after completing the program than their peers. Source: J-PAL North America / MDRC via ACF (2017) → educationtoworkforce.org
- Career programs reach youth who face the steepest barriers. A J-PAL North America review of 13 randomized studies found summer youth employment programs boost earnings and disproportionately serve youth from low-income households and youth of color who face higher-than-average barriers to entering the labor market. Source: MIT News / J-PAL North America (2022) → news.mit.edu
