UB, YouthWorks Connect on Career Readiness
July 13, 2015
Contact: University Relations
Phone: 410.837.5739
The University of Baltimore and Baltimore City's YouthWorks initiative have partnered to provide an opportunity for a local high school student to gain experience in career preparation, professional development and financial literacy over the course of the summer. The student will spend the next five weeks immersed in UB's Career and Professional Development Center full-time, developing her understanding of the pathway from education to the workforce, increasing her knowledge about finances, and experiencing the everyday working world.
YouthWorks is a city-administered workforce development program that matches young people between the ages of 14 and 21 to five-week work experiences with private sector, nonprofit, and city and state government employers. UB has more than 100 YouthWorks students on its campus over the course of the summer, participating in college readiness classes, polishing their resumes, and engaging in campus-life activities.
In the Career Center, the student is learning about the essentials of proper preparation for a college education—specifically, that planning out a major can help ensure a student or new graduate's marketability across a range of careers.
"Upon completion of the program, our YouthWorks participant will have developed a professional resume, practiced her interviewing skills, developed a professional pitch and completed a career portfolio," said Lakeisha Mathews, director of the center.
There's more to it than just picking the right classes, of course. College students are encouraged to explore their intellectual interests, their personal passions, and their hidden talents—and to search for a career that matches those elements. That dream job is out there, Matthew said, but the path to it may be circuitous, or unconventional. Self-awareness, said, can be the difference between reaching a career goal and settling for something less than ideal.
In addition to the career preparation available to the YouthWorks participant, UB also is offering insights into financial literacy—what to do with the remuneration gained from a good career. Banking, taxes, investing and other money management basics will be taught to the participant via professionals at UB, including faculty, staff and alumni volunteers.
Learn more about the University of Baltimore's Career and Professional Development Center.
The University of Baltimore is a member of the University System of Maryland and comprises the College of Public Affairs, the Merrick School of Business, the UB School of Law and the Yale Gordon College of Arts and Sciences.