The Aspire Youth Collaborative, which supports Valley of the Sun United Way’s goal to ensure youth succeed, is reporting 90 percent of participants successfully completed the Summer Youth Employment Program. The Program targets low-income youth between the ages of 14 and 24 currently living in Phoenix and the East Valley. Many participants face personal challenges such as homelessness or learning deficiencies and many have dropped out of high school.

Participants are provided with work readiness training and counseled on soft skills such as resume writing, interview skills and career exploration. Youth are then paired-up with jobs in a variety of Valley industries including local government, hospitality, retail, education and energy. Once employed, teens work with their case managers, who supervise them through orientation and provide ongoing support, to ensure a positive experience for both the youth and employer.

To learn more about United Way’s work to help youth succeed, please visit vsuw.org/our-work. More information on the Aspire program is available by visiting www.aspireaz.org.