YouthForce Internship Prepares Students for Their Future Careers

Daphine Barnes, director of STEM and Economic Mobility at Greater New Orleans (GNO), Inc. talks to YouthForce interns about the high-wage, high-demand careers in the New Orleans Region.

Strong National & Local Philanthropic Support Make the Summer Program Possible

About 150 rising high school seniors are building a foundation for their future careers by participating in YouthForce NOLA’s summer internship program. After offering a virtual program for two years because of the coronavirus pandemic, YouthForce Internship (YFI) has returned to in-person training.

YFI provides interns with work readiness and soft skills training, one-on-one coaching, and a paid internship with a local company in four fast-growing, high-wage industry clusters: business services, digital media/IT, health sciences, and skilled crafts. Interns, representing 24 New Orleans high schools, will be placed with such employers as LCMC Health, Ochsner Health, Landis Construction, and Cint Group (formally Lucid).

During the training stage, interns are taught a variety of soft skill and career development topics, ranging from interview skills to workplace attire. YFI interns also learn about potential careers, gain valuable work experience, internalize soft skills, and network with people in various career fields. 

“We are excited to have our summer interns meeting in person again. We believe a lot of essential skills are gained through observation and in-person application,” said Cate Swinburn, president and co-founder of YouthForce NOLA. “Without the generous financial support from our funding and industry partners we would not be able to offer our interns the quality programming needed to sharpen their foundations as future industry leaders.”

The following provided financial support for YFI this summer:

  • 21st Century Community Learning Centers (via the Louisiana Department of Education)

  • Bloomberg Philanthropies

  • JPMorgan Chase 

  • NBA Foundation

  • The Joe W. and Dorothy Dorsett Brown Foundation 

  • United Way of Southeast Louisiana & Baptist Community Ministries (Summer Impact Grant)

  • Donors to the YouthForce NOLA Economic Mobility Training Fund (Entergy Charitable Foundation, Phillips 66, RosaMary Foundation, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, and other generous individuals and organizations)

In response to the pandemic, YFI offered a virtual program for Spring 2020, Summer 2020, and Summer 2021. This year’s in-person program began June 1. Training will end June 24, with the internships scheduled June 27-July 29. To help ensure the safety of the interns and YFI staff, every intern received a free PCR COVID test on the first day of training. Tests, supplies, hands-on training, and support were  provided by the New Orleans Health Department. 

“The support from the Health Department has been a game changer for us,” said Paige Boetefuer, director of internships. “We can’t thank them and our other donors enough.”

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