As a sponsor of the Opportunity Youth Job Fair on April 13, Prosper Portland joined a coalition of public and private partners committed to getting more young adults into the workforce. The event helped out-of-school and out-of-work teens and young adults connect with area employers, practice interviews and fill out job applications. More than 100 volunteers helped with registration, practice interviews, and orienting the young adults to various services.
Notable outcomes include:
- 63 percent of attendees self-identified as persons of color.
- 209 young adults interviewed for jobs, and 103 received job offers. The average salary offered was $14.30/hour.
- 100 young adults spent up to 30 minutes each with volunteers practicing interview skills.
- 150 young adults worked at the computer stations to fill out online job applications or to begin their Worksystems SummerWorks/Connect2Career job seeker profiles.
- Bishops Barbershops provided 40 free haircuts for attendees in preparation for their engagement with employers.
- Every young adult who came on public transportation received a free ride home courtesy of TriMet.
- A number of young adults took advantage of records expungement services offered by Metropolitan Family Services.
- Attendees were able to connect with a handful of organizations – including Black Male Achievement, The Urban League, and Self-Enhancement, Inc. – with resources and programming to help young adults of color succeed.
The youth who attended and did not find immediate employment will be contacted by Worksystems staff to register for SummerWorks and Connect2Careers, where they can complete Essential Workplace Skills training giving them access to more than 1,500 placements in paid internships this summer.
