In the Spotlight This Month,

Photograph of Rachel Borkin

A Q&A with Jobs for Youth’s Junior Board Co-Chair

Rachel Borkin

Rachel has been a volunteer for last several years with Jobs for Youth and is now also the Co-Chair of its Junior Board.

Please give us some background information on JFY and how you're servicing youth in Chicago?

The mission of Jobs for Youth (JFY) is to help young men and women from low-income families become a part of the economic mainstream; and, in the process, to provide the business community with motivated, job-ready workers. JFY's core program includes pre- employment training, job placement, GED instruction and supportive services.

All of JFY's program activities take place at its offices in Chicago's downtown Loop business district, located at 50 East Washington Street, Fourth Floor. The clients in JFY’s program come from neighborhoods throughout the City of Chicago and adjacent lower- income suburbs. JFY currently serves more than 1,200 youths annually, and makes over 1,000 job placements with up to 500 employers in a wide variety of fields ranging from health care to retail, hospitality, financial services, security, small businesses, corporate offices, and much more.

What it is your role with Jobs for Youth (JFY)? How did you get started with the organization and what led you to getting involved?

Two and a half years ago, a family friend, who currently sits on the executive board, introduced me to JFY. I started coming to JFY during my lunch hour and observing volunteers teach classes on resume writing, strengths and weaknesses, networking etc. Once I felt comfortable I began teaching those classes myself. The more time I spent at JFY, the more I wanted to get involved. About a year and a half ago I joined the Junior Board, and recently became Vice Chair. The Junior Board’s mission is to create awareness and generate funding for JFY programs by reaching out to young professionals through social, fundraising and outreach activities. One of the Junior Board’s recent projects has been raising money for a program called the “Breakfast Club.” It came to our attention that many JFY clients often have to choose between CTA fare and a meal. We did not want them to have to make that decision anymore – so we raised enough money to serve breakfast every morning for all JFY clients.

How do the participants in your program typically find out about JFY and what commitments/requirements do you ask of them?

The two most popular ways JFY clients find out about JFY is word-of-mouth and the free Employment Source newspaper.

JFY participants must meet the following requirements:

Please tell us about JFY's workshops and seminars? How do these programs help prepare them for career opportunities?

JFY has four programs:

The Work Readiness/Life Skills Workshop is the core program for students seeking career opportunities. Subjects include:

After an initial assessment and meeting with a member of the JFY team, students register for the workshop. Classes meet for 8 days, from 9 am until 3 pm. Students’ assigned counselors provide assistance with such life issues as child care referrals, interviewing apparel and transportation if necessary. Over the course of the program, students learn to identify their skills and strengths and use them toward determining their career options.

After completing the workshop, all clients are assigned a Job Developer who will work with you toward finding the right job. JFY continues to offer assistance for up to two years.

How do young professionals assist with this process (i.e. mock interviews, job searches, resume building)?

JFY has a volunteer program that has been designed to fit anyone’s schedule. Each day the Work Readiness/Life Skills Workshop has two 45-minute time slots during the lunch hour, where volunteers come and teach a class on Internet searching, strength and weaknesses resume writing etc. Each volunteer receives a booklet with a suggested curriculum on each topic. I have found the best way to learn is by observing other volunteers teach a class. Once a volunteer feels comfortable with the topic and the classroom setting, you can start to teach on your own. Young professionals can also volunteer as a GED tutor for JFY’s GED preparation program.

Tell us about some of the companies that partner with and hire youth from JFY and what type of positions are they recruiting for?

Jobs for Youth works with a variety of employers from different industries that hire JFY Graduates. In FY06, JFY Graduates worked: 26% Retail, 18% Customer Services, 16% administration, 16% General Labor, 14% Food Service, 6% Security, and 4% Banking.

What have you enjoyed most about volunteering with JFY and/or what would you like to communicate to other young professionals thinking about getting involved with JFY?

Serving as a volunteer instructor and Junior Board member has been extremely rewarding. The skills we teach JFY clients (i.e. how to write a resume, how to network, how to interview well) are ones many of us take for granted but are undeveloped for most JFY clients. By increasing JFY clients’ capacity to gain employment I am making a contribution difficult to find in the everyday business world. Additionally, on another level, as vice chair of the Junior Board, I gain satisfaction by helping to find the resources and develop the support systems that JFY needs for continued success.