Youth Networked Services

Paid Work Experience is a short-term employment opportunity designed to boost work skills. For 190 hours, participating program members will work with a local business as an employee. PathPoint will pay wages, offering the employer no cost labor, and the youth a chance to gain knowledge of a leading industry. No previous work experience is necessary to participate.

YNS offers bus passes and gas cards to support program members in job seeking, school attendance, and program participation. In limited cases this program can also support with vehicle maintenance fees when connected with employment need.

Program members have the opportunity to shop for clothes with a Youth Specialist when they are preparing for an interview. They are also given the option to shop for work clothes if specialized uniforms are required for their job or Paid Work Experience. Members will receive guidance from YNS staff, but will ultimately be allowed to shop based on their personal brand.

For specialized careers that require higher education or greater experience, program members will have the chance to shadow local businesses and learn about the career path connected with employment in that sector.  These members will also have the chance to meet with their Youth Specialist to discuss different goals, and the appropriate paths to take for employment in the career of their choice.

YNS offers workshops inncluding, Work Readiness, Financial Literacy, and Post-Secondary Preparation. In these workshops, people learn about the necessary skills required to find and keep a job, and how different skills contribute to overall success. 

In YNS, we want to celebrate our members’ accomplishments--with monetary incentives for completing goals related to employment or education.  This means money for good grades, finding/keeping jobs, high school or college graduation, workshop completion, and more!

YNS is dedicated to removing barriers to education and employment for youth. If a program member comes across a need for support or financial assistance, we will work to find a way to overcome that barrier as a team.  We can offer many other supportive services based on need, so if you aren’t sure, feel free to ask!