Year Up

Year Up's mission is to close the Opportunity Divide by providing urban young adults with the skills, experience, and support that will empower them to reach their potential through professional careers and higher education. We achieve this mission through a high support, high expectation model that combines marketable job skills, stipends, internships, college credit, a behavior management system and several levels of support to place these young adults on a viable path to economic self-sufficiency. Year Up currently serves more than 1,500 students a year at sites in Atlanta, Boston, Providence, New York City, San Francisco and Washington, D.C.

Our Program

Year Up is a one-year, intensive training program that provides urban young adults, ages 18-24, with a combination of hands-on skill development, college credits, and corporate internships.

During the first six months of the program, participants focus on skill mastery in one of two areas: 1) Desktop Support / IT Help Desk; 2) Investment Operations. Equal emphasis is placed on developing the professional skills required in today's workplace such as effective communication, leadership, and teamwork.

During the second six months of the program, students are placed in internships with local partner companies. A stipend is provided to all participants throughout the one-year, full-time educational program.

Our Impact

We have achieved excellent results to date:

• 100% placement of qualified students into internships
• 83% student retention
• 90% of interns meet or exceed partner expectations
• 87% of graduates placed in full or part-time positions
• $15/hr average wage at placement