Career Readiness Helps Youth Move Forward

Devon is a creator. His vision for his future includes a career in carpentry and the construction industry and a hobby in songwriting and music production. At Covenant House Greater Washington, he says, he’s finding the resources to advance both interests.

While Devon has been coming regularly to the CHGW career program for just a short while, he’s already seeing a way forward, he says.

“Ever since I’ve been coming here, I’ve been getting more resources, applying for jobs, going to events, and joining the social groups they have here,” he shares.

“I’m also trying to help myself by trying to stay on task and on that path that I’m going down — which is a good path, one that I want to stay on,” Devon says.

Helping Youth Find Their Passion

Devon is one of about 20 to 30 youth who comprise a CHGW career readiness cohort. With support from the workforce development team, a battery of community partners, and the youths’ own commitment, each cohort moves through a five-week preparedness program that sets young people up for success in a job or career.

“You just build yourself up,” says Devon, “and build up what it is you want to have going good in your life, so you can take a step forward for your future.”

Kevin Walker is CHGW’s workforce development director and an educator with 20 years’ experience. He says he aims to help Devon and all the youth at Covenant House figure out what their passion is and help them turn that passion into a career and cultivate their interests.

To help youth connect their passion to the world of work, he engages corporate and community partners that can make a difference for youth during their career readiness training, their search for employment, and their pursuit of a career. Partners include Cisco, OurFarm, American University, NAACP, Melwood, Infinity Solutions, and many others.

When a company representative with a given expertise — whether in hospitality, education, electronics, or another field — is at CHGW to make repairs, volunteer, or learn more about our mission, Kevin says he immediately thinks, “What would it look like if we could give that expertise to our youth?”

Individualized Attention for Job Readiness

While the youth move together in their cohorts through the career readiness training, every young person receives individualized attention, Kevin underscores.

He meets each of the youth and starts them off with a career readiness kit to help them think through job and career choices. The kit includes a skills assessment, career reflection questions, interview flash cards, and “mindfulness dice” to help them remain focused through the ups, downs, and challenges of their preparation and job search.

Kevin tracks the youths' progress as they begin training in basic employment skills such as digital literacy and resume writing and as they connect to experiential learning opportunities, including mock interviews and pre-internships. All the while, each young person meets weekly, one-on-one, with a case manager.

Graduation and Career Fair

At the conclusion of the five-week career readiness training, CHGW celebrates the youths’ graduation with a job fair to help them get hired and support their next steps.

“In week five, youth are meeting with their case manager to determine what those next steps are,” Kevin says.

“Do they immediately need a job that can support housing? If so, we'll continue to support them and track their progress at their job for 90 days,” he notes.

“Or will they move into our transitional living program and continue training in one of our seven career pathways?” he asks. “The pathways include construction, culinary arts, music production, information technology, CNA-medical, urban farming, and gaming design and production.”

As Devon makes his way through these initial five weeks, he’s learning what it will take to advance his plan to pursue a career in carpentry and the construction industry, and he is not daunted.

“I’m interested in going to trade school,” he says. “I know I need to do some things to get into trade school and then I’ll have to do some things while I’m there, so I can get the certificates for the jobs I’m interested in.”

At Covenant House Greater Washington, he also knows he can count on the relentless support he needs to see his way through these challenges, achieve his goals, and start creating.