Model and Strategy
Genesys Works (GW) has bridged the gap between the declining number of low-income youth accessing good jobs and businesses’ growing need for diverse talent since 2013 in the Bay Area, and nationally since 2002. To do that, GW engages local companies to play a direct role in the transformation of underserved students and create innovative ways to build the skilled talent they need.
The program starts with an intensive training that empowers students with 21st century skills employers look for. Then, GW recruits businesses like Salesforce and Okta to hire students for a year-long paid internship where they experience the jobs of the future. This inspires students to expand their vision of what is possible, while involving corporate employees in student success and shifting their mindset of what high school students are capable of.
Through business partnerships, GW gives students the mentorship, resources, and opportunities today that they need to excel as the workforce of tomorrow.
Impact
The GW Theory of Change states that too many disadvantaged youth are not achieving economic self-sufficiency because of a lack of relevant opportunities, skills, and support.
By engaging businesses to prepare low-income youth with tangible skills and the opportunity to experience professional success while in high school, not only does GW improve outcomes for students, but also enhance business efforts to build a pipeline of diverse talent.
Rather than reach students after they have veered from the traditional postsecondary course, GW is committed to providing deep intervention at a critical time when students are making decisions about attending college. According to research group Millennial Branding, more than 83% of businesses agree that high school internships help students get into better colleges, yield better paying jobs, and give students a competitive advantage. And yet, despite efforts to establish work-based learning in local companies, these opportunities don’t exists for all students. Given that the program primarily serves low-income youth, the opportunity to work a meaningful job with professional role models gives them a better chance to excel in the jobs of the future.
By providing high school students with the soft skills that have become necessary for success, and partnering with local businesses to not only create immediate opportunities for underserved students, but also to see themselves as integral in the development of career pathways for local youth, GW is working towards a vision of all businesses embracing local youth as a talent solution.
Leadership
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Peter Katz
Executive Director