Youth Job Center
Youth Job Center is a nonprofit organization. Learn more at https://youthjobcenter.org/.
Introductory Conversations and Assessment
How organizations conduct initial needs assessment with employers, introduce workforce development in general as well as their own organization’s programs, and gauge whether an employer could benefit from workforce development programs.
Learning About Employers' Needs
- When establishing the partnership, YJC conducts comprehensive discovery discussions with business owners and HR representatives. YJC collects information on the employer’s hiring timeline, job volumes, and the potential for upward mobility. They collect specific information about credentials, skill sets, and placement types (seasonal, permanent, or part-time) to ensure a mutual fit.
- A YJC team member will establish a relationship with a key contact for the hiring process. Key logistical data, including specific referral protocols, application IDs, and other recruitment details, are documented to streamline the hiring process.
This content is based on interviews or email correspondence with Trevor Trieschmann in 2025. This content has NOT yet been signed off by the organization.
Introducing Workforce Development Opportunities
- YJC utilizes its three-year strategic plan as a primary tool to introduce services and align with employer interests. This plan communicates the mission, vision, and service offerings, allowing potential partners to identify specific areas for collaboration.
- The organization emphasizes the work readiness training and support services provided to participants, highlighting the emphasis that the programming places on advancing soft skills and basic competencies. By consistently delivering candidates who are prepared for the workplace, YJC maintains its reputation for excellence and credibility with its employer partners.
- YJC offers customized soft and hard skills training opportunities for employers based on their needs.
This content is based on interviews or email correspondence with Trevor Trieschmann in 2025. This content has NOT yet been signed off by the organization.
Introducing Your Organization
Evaluating Employer Suitability
- Companies that are participating in the paid work experience program must sign an agreement committing to providing meaningful work.
- YJC assesses employer suitability when engaging with employers, because of the mission of the organization, team members are keen on ensuring a good fit for the youth population. Employers are asked about their hiring needs, timelines, training, upward mobility, and fair wages, while team members conduct their own research through platforms like Glassdoor and Google reviews to assess the employer’s fit with YJC’s clients’ needs.
- The goal is to avoid setting up uncomfortable situations or failures for either the client or the employer, prioritizing the specific needs of YJC’s population. The focus is on assessing the company culture and workplace practices.
- YJC is looking for employers that allow opportunities for upward mobility and long-term career growth, such as employers that prioritize upskilling and employee development.
- Employers that have the ability to maintain a two-way communicative relationship are typically well suited to partner with YJC, as this fits nicely with YJC’s program design.
This content is based on interviews or email correspondence with Trevor Trieschmann in 2025. This content has NOT yet been signed off by the organization.
Establishing Employer Relationships
Ways that organizations follow up or otherwise build relationships with potential employer partners. How do organizations keep employers’ interest and stay top of mind, despite how busy they may be?
Following Up via Phone and/or Email
- After an initial engagement, the Employer Relations Manager sends a follow-up email confirming the details of the engagement and the processes.
- The communication cadence with employers varies based on employer size and preference. For larger partners, Employer Relations Managers hold monthly meetings, while other organizations receive quarterly check-ins.
- YJC utilizes an internal tracking system to manage employer engagement details. The team periodically reviews the data to develop tailored engagement strategies, identifying opportunities to transition partners into deeper levels of involvement.
This content is based on interviews or email correspondence with Trevor Trieschmann in 2025. This content has NOT yet been signed off by the organization.
Employer Visits to Service Provider Locations
YJC hosts individual hiring events to facilitate direct connections between employer partners and job seekers. Employers are invited on-site, typically at the Pilsen or Englewood offices, to conduct interviews and meet with potential hires. Both locations are located within shared office spaces, allowing for easy partnerships with other organizations.
This content is based on interviews or email correspondence with Trevor Trieschmann in 2025. This content has NOT yet been signed off by the organization.
Service Provider Visits to Employer Workplace
- YJC conducts site visits with employers. Doing so allows team members to learn as much information as possible about the site for prospective hires, such as details about public transportation and parking, or whether there are affordable options for lunch nearby.
- These visits are conducted based on the employer’s availability. When a site visit is not feasible, all relevant details are confirmed in a virtual meeting, by phone, or by email.
- YJC partners with employers to facilitate site tours, providing participants with direct exposure to how a company operates. These tours can be conducted in person or virtually. They are used as a tool for introducing youth to diverse industries and helping them visualize their career paths.
This content is based on interviews or email correspondence with Trevor Trieschmann in 2025. This content has NOT yet been signed off by the organization.
Job Fairs and Hiring Events
YJC occasionally hosts smaller hiring events for a limited number of aligned industries. The event is typically scheduled after a cohort has completed its training with YJC. Coordinating the hiring events with the timing of a large pool of job seekers makes the event more impactful.
This content is based on interviews or email correspondence with Trevor Trieschmann in 2025. This content has NOT yet been signed off by the organization.
Metrics and Financial Factors
How organizations collect and share information about expected outcomes and potential financial rewards and incentives.
Sharing Metrics and Return on Investment with Employers
Each month, YJC features a partner to spotlight to celebrate partnership milestones. They share a dedicated write-up highlighting key metrics such as the number of hires or referrals and other significant partnership achievements. These spotlights demonstrate the impact of the collaboration and express gratitude for the employer’s ongoing commitment.
This content is based on interviews or email correspondence with Trevor Trieschmann in 2025. This content has NOT yet been signed off by the organization.
Gathering Data to Track Employer Metrics
- As a general rule, YJC ensures that team members interact with no more than two data systems. Salesforce is the universal hub for data. The platform has been customized to store available jobs, referrals, and placements. WIOA-focused team members use Career Connect as their secondary system, while other team members use an internal financial tracker for reporting financial outcomes.
- YJC is connected to auxiliary job boards that allow the organization to track where an applicant is in the recruitment process. From there, team members share that information with employers during the monthly (or periodic) discussions.
- RiseKit is another platform that YJC utilizes. RiseKit is a third-party system that leverages AI to review resumes and suggest roles based on a client’s profile. Once a client applies, the platform connects the client, YJC, and the employer in a single communication thread to facilitate the relationship. YJC also captures these connections in its Salesforce database.
- YJC uses LinkedIn as a primary way to engage with employers, recognizing that this is a major hub of activity and engagement for employers.
- Data is aggregated and presented in key documents like the Strategic Plan or Annual Report, which are distributed to employers and are available for all.
- Periodically, the organization conducts employer and client surveys, sharing the results through flyers or additional promotional materials with employer partners to demonstrate the impact of the collaboration.
This content is based on interviews or email correspondence with Trevor Trieschmann in 2025. This content has NOT yet been signed off by the organization.
Organizational Level Considerations
How organizations are set up to build partnerships with employers, and how they leverage relationships with other organizations for better outcomes.
Organizational Structure, Resourcing, and Staffing
- At YJC, the Employer Relations Manager and the Director of Employment and Training lead day-to-day employer engagement efforts. Overall, employer relations are a cross-functional effort that team members from across the organization engage in.
- The coaching team identifies immediate opportunities with employers on the ground, while leadership and funding teams seek out partners whose values align with the YJC mission, such as companies that invest in upskilling or demonstrate a commitment to youth development.
- The Data Management Director supports employer engagement efforts by using the organization’s internal Salesforce data management system to track partnership health. Rather than just a repository, this system is a strategic tool used to manage referrals, store employer interactions, and identify key points of contact. This data allows YJC to recognize its most engaged partners and identify gaps in engagement.
This content is based on interviews or email correspondence with Trevor Trieschmann in 2025. This content has NOT yet been signed off by the organization.
Collaborating with Other Organizations
- YJC collaborates with many organizations to create shared placement opportunities. Some organizations, like Skills for Chicagoland, funnel youth-centered job opportunities directly to YJC. Both organizations keep in close contact about job placements and share information openly with each other to reach positive outcomes, provide feedback, and support to one another.
- YJC participates in a peer-to-peer network where they share opportunities with other organizations, and support others in the ecosystem with trainings, workshops, and hiring events.
- Occasionally, partner organizations secure funding for long-term internships, full-time placements, or other specialized opportunities. When possible, YJC collaborates with these organizations.
- When collaborating with other organizations on a hiring event, YJC provides work readiness training for the partner organization’s participants, if needed, to ensure that all participants are prepared to engage with employers.
This content is based on interviews or email correspondence with Trevor Trieschmann in 2025. This content has NOT yet been signed off by the organization.
Challenges
Common challenges and how organizations typically respond to them.
Workforce Development Jargon
Internally, YJC distinguishes between official employer partners and active employer partners. Official partners provide ongoing feedback, hold monthly check-ins, collaborate using shared spreadsheets, and generally have a higher level of engagement. Assessing partnership levels allows the organization to target its efforts and engage employers at the appropriate levels.
This content is based on interviews or email correspondence with Trevor Trieschmann in 2025. This content has NOT yet been signed off by the organization.
Ensuring Compliance with Progammatic and Funding Requirements
Companies that are participating in the paid work experience program must sign an agreement committing to providing meaningful work.
This content is based on interviews or email correspondence with Trevor Trieschmann in 2025. This content has NOT yet been signed off by the organization.
Handling Objections from Employers
- To address common employer concerns regarding candidate age or lack of experience, YJC positions itself as a strategic partner that supports both the employer and the young person equally.
- YJC proactively mitigates risk by vetting training programs to ensure participants earn valid credentials and high-quality instruction before placement. By highlighting how young talent can fill critical workforce gaps created by retirements and labor market shifts, YJC demonstrates the long-term value of its candidates.
- Additionally, YJC offers customized training opportunities, allowing employers to participate in the curriculum to ensure candidates are prepared exactly to specific company standards.
This content is based on interviews or email correspondence with Trevor Trieschmann in 2025. This content has NOT yet been signed off by the organization.
Handling Challenges
In the past, YJC managed hundreds of employer relationships and found engagement levels to vary widely among organizations. To make better use of time and resources, the Director of Employment and Training and the Data Management Director work together to categorize employers based on their previous engagement levels and determine individualized engagement strategies for employers. This allows the team to be more targeted about how they engage employers and makes their efforts more impactful.
This content is based on interviews or email correspondence with Trevor Trieschmann in 2025. This content has NOT yet been signed off by the organization.
