In the middle of a stretch run of a nine-week hybrid program, the Seattle Youth Employment Program (SYEP) Pathways cohort attendees were invited to meet in person for the first time last month at Seattle City Hall.
As part of SYEP’s Learn & Earn program, the youth were participating in the Day in the Life event, which invites them to explore their career interests in different sectors through networking and engaging with City partners. Youth had the opportunity to ask questions about careers at the City of Seattle, take tours around some of the offices and buildings, and do practical hands-on activities that enhance their skills toward their career paths.
For Moby and other participants of the business track portion of the event, much of the day focused on giving youth an inside look at what goes on in the day-to-day operations of the Seattle Human Services Department (HSD).
“I want [to get into] real estate,” says Moby, who is in the business track of the Pathways program. “This will help me with that because there is a whole bunch of [training] you can use within real estate and accounting.”
The mission of HSD is to “connect people with resources and solutions during times of need so we can all live, learn, work and take part in strong, healthy communities.” Youth learned that the department is one of the largest contributors to Seattle’s safety net. HSD invests hundreds of millions of dollars in contracts with community-driven organizations and programs that support our neighbors and communities, and to direct services carried out by City staff.
As part of the hands-on activity for the business track, participants had to develop a mock budget for a service organization focusing on providing meals for seniors. They learned about why the department contracts with people in the community and how those contracts have to be planned for, written, and then financially monitored to steward the public’s tax dollars
“It was great meeting new people,” Moby said. “Learning new things and skills that I can just add to my toolbelt.”
Another aspect that was beneficial for participants in the Day in the Life event was networking with the staff of HSD. Participants were free to ask any questions they had for the guests, who were able to give their time sharing their experiences and advice about their careers throughout the day.
One of the collective messages that resonated with some of the participants was that one’s career path isn’t linear, and that path can change from what it was originally due to various reasons. Not only does the City have employees working in all types of positions, but as a large organization, it can offer growth opportunities and for moving between career sectors, investment areas, and offices and departments, even while remaining an employee of a single organization. The importance of expanding your horizons and not feeling pressure will be beneficial down the line.
“I skipped school for this event,” quipped Anh, a college student. “I want to get into a job that is not [necessarily] in my major, so learning different skills will help me be more qualified in my job.”
At the end of this event, it left a mark on participants who were eager to plan out their futures. Some attendees are in different stages going into their young adult lives and may have an idea of what their career path might be. There are others still honing in on what that might be. Some participants came away thinking about reconsidering their original career paths after joining the Day in the Life event.
“This experience completely gave me a new view to how non-profit organizations could run,” a Day in the Life participant said after reflecting on their experience with HSD. “[After being] exposed to this kind of environment, I want to experience something like this in my career journey in the future.”
Moments were provided throughout the day to giving participants their own space within their groups to not only learn but also to get an opportunity to see themselves in those roles or something similar. It was also about observing different work environments and the various ways business is conducted on a daily basis.
The Day in the Life event gives participants an idea of the workings of various departments around the City of Seattle, helps them learn more about the fields they potentially want to get into, and helps them build those relationships and connections along the way towards their futures.
Do YOU want to get involved with SYEP—as either a youth participant or an employer?
For program information or other ways to get involved with SYEP, visit our website: Seattle.gov/syep.
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