WORKING WARDROBES FOR A NEW START (3)

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overcome barriers and enter pathways to quality, living-wage employment. S. Paid & Unpaid Work Experience A.The Rebuilding Careers for Young Adults program will provide participating Santa Ana out-of- school youth with valuable paid work experience in high-demand industries such as manufacturing, information technology(IT), hospitality/tourism, and healthcare. Working Wardrobes will partner with employers in these sectors to offer participants up to 70 hours of paid work experience, including paid workforce readiness training. A total of 20 youth will be enrolled in the program. Working Wardrobes has begun discussions with prospective work sites and employers across various industries to provide paid work experiences for youth ages 18-24 enrolled in the program. Participants aged 16-24 who need more general work experience will be matched with roles relevant to their interests and strengths within Working Wardrobes' social enterprise division. If awarded, Working Wardrobes will submit Letters of Commitment from work site partners to the City of Santa Ana, confirming their support for this aspect of the program. To source work site opportunities, Working Wardrobes will leverage its Board of Directors,which represents a diverse range of industries in Orange County, along with corporate partners, prominent funders in healthcare and finance, and volunteer professionals from the B-Unbound mentorship platform. Potential host site partners include regional hospitals, logistics companies, and IT service providers. Additionally,the program will utilize Working Wardrobes' social enterprise division---including The Hanger Outlets,the Donation Center, and the Career Success Center—to offer in-house work experiences in retail, logistics, customer service, and operations, aligned with participants' interests. B.The Career Navigator will identify and source work experience opportunities with employers and community partners who offer a safe and supportive learning environment for program participants.The Career Navigator will provide each host site with clear learning objectives and guidelines focused on helping youth develop transferable soft skills, such as: teamwork, problem solving, communication, decision making, and time management. Additionally, the Career Navigator will support participants by facilitating informational interviews with both entry-level and managerial staff at work sites, giving them deeper insights into skill-based roles and potential career pathways the paid work experience can lead to. Host sites will provide participants with project-based work, either independently or as part of a team. Each youth will receive constructive feedback from their host site supervisor at two key stages: 1. A midpoint evaluation to identify strengths and areas for growth. 2. A final evaluation to assess overall performance and development. Participants will also complete a self-assessment at the end of their internship, reflecting on their personal growth, performance, and the overall internship experience.