CALIFORNIA, STATE OF (VOLUNTEERS YOUTH SERVICE CORPS)

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City of Santa Ana Youth Employment Program Funded by California Volunteers RFA#CV25-YSC04 Additionally, Chase Bank, a for-profit institution, will contribute in-kind financial literacy workshops that introduce youth to banking basics, budgeting, saving, and strategies for building financial stability. These collaborations strengthen the program's workforce development framework while ensuring all core program functions remain under City oversight. Through these workshops, described in more detail in Attachment B, youth gain foundational skills in communication, professionalism, financial literacy, technology, and academic support that will complement their hands- on work experience. The combination of structured placements, training, and mentoring ensures that youth build both immediate job skills and long-term career readiness. Work experience placements will be offered at more than 110 sites, including government departments such as Public Works, Parks and Recreation, Planning and Building, Community Development, and SAPL, as well as nonprofit partners focusing on food insecurity and education. Each worksite, position, and description is listed in Attachment A. Positions are designed to promote meaningful skill development, ranging from 300-hour placements to select 900-plus-hour opportunities aligned with career paths like Code Enforcement Associate, Code Enforcement Officer, Teacher Aide, Librarian, and Recreation Leader. The more hours at a worksite enable youth to gain the experience needed for competitive hiring in City roles, including some full- time, permanent positions with the City, educational institutions, or youth-serving agencies. Each payroll cycle will include a brief evaluation tool completed by the worksite supervisor to reinforce youth accountability and retention. Youth will have the chance to demonstrate progress and potential with each evaluation attached to their time card. Including a brief evaluation questionnaire with each time card has been effective in motivating youth to perform at their best, providing additional mentoring and guidance when needed, and serving as a retention tool for worksites engaged with our youth. It also offers oversight of youth performance and helps identify those who may benefit from counseling and mentoring to excel on the job and truly develop. Based on positive evaluations and a strong interest in career pathways, youth and worksites will have the opportunity to extend their experience beyond the required 300 hours. Approximately 50% of the program's paid work experience placements will be in Public Service worksites, providing youth with direct exposure to careers in public service and strengthening the pipeline of future City employees. Participants will be matched to worksites based on their interests, career goals, and availability, and will choose from their top three placement preferences to promote alignment, engagement, and retention. For select positions, youth will participate in a competitive interview process with worksite supervisors. This process ensures appropriate placement while offering participants hands-on experience in professional interviewing and workplace readiness. Program experience demonstrates that when youth interests are prioritized 3