St. Charles provides professional leadership training and workforce development for local youth
March 7, 2019 – On Saturday, March 9, community leaders and neighborhood residents will celebrate the grand opening of St. Charles Thrift & Furniture, “a store that means more,” with a ceremonial ribbon-cutting.
The store is operated by St. Charles Youth and Family Services to provide meaningful work experience for students in the St. Charles Youth Employment Services (Y.E.S.) program as part of a program that teaches critical employment skills at the start of students’ careers. Youth follow two tracks – retail/customer service or custodial care – where they learn industry-specific skills like communication, interviewing, resume writing and collaboration. Youth employees then gain real-world experience by working in the thrift store.
St. Charles Furniture & Thrift is a component of St. Charles Youth and Family Services’ workforce development program. Since the program’s 2012 inception, 1,090 young people have completed the training, resulting in 61,416 hours of work experience.
About St. Charles Youth and Family Services:
St. Charles Youth and Family Services provides 24-hour care, community-based programs, case management and workforce development for youth. For more information, visit stcharlesinc.org. St. Charles Furniture & Thrift, an offset of St. Charles Youth and Family Services, provides professional development and workforce training. For more information, visit thrift.stcharlesinc.org.