Youth services
About The Program
The RochesterWorks Navigator Program offers a range of services designed to connect young adults to employment or educational opportunities with the support of a Navigator Specialist. Teens and young adults ages 17 to 24 who are not currently enrolled in school are eligible for Youth Services.
The Facts
- Navigator Specialists provide individualized supportive services for each program participant.
- The RochesterWorks Youth Navigator Program offers free services for youth in Rochester and Monroe County who are not currently enrolled in school.
- The services are free and provided to out of school youth, age 17–24, by a collaborative network of staff members across community-based, faith-based, government, and other nonprofit organizations throughout the Greater Rochester area.
Help Us To Help You Get Connected!
Workshops
These valuable in-person sessions help young adults acquire skills such as communication, leadership, problem-solving, and technical abilities. They enhance employability, prepare for secondary education or occupational training, and promote healthy life choices.
Paid Work Experience
Young adult workers are matched with worksites and paid $17 per hour during their work experience for up to ten weeks.
Supportive Services
Assistance with various personal and professional needs, such as purchasing school or work supplies and transportation. We also provide referrals for community services as needed.
Computer & Resource Lab
This lab equips young adults with technical skills and knowledge to enhance their job prospects. We offer Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE) assessments and the ACT WorkKeys Curriculum which helps individuals build the essential career-relevant skills needed for learning, personal development, and effective job performance. We are also partnered with the Trenton and Pamela Jackson R-Center ATTAIN Lab to provide digital literacy, ESOL studies, HSE/GED preparation, Microsoft and Intuit certifications, and more.
Virtual Reality Career Exploration
An innovative approach to help young adults explore different career paths by immersing them in virtual work environments that simulate real-world job scenarios.
Youth services
A Word From RochesterWorks Youth System Services Director, Antwan Williams
While I am now the Director of Youth Programs at RochesterWorks, I was once a youth facing obstacles similar to those of our participants. Growing up in the 14609 area in a single-parent household, I struggled academically, failing first grade and transferring schools to enroll in a special education class. Being labeled felt like a heavy burden.
However, my resource teacher saw my potential and took an interest in my future. She would pick me up on weekends to explore a local college. Long story short, I became the first in my family to graduate from high school and to obtain a four-year degree.
Fast forward to today, I oversee a youth program with compassion and lived experience, helping others overcome their barriers to employment and education.
In 2011, local leaders and partners assembled to draft our Youth Worker Model. This model emphasizes that every young person needs at least one caring adult to see their potential and provide connections to opportunities. The model gave birth to the Navigator Program, designed to collaborate with youth to strategize career goals while addressing the barriers preventing their success.
This model emphasizes that every young person needs at least one caring adult to see their potential and provide connections to opportunities.
– Antwan Williams
Find Additional Youth Services
The Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) provides youth ages 14-20 with six weeks of paid work experience through work sites and programs all across Monroe County.
Our Youth Career Center location serves youth ages 14-24 as a comprehensive service center. This is the headquarters for RochesterWorks youth programming.
Young adults ages 14-20 earn a paycheck during the school year and learn about exciting career opportunities that await you!
Teens and young adults who are enrolled in grades 9-12 at either Edison Career & Technology High School or Joseph C. Wilson High School are currently eligible.