United Way program gives career pipeline to young people in need

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - Sometimes, all a young person needs to make their dreams a reality is a bridge — someone to connect them to the right people, someone to support them while they do it. That is what Career Ready ATL exists to do. It is an apprenticeship program that allows youth of color access to professionals across the city, professionals who work in high-demand fields like IT, healthcare, logistics, film and media.

“Our ultimate goal is to help these young people earn sustainable wages that lead to economic mobility,” said Michele Jacobs with United Way of Greater Atlanta.

The hope is these young people will walk away with new training, new connections and hopefully, new job opportunities.

Re: Imagine in Reynoldstown exists to mentor and train young people, to get them ready for careers from video production to photography. They create a pipeline between a young person and their dream careers.

“It just fills me with so much joy. I know that what we are doing is making an incredible difference,” said Julie Straw with Re: Imagine.

The Career Ready ATL program prioritizes youth who are low-income, in or aged out of foster care, LGBTQ+, first-generation and opportunity youth. The youth are paid while they work, sometimes $10-$15 an hour. Programs can go from six months to three years.

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