Job Readiness Training & Real Experience

Jobs Work Program

What It’s All About

Program Overview

The Jobs Work Program is an organized effort to offer young individuals with paid job experience, job readiness training, and career development support to assist them in acquiring essential skills and transitioning effectively into employment. These initiatives generally encompass components such as resume creation, interview coaching, mentorship, and occasionally financial literacy training, usually targeting individuals aged between 14 and 24.

The main objective of the Jobs Work Program is to provide evidence-based life skills training and community mentors to encourage students to reach their fullest potential as they develop into adulthood.

What We Talk About

Program Highlights

Setting and achieving goals
Creating work values
Identifying strengths and weaknesses
Developing communication skills
Advocating boundaries
Sexual harassment prevention
Stress management to avoid burnout
Employment seeking skills
Soft and hard skills exploration
Enhancing mental wellness
Resume building
Interview process
Mock interviews
Career exploration
Team building exercises
Leadership and public speaking

What You Need

Prerequisites:

Ages 14+
Students must have a valid Social Security number in order to be onboarded as hourly employees and work paid event shifts with us.
Students without a Social Security number welcome to attend our weekly career readiness workshops and receive the stipend amount for each completed session.

Questions & Answers

How much can I expect to earn through the Jobs Work Program?

Our pay rates vary depending on budget availability and program enrollment. As of 2025, we pay each student $15 per workshop they attend and actively participate in. Once students receive their food handler’s permit, they are eligible to work events with us at a rate of $11 per hour.

Where are the Career Readiness Workshops held?

Workshops are currently offered at the Kearns Library, Granite Library, and Glendale Library.

Can I participate in the program if I’m younger than 14?

It depends. According to Utah law, students under age 14 cannot legally be hired to work with us at summer events. However, if a student is 13 at the start of the workshops and will turn 14 by the time we begin event shifts, they are welcome to attend workshops and get onboarded as soon as they reach the eligible age.

What kind of events can students expect to work?

Events vary based on student participation and seasonal availability. We place our snow cone booth or food truck at a wide variety of family-friendly community events around Salt Lake County. In the past, students have worked at events such as:

Millcreek Commons Independence Eve Celebration
United We Thrive – Central Block 9th
Guadalupe Center’s Summer Celebration Festival
3rd Annual Pacific Islander Skate Night
Indian Food Fair
Bohemian Bum Farmer’s Market
Utah Veterans Alliance’s 9th Annual Car Show

How many shifts can a student expect to work?

The number of available shifts depends on event scheduling and the number of students in the program. We aim to ensure each student works at least one shift during the season. We assign these shifts on a rolling basis.

Do I need to pay to receive the food handlers permit?

No! Once training is completed and passed, we cover the cost of the permit for all eligible students.

Are the Snow Cone Booth and Food Truck supervised?

Yes. While we encourage students to operate as independently as possible, at least one staff mentor is present at all times to support and supervise.

Are there transportation options available?

Transportation may be available on a case-by-case basis. Please reach out to the listed program contact for more information.

How is the Jobs Work Program Funded?

The Jobs Work Program is funded in part by grants from partnering organizations, as well as revenue generated by our Snow Cone Booth and Good Start Food Truck. All income from JWP events is reinvested directly into the program to help offset costs and support future participants.

Success Stories

I was a very shy kid before I came here. I’m pretty sure if it weren’t for this I wouldn’t have gone to the yearbook.

– JWP Student

Making my resume and learning about elevator speeches, learning about interview questions, and practicing for an interview helped me to build confidence

– JWP Student

I got to learn from others and their interests. I also learned my skills and to communicate. Networking-this lesson was fun to learn and helpful. I learned to write a personal statement and organize it.

– JWP Student

I was able to learn about possible future careers I was looking into and always ask questions and reach out to people and not be scared because others want to help as they have had to go through the process themselves.

– JWP Student