YouthBuild
FALL RECRUITMENT IS NOW CLOSED
YouthBuild Just A Start is a full-time, comprehensive youth workforce development program for ages 16-24 in the Boston Metro North region.
As a proud member of the global YouthBuild movement, we help young people reclaim their education, gain job skills, and become community leaders. We define students by their potential, not their challenges, offering mentorship, counseling, and support. Utilizing positive youth development and trauma-informed practices, we provide wraparound services and academic and career training.
Once in YouthBuild, always in YouthBuild. Our graduates have successfully transitioned to employment, further job-training, or college, receiving at a minimum one year of follow-up support with career changes and applications.
PROGRAM TRACKS
Click to learn more about our Retail Entrepreneurship and Construction Tracks. Click here to view our full program overview.
CONSTRUCTION
Learn the fundamental skills of residential construction from experienced professionals. Skills include: painting, tiling, cabinet installation, demolition, flooring, how to use common power tools safely and effectively, and more! Home Builders Institute Pre-Apprenticeship Certification Training (HBI-PACT) and OSHA 10 Construction certifications included.
During the program trainees have:
- Built community refrigerator sheds across Greater Boston
- Become subcontractors for affordable housing renovations in Cambridge
RETAIL ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Explore fundamental retail industry concepts, including: sales, customer service, inventory management, loss prevention, merchandising, and calculating profit and loss. Also, practice building a business plan and participate in a hands-on social enterprise project. Retail Industry Fundamentals (RIF) and OSHA 10 General Industry certifications included.
During the program trainees have:
- Developed original product and service business plans complete with mission statement, target audience, operations budget, and marketing strategy.
- Built product prototypes.
- Pitched business plans to local industry professionals.
Frequently Asked Questions
Each student’s time in YouthBuild Just A Start will depend on their own educational and support needs. Most students spend an average of 10 months in the program, but can spend up to one year actively enrolled at YouthBuild. All graduates have access to comprehensive follow-up support for at least one year after completing the program.
YouthBuild’s schedule is made up of 50% education, 40% work experience, and 10% leadership development. The program has an alternating weekly schedule, with half of students in the academic classroom and half of students in hands-on career training each week. Each day (M, T, Th, and F) runs from 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM.
We welcome new cohorts of students twice per year, typically in spring and late fall.
During class time, students learn core academic subjects (Math, Reading, Science, Writing, and Social Studies) as well as career readiness, leadership, financial literacy, team building, and life skills.
For work experience, students choose to pursue job training in either Construction or Retail Entrepreneurship.
- During Construction work experience weeks, students renovate affordable housing apartments and community spaces. Students learn skills like interior wall framing, drywall installation, kitchen and bathroom remodeling, finish carpentry, flooring, and painting.
- During Retail Entrepreneurship work experience weeks, students complete credential training in retail industry fundamentals, develop a business plan, and complete a collaborative social enterprise project.
Every student has the opportunity to earn nationally-recognized certificates that align with their chosen career training track, including:
- High School Equivalency credential (HiSET)
- Retail Industry Fundamentals credential through the National Retail Federation
- Pre-Apprenticeship Certificate Training through the Home Builders Institute (HBI)
- OSHA-10 in Construction or General Industry
Students must be ages 16 – 24, live in the Boston Metro North area, NOT be enrolled in public or private high school (at time of acceptance into YB), be authorized to work in the U.S., and complete all application steps
- Fill out an Inquiry Form and attend a 30-minute Info Session
- Complete a YouthBuild Program Application & submit required documentation
- Attend two 30-minute interviews with our Academic and Counseling Services teams
- Complete an academic assessment
- Attend a 2-week orientation to decide if the program is a good fit
All students attend classes in Reading, Writing, Math, Science, and Social Studies. These classes will help students who have not earned a high school diploma to prepare for their High School Equivalency Tests (HiSET). If an applicant already holds a high school diploma, they will still be expected to attend these classes and work towards improving their academic skills. Classes are generally 65 minutes long, with several breaks scheduled throughout the day.
Along with the bi-weekly stipend, we provide students with a monthly MBTA Student CharlieCard. We also award gift cards to students when they achieve milestones during the program.
ALUMNI ADVISORY BOARD
The Alumni Advisory Board stays connected to the YouthBuild community by collaborating with staff to make key decisions that improve the student experience and support program success. Each member of the board is committed to personal growth, with leadership goals that drive their contributions to the program and the broader YouthBuild community
AMELIA
What I hope to accomplish as an Alumni Advisory Board member is to advocate and speak on topics that are typically shunned away and not taken seriously. My goal by doing this is to potentially bring other youth closer. To advocate for mental health for the people who feel too ashamed or scared because of societal standards.
ARTHUR
My personal goal is to make a difference in our community and enrich my confidence as a leader to grow as an individual to help me develop leadership skills and build up a potential atmosphere of our team as an outcome. I’m hoping to give out what we are currently working on and share it with others.
DANIEL
The goal I’m hoping to achieve in the Alumni Advisory Board is to learn more about the communities I am a part of, alongside thinking of solutions to the problems of said communities. I want to understand the problems that affect us on a bigger level such as the state or country.
HARLAN
My goal for the Alumni Advisory Board is to spread love in my local community.
JOAQUIN
What I hope to accomplish as a Alumni Advisory Board member is that I want to have more communication with members in AAB.
MILTON
I want to make a change in the community I’m in. I want to help with the next generation so they don’t go through the same problems I went through.
NATALYA
My goal as a board member is to give back to the institution that has had a huge impact on who, and where I am today. I want current and future students to have similar or even better experiences than I did at YouthBuild.
Tackling Stress and Substance Use
Over the past year, the AAB used The Design Thinking process to identify a pressing issue facing young people: substance use as a coping mechanism for stress and anxiety. Tune in as the AAB members share why they chose this topic, what they learned, and how they’re taking action. Whether you’re a young person navigating stress or an adult supporting youth, this episode offers insights and resources to help you take the next step.
YouthBuild in Action
See what’s happening at YouthBuild! From construction sites to classroom wins, we’re sharing the moments that matter. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn @JustAStartCorp and don’t forget to tag us to be featured!