Youth Career Preparedness

Youth Career Preparedness 

The Bureau of Asset Management is committed to mentoring young professionals in the skilled trades and providing opportunities for job experience. 

Working with Walsh Construction during the Harrison Square project, four pre-apprenticeship program members from the surrounding community learned first-hand, valuable skills used by the traders such as carpentry, paining and tile setting. By participating in the program, they earned exposure to the field of construction and mentoring by a professional, built communication and work-readiness skills, met and networked with some of the largest subcontractors in the area, and were subsequently offered positions and placed in jobs within their specific expertise. 

Photo from October 11, 2019 with members of the pre-apprentice program and elected officials.

The Department of Facilities Management also works with young people across Cook County to inform youth about career paths in the trades and provide mentoring. Pictured below, students from Rickover Junior High School are introduced to trades available in Cook County. Prior programming and involvement include Job Shadow Day in conjunction with Junior Achievement of Chicago and conducting mock interviews and connecting youth with career resources.

The Department of Facilities Management also works closely with the youth within the Juvenile Temporary Detention Center, facilitating programs such as the Tell Your Story Program and the Pre-Apprenticeship Program. In the Pre-Apprenticeship Program, youth learn side-by-side with Department of Facilities Management tradespeople working within the center. Through these experiences, young people are exposed to careers in the trades and learn the basics of the work that the Department of Facilities Management carries out.