UpNext Program Prepares Teens for the Workforce

This year Boys & Girls Clubs of Delaware implemented a new program for teens designed to equip them for successful careers. UpNext is Boys & Girls Club of America's (BGCA) comprehensive in-Club work-based learning program, designed to provide teens with work experience right in the Club. There they can learn and practice key employability skills. After receiving more than 200 applications, 31 teens were selected to participate in the inaugural summer program.

UpNext replaced the Boys & Girls Clubs of Delaware program Wowzers!, which offered teens their first opportunity to enter the workforce. The new UpNext curriculum provides a more detailed and comprehensive overview to participants, providing them with the skills, experience and knowledge they’ll need for success in the future. After an initial meeting with BGCA, it was clear that the program would be a perfect fit for Boys & Girls Clubs of Delaware’s teen program.

UpNext participants worked in Clubs throughout Delaware from Monday –Thursday to implement programs like TriplePlay & Eyeball It, and served as Youth Development Professionals for our Summer Fun Club program. During this time they gained workplace experience and skills, using Club directors as mentors. These mentors provided intentional feedback focused on dress code, performance and career growth in the industry.

Each Friday, participants came together by county to learn about topics from individuals in various industries in Delaware. The topics included interview skills, writing a resume, financial basics, creating an elevator speech, building a personal brand, and networking. Community partners from VISA, Bank of America, KCI Tech, Bayhealth, DuPont, and Mayor David Genshaw of Seaford helped to provide real-world views and training on each topic.

Austin, a New Castle County participant in the program shared “This is a great program to help teens understand what having a job is like and to learn if they’d like have a career in corporate or childcare”.

To showcase the program's first cohort, participants attended networking seminar on August 2nd at Goldey-Beacom College in Wilmington. This provided a unique opportunity for teens to demonstrate their newly acquired career skills and connect with industry professionals.

The seminar featured keynote addresses from John Tucker, Chief Operating Officer, and Stuart Sherman, Vice President of Program Development. Tucker emphasized the role of effective communication in networking.  “Networking is really just about talking to people and building relationships. All of you can do that,” Tucker stated. 

Sherman highlighted the program’s distinctive features and its alignment with teens’ aspirations.  “We listened to what the teens wanted, and the answer kept coming back, ‘We want jobs.” Sherman explained.  He further noted that the My Future Fridays workshops set UpNext apart from other job programs by focusing on soft skills like resume writing and elevator pitches.

“What makes this program different from most jobs programs is the My Future Fridays. We teach them the soft skills that were on display today: the resume writing, the elevator speech, the branding, the things you heard in the speed networking. We've been working with our UpNext teens throughout the summer to prepare for a day like today,” he said.

“We love what the teens are doing. This is a really strong group, and we're really proud of them.”

The event also featured a career fair where UpNext participants had the chance to practice discussing their resumes, elevator pitches, and interview skills with local corporate sponsors from UPenn, Delaware Office of Work Based Learning, Bayhealth, State Farm, Bank of America, 3&D Sports Performance, Delaware Blue Coats, WSFS Bank, Literacy Delaware, First Tee of Delaware, Goldey Beacom College, Hyatt Hotels, Boys & Girls Clubs of Delaware and Holmes Smith Consulting. This hands-on experience provided them with constructive feedback and expanded their professional networks.

To close out the UpNext program, participants will soon attend a number of site visits including DuPont and the Chase Field House where they’ll be able to connect with individuals from various industries including finance, administrative, and operations.