The Youth Career Development Center (YCDC) is a free program that provides youth ages 14-21 with job readiness training, internship opportunities, and job placement services. The program includes a 30-hour curriculum designed to support youth in developing the professional skills necessary to find, obtain, and keep a job. Topics covered include hard skills such as resume building and effective interviewing as well as soft skills related to customer service, communication skills, and conflict resolution.  Once youth successfully complete the training and assessed for job readiness by our Employment Specialist, they are connected with paid internship and/or job opportunities in order to gain employment experience.

The Youth Career Development Centers were established in 2007 through a partnership with the City of Chicago Department of Children and Youth Services. Central States SER offers the YCDC program to youth across Region 4, whose boundaries are from the Lakefront to city limits and from Cermak to 55th Street.

If you are a youth, school or community based organization interested in additional YCDC information, please contact Cicely Rosario, LEAD Youth Development Specialist, at 773-542-9030, extension 243.

If you are an employer interested in joining forces with SER regarding employment opportunities for youth, please contact Shaylynn “Shae” Healey, Youth Employment Specialist, at 773-542-9030, extension 229.