Our Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) serves young adults 16-18 years old who are currently enrolled in high school in Berks County. The six-week work experience runs from the end of June through the beginning of August and serves 150 – 300 students each summer.

SYEP participants work 20-30 hours per week are paid $8 an hour by the program. Local employers offer positions spanning a variety occupations: healthcare, manufacturing, office work, outdoor maintenance, working with children, retail, etc.

Recruitment for the program typically begins in late winter, and eligibility packets will be made available to the public on Monday, March 5, 2018. Interested students can pick up a packet at PA CareerLink^® or from their school (if their school has them available). Please listen for school announcements or talk to your guidance counselor to see if your school participates. More information will be made available on this page closer to March 5th.

High School Equivalency/GED instruction is provided free of charge to eligible young adults who are interested in pursuing employment and/or post-secondary education once you obtain your GED. Classes are held in English during daytime hours at our office and include testing fees, materials and supplies. Those with perfect attendance receive a weekly stipend. The average length of time is takes for a participant to obtain the GED is 4-8 weeks.

While in class, you work one-on-one with your assigned case manager, who assists you in creating and carrying out a detailed career plan. You may also work in the Paid Work Experience Program (described on this page).

Career Services are provided free of charge to eligible young adults who have graduated high school or any type of post-secondary education and are looking for assistance in finding work or enrolling in post-secondary education.

You will develop an in-depth career plan that can contain a variety of components including job shadowing, volunteering, interning, participating in the part time Paid Work Experience Program, college visits, interview prep, job search, and more. Assessments and standardized tests are utilized to gauge your work skills. You will also take WorkKeys^® Assessments to earn an ACT^® National Career Readiness Certificate, which certifies essential skills for the workplace.

The Paid Work Experience (PWE) Program is available to those enrolled in either the High School Equivalency/GED or Career Services programs. Participants have a part-time, temporary assignment with a local employer in the career field of your choice. Wages are between $8-10 an hour depending on the difficulty of the job and are paid by the program. You work anywhere from 6-12 weeks with an employer, and can participate in multiple PWE placements. This program allows you to build your resume, try out different career areas, job shadow with some of the area’s leading employers, and earn money while doing it.