Year Up empowers urban, economically-disadvantaged youth through a one-year education and training program. The first half of the program emphasizes business and technical training to prepare students for middle-skill jobs and the development of soft skills, while the second half involves a six-month internship. Since 2000, Year Up has served over 4,000 young adults and has placed 100 percent of those qualified into internships. Approximately 84 percent of Year Up students are employed or attending college full-time within four months of completing the program.
Level 3 – Statistically significant differences were found between Year Up and control groups’ hourly wage after program completion, ability to obtain jobs in targeted fields, and estimated lifetime salary.
A Promising Start: Year Up’s Initial Impacts on Low-Income Young Adults’ Careers. Reports on a randomized control trial showing that, compared to a control group, Year Up students had higher-paying jobs and obtain jobs in targeted fields, while the two groups were equally likely to enroll in college.