“We are helping today’s youth build confidence and equip them for a productive lifestyle that includes developing a career path.”
– Melinda Estrada, Program Director
For more than 30 years, the mission of the New Jersey Youth Corps has been two-fold: to restore and preserve the dignity of young adults who have been underserved, and to enhance their value to society by providing a comprehensive program of academic instruction and community service.
Operating on the campus of New Jersey City University, this voluntary organization is one of the largest of its kind in the United States. Guided by staff who serve as mentors and role models, teams of youth (ages 16-25) called “crews” carry out a wide range of community service projects while engaging in educational pursuits.
“We decided to seek additional resources to assist students in their post-secondary and professional endeavors upon completion of the program,” said Estrada. This search led to the integration of job simulations and immersive interview tools from Employment Technologies into the curriculum.
EASy Simulations® for key jobs such as customer service, banking, and online services – in addition to EASyView® Virtual Interview Practice are the innovative tools now being used to awaken students to all-new career related possibilities.
“By engaging with the job simulations, students are placed in actual workplace scenarios with virtual customers, so they gain hands-on knowledge about what skills are needed to succeed in a particular position,” explains Estrada. “They also gain much-needed context for specific skills such as communication and active listening.”
Another advantage of using EASy Simulations is access to in-depth skills reporting and development information available immediately following the assessments. Because these virtual assessments are typically used for evaluating job candidates, participants’ performance is compared to actual top performers in the role – while remaining in a supportive, risk-free environment.
Workforce development programs like New Jersey Youth Corps can use this information to focus on ongoing skills practice and plans for future education. “Our crew leaders use the reports to monitor students’ progress and implement recommended strategies to increase students’ success.”