This year’s Seasonal Job Fair series has been MatchBridge’s best yet. Companies such as Best Buy, Gap, Old Navy, Ross, UPS, Skechers, Macy’s, and Nordstrom Rack participated this year and hired a total of 26 young jobseekers.

The Winter holidays are the busiest retail season of the year, where retailers do a high volume of hiring for seasonal employees- an ideal time for motivated youth with an interest in customer service to break into the retail industry. Between 25% and 50% of total annual retail sales take place during the holidays and retail employers usually increase their workforce by at least 4% just for the holiday gift-buying rush.

Young people tend to work well in these positions as many are home for the holidays from school and are looking to spend that time earning some extra cash. Many retailers recommend hiring young people because the time commitment is a perfect fit and the energy and enthusiasm that young people bring to the workplace becomes key during the busy holiday season.

MatchBridge responded to the needs of retail employers by developing the Seasonal Job
Fair Series to connect them to pre-screened candidates, who were qualified and well-equipped to take advantage of these seasonal opportunities. As retiring populations increase, more companies are taking an interest in programs like MatchBridge that specialize in youth workforce development and connect them to young people with career-specific potential.

Here are a few testimonials from this year’s participating employers:

“Thank you for getting us such motivated candidates!”
-Ross

“The job fair was a valuable use of my time. Your [MatchBridge] candidates are exactly the profile we are looking for.”
-Gap

“You can tell the candidates were well prepped and prepared for the interview.”
-Old Navy

“My regional recruiter loved how poised, professional and energetic the [MatchBridge] candidates were! We feel they will be a great asset to our team. I look forward to partnering in the future!”
-Skechers

“The main impact Greentech Media has had on me as a young professional is the fact that my experiences there have inspired me to strive further than ever before in my International Business studies. The opportunity to work at Greentech Media has opened my eyes to the world of marketing and what it has in store for me.

The experiences I have received so far at Greentech Media have helped shape my
vision of what I hope to achieve in the future. Essentially giving me a glimpse of what the marketing world is like and what being a marketing associate entails. The most exciting thing about this internship, is the combination of the fact that the internship offered educational experiences in a field of study directly correlated to my major as well as the fact that the position involved “Green” technology and information. The “Green” sector, in my opinion, is one of the fastest growing markets in the business world.

During my internship so far at Greentech Media I have been learning the foundation of salesmanship and marketing strategies. The challenges and struggles I have faced in the workplace have proven to me how much I enjoy this area of business. In essence the lessons and experiences I have had, have had multiple overlaps into my studies and my future professional goals.

I was offered an internship position at their New York office if I were to attend a school in that area, so that I may continue working for Greentech Media while attending college. Although I have yet to make a more final decision, I am definitely thinking about this new opportunity!

Tate Ishimuro has been a member of MatchBridge since 2008 and was an intern
this summer with Greentech Media. For more information on summer internship opportunities like this one, please contact MatchBridge.

The Real Estate 4 Tomorrow’s Adults (RE4TA) program is a partnership between MatchBridge, United Way of the Bay Area, and the San Francisco Real Estate sector to provide paid internship opportunities to young men and women interested in careers in the industry.

This summer, twenty-six young San Franciscans benefited from internships provided MatchBridge’s RE4TA program. Interns were assigned to various property and real estate companies as workers. Youth also attended seminars tailored to give them all the initial skills they need to get their careers started whether or not they decide to stay in the industry long term.

The seminars targeted the general skills they would need to start their careers, moved them to realize their goals, and pushed them to facilitate a plan of action. Professionals from the business community volunteered to teach each seminar utilizing their own experience to illustrate the principles.

United Way of the Bay Area’s Rebecca Riley and Kim Pham came in to speak on the power of networking. Wardrobe for Opportunity’s Hank Ramirez showed the youth how to
create a professional image. BRE Properties’ President and CEO, Constance B. Moore came in with colleagues Michael McKann and Sheryl McKibben to talk about careers in the real estate sector. And Wells Fargo’s Gregory Michail finished off the seminars by teaching the interns the values of budgeting and financial planning. A big round of thanks to all the speakers and volunteers!

RE4TA and the experiences of it’s participants would not be possible without your continuing dedication and support. “What an amazing young man. The guys in IT love him! He’s a winner,” said one satisfied employer. MatchBridge thanks all of the volunteers, companies, and interns for taking part in this year’s program and investing in tomorrow’s workforce.

“My experience at the Public Policy Institute of California allowed me to be more aware of the world around me. Just by talking to my colleagues and reading some of the documents I helped edit, I realized that public policy workers go through a lot to gather accurate information, spread awareness of economic and social problems, and provide well thought-out solutions. I was interested in how California budget cuts will affect youth in school. I became more aware of the policies around me related
to school budget cuts, child retention, transportation, immigration, and water. I am lucky to have worked there because it helped me understand a world that I was
previously oblivious to.

I am considering a career that allows me to work alongside youth. While working at the Public Policy Institute, I got the opportunity to talk to an education policy specialist. Meeting her helped me understand how rules and policies in the school districts work and how she gathers information to determine the impact on a child’s education. Even though my career in education is tentative, I was able to learn things that may help guide me in the future.

I gained plenty of new skills and had the opportunity to learn about my strengths and weaknesses. I was able to work with adults and leave my comfort zone. My
self confidence developed in presenting my ideas and opinions. Overall, I became more professional in the way I present myself to others in the work place. The
job helped me mature and become a more capable candidate with higher self esteem and new skills to improve myself.”

Amy Li has been a member of MatchBridge since 2008 and was an intern this summer with the Public Policy Institute of California. For more information on summer internship opportunities like this one, please contact MatchBridge.

The Community Youth Mapping project is a partnership between MatchBridge, San Francisco Unified School District and the National Academy Foundation to learn about and identify emerging and thriving industries in San Francisco; despite the troubled economy.

This summer, eight high school students in San Francisco interned with MatchBridge as youth mappers to “map” the “Green job” sector of San Francisco. By conducting employer interviews and surveys, the “MatchBridge Mappers” identified
“green” employers, learned about the required skill sets needed to break into the industry, current job opportunities, and potential for career development in the green sector.

The goal of the mapping project is to empower youth to learn about employment, internship and training resources in various industries in San Francisco.

If you have any questions about Youth Fest or want to get involved, please contact Bryant at (415) 557-6727.

More Details at the DCYF Community Events Page

The Women’s Initiative for Self-Employment is a not-for-profit agency. Their mission is to build the entrepreneurial capacity of women to overcome economic and social barriers and achieve self-sufficiency. Women’s Initiative has proven that women create jobs for themselves and others, access the mainstream economy, and increase their economic self-sufficiency when they are given business planning and financing support.

By assisting women-owned businesses throughout the San Francisco Bay Area through seven training sites, the Women’s Initiative has directly contributed to the economic growth of communities. Graduates of the program have started and expanded over 1,600 businesses from photography studios to catering companies and mechanic shops. In 2006, 301 new jobs were created by Women’s Initiative graduates.

The visiting Client Services Coordinator at the Women’s Initiative, helped MatchBridge participants develop a Business Action Plan and connected them to resources in San Francisco that will help reach their goal of one day owning their own business or non-profit. Nine MatchBridge youth attended the event, all of whom had great ideas and were extremely enthusiastic and creative. Thank you to the Women’s Initiative and to the MatchBridge participants

On April 28th, 2009, Specialty’s Bakery & Café came in to MatchBridge to inform and interview candidates as the MatchBridge April Employer of the Month.

After 18-years of successful operation, Specialty’s Café & Bakery is a highly respected foodservice company with 17 bakery-cafes in the San Francisco and Seattle markets.
Each location features an exhibition bakery, where fresh bread, pastries, and cookies are mixed and baked from scratch. The aroma of fresh-baked breads and Specialty’s’ legendary chocolate chip cookies creates a unique, brand-building environment.

The visitng Specialty’s team engaged 20 candidates and gave a presentation on the Specialty’s history and brand. Two of the hiring managers gave the participants a detailed day-to-day perspective on the work environment, the physical requirements, and specific daily duties.

After the presentations were completed, the candidates were interviewed and thus far two candidates have completed the process and joined the Specialty’s team. MatchBridge would like to thank Specialty’s and all the applicants for participating

Established in 1981, the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy is the nonprofit partner that supports and assists the Golden Gate National Parks in research, interpretation, and conservation programs.

Since its inception, the Parks Conservancy has provided the Golden Gate National Parks with more than $100 million in support and is recognized as one of the largest and most effective park partners in the country.

The LINC summer program was developed for high school students interested in the environment and looking for an opportunity to work. Students work on authentic park projects with themes including plant propagation, habitat restoration, mapping, trail work, and environmental education. All activities are linked to park priorities and provide critical natural resource support to the park.

The visitng LINC hiring manager interviewed 14 candidates and presented the program detailing the duties the applicants would be responsible for as well as communicating important goals and values the potential interns would have to understand and adopt. Team work and environmental ethics were the dominant themes. MatchBridge would like to thank LINC and all the applicants for participating