Juma operates concession businesses in professional sports and entertainment venues to provide meaningful employment experiences to youth from underserved communities. You will find Juma youth selling ice-cream and coffee during games such as those of the San Francisco Giants (MLB) at AT&T Park, San Francisco 49ers (NFL) at Levi’s Stadium, Oakland A’s (MLB), and Atlanta Falcons (NFL) at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Youth are employed for the length of a sports season (average six to nine months), complete approximately 150 hours of work experience and earn on average of $2,000. While at Juma, they master soft and hard skills, build core competencies in customer service, sales and business operations. Much more than a job, Juma integrates a youth development, strengths-based approach to help youth develop professional skills and navigate the transition to healthy adulthood.

Alongside the job, youth are supported by a Program Coordinator and other staff focused on helping them overcome personal barriers to successful permanent employment and master skills like communication, professionalism, personal accountability, teamwork, problem-solving and leadership skills, all in a growth mindset-framework. Youth participate in a series of job search skills workshops such as resume writing and mock interviews and go on career tours that expose them to a broad range of middle-skills career pathways such as advanced manufacturing, healthcare and aviation. With Juma’s support, youth identify and attain strengths-based, short-term and long-term personal, financial, education and career goals in a Launch Plan. As part of this plan, youth are encouraged to think beyond the next job and set continued learning goals, such as completing the GED, enrolling at a community college, or pursuing a credential that will help them on a pathway to sustainable middle-skill careers.

Leveraging the teachable moment of a first paycheck, Juma’s financial capability services provide youth the opportunity to develop lifelong money management skills. Under the guidance of Juma staff, youth open bank accounts and participate in financial education workshops on topics such as money management, budgeting, saving, financial products, credit and debt, and fraud.

The Juma job offers steady employment and the opportunity to build a positive employment history, ultimately helping to launch young people into career pathways including accessing educational pathways.

To connect youth to sustained employment, Juma partners with corporations primarily in the retail, hospitality, food service, health and logistics industries such as MOD Pizza, UPS, Amazon, CVS Health, Costco, Starbucks, Gap Inc. and Southwest Airlines. Once youth are hired, Juma’s Career Coach provides youth with 90 days continued support to ensure retention success. Retention support takes the form of continued soft skills coaching and help understanding our industry partner’s career mobility pathways. By ensuring that youth understand the job expectations, manage any budding conflicts, and receive proper training, Juma is able to increase the chances that our youth will succeed. In 2018, Juma will continue to deepen its partnerships with community colleges and other organizations such as Georgia Tech in Atlanta to support our youth in enrolling in further education and training that will support their career mobility.