Our Story
Founded on Summer Jobs + Education
YEP believes young people, if they are to attain a self-sufficient adulthood, need to invest significantly in their own education.
We were founded in 1973 in Oakland by a group of teachers from St. Elizabeth High School along with Dennis Chaconas, future Superintendent of Oakland Unified School District.
These educators created St. Elizabeth’s Youth Employment Corporation to address both learning loss over the summer.
The early success we had with our programs helping Oakland youth succeed at school and work led us to expand and to continue to grow beyond summer jobs and summer education. We focus on strong, measurable program performance, service to Oakland, and relationships with employers.
Where It Began
YEP was founded in Oakland as St. Elizabeth’s Youth Employment Corporation to address summer learning loss through education and employment.
Becoming YEP
We became The Youth Employment Partnership, Inc., and have strategically expanded programs and impact since, guided by the needs and interests of trainees.
A Living Classroom & Oakland Asset
YEP purchases our main facility, launching years of innovation and renovation - all by Oakland youth.
Stable Futures Dormitory Opens
Gut renovation by trainees complete, the first residents of YEP's transitional housing dormitory move in.
Moved Into Permanent Jobs
YEP young adults participated in a major deconstruction project at the Oakland Naval Supply Center, recovering 1.3 million board feet of lumber along the way.
After the project ended, more than 75% of participants received permanent jobs in the private sector.
Homes Rebuilt for Local Families
YEP youth and young adults completed down-to-the-studs renovations and rebuilds of more than 50 homes, which were sold to local families at below-market value.
Worksite Partners
YEP participants have worked their first jobs at more than 200 local businesses and 100 nonprofits throughout Oakland.
From schools and restaurants to salons, auto body shops, animal rescue shelters, museums, and more.
Summer Jobs Are the Foundation.
Education is the Goal.
Summer jobs continue to be YEP’s foundation, with programs serving Oakland youth from 14–24 years.
We require all of our youth and young adults enrolled in our job training and internship programs to also work toward their next educational goal:
A Living Classroom
Youth Designed & Built, for Oakland Youth
Centrally located along a major transit corridor in the Lower San Antonio neighborhood in Oakland, YEP’s 26,000-square-foot solar-powered workforce training facility is easily accessible by one bus ride from all across the city.
Our building is a major point of pride for the organization, first and foremost because of the role our trainees have played in bringing it to life.
We acquired the funding for the facility in 2001 and immediately began planning and construction with our trainees, using the site as a “living classroom.”
Our trainees have worked on every aspect of our building, from designing each quadrant, to trenching the bathrooms, which upon move-in had only one working toilet, to laying the deconstructed lumber of our floors, arranging the tiles on the façade, and painting the murals and interior designs throughout the:
- Commercial Training Kitchen
- Computer Lab
- Construction Workshop
- Education Room
- Five classrooms
Our building reflects the dynamic nature of our programs and the innovative minds of the youth and young adults we serve.
Staff & Board
Experience, Leadership, and a Commitment to Oakland Youth
