School of Professional Studies

Date of Award

4-2016

Degree Type

Capstone

Degree Name

Master of Public Administration (MPA)

Department

School of Professional Studies

Chief Instructor

Mary Piecewicz

Keywords

MPA, Doc Wayne Youth Services, Inc. (DWYS), Youth participants, Young Adults, Nonprofit organization, Youth employment, Career development, Boston, MA

Abstract

In Boston, Massachusetts, young adults age 16-19 who have dropped out of high school have a very high unemployment rate of 43.8%. Additionally, in the United States of America the difference between a young adult with a high school diploma as opposed to a young adult without a high school diploma in terms of weekly income is $180 USD; between a young adult with a high school diploma versus a young professional with a bachelor’s degree is $433 USD. These numbers demonstrate the need for services that improve academic achievement, job readiness and preparedness, and youth mentorship for struggling young adults.

Doc Wayne Youth Services, Inc., a Boston-based 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization, whose mission is to fuse sport and therapy to heal and strengthen youth, has made it a top priority to implement a program that supports young adults age 16 and up gain critical job experience, peer mentorship, and career development. Our goal was to help the implementation of a youth employee program and research the established literature on career programs, academic development, youth mentorship, and best practices in the effectuation of these programs. The following research is an attempt to investigate those factors and provide a theoretical background for the senior staff at Doc Wayne Youth Services, Inc. who will execute the youth employee program.

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