"Work hard to find something that fascinates you. When you find it you will know your lifework."                                                                                                   -- Richard Feynman

Looking for work or figuring out what you want to do isn’t always easy. There are so many options, but where do you get the help you need?

Below are some web sites that might be useful for young people, parents, teachers, and employers. Topics on this page include:

• Mentoring
• Career exploration
• On-the-job safety
• Local and national youth employment programs
• College planning, scholarship and financial resources
• Youth with disabilities job resources
• Local emergency resources

If you have a question or suggestion about this page, don’t hesitate to email us at info@youthatwork.info.

Good luck with your search!

Career Exploration

If you don’t know what it is you want to do or you have some ideas but need to know more, click here. We have some great career exploration web sites you should check out!  

Mentoring information

www.washingtonmentoring.org  is a great resource for someone who is interested in having a professional mentor or for someone who wants to be a mentor.

Local Youth Employment Programs

King County has a number of community-based organizations that work with a variety of young adults. Please contact one of the following providers to see if you qualify:

The Seattle Youth Employment Program supports youth to successfully graduate from high school while providing them with the skills they need to find and maintain employment. The program targets Seattle youth ages 14-21 who have little or no work experience, may be struggling in school or have other circumstances that make it difficult to obtain a job.

Seattle Parks and Recreation Youth Engaged in Service (YES) program is a six-week summer volunteer program for youth aged 13 to 18.

The YMCA of Greater Seattle provides educational and skills-based programs for teens during the school year and throughout the summer based at schools, branches and other locations in the community. They also offer youth employment training, placement and support.

YouthCare delivers services that meet the needs of Seattle’s homeless and at-risk youth. They help train young adults to get jobs and get additional support services they may need.

King County youth programs offer a wide variety of services for free. One of these, YouthSource, is a located in Renton and centered around academic achievement and career exploration with hands on experiential opportunities, internships, job-search assistance and job placement services.

Center for Career Alternatives is a non-profit human service organization that provides free education, employment, training and career development services to over 15,000 residents of King and Snohomish Counties.

YouthForce is a Seattle/Federal way non profit that advances the academic and career opportunities of low income and minority teens through coaching, mentoring, and year-round paid internships with Seattle’s leading employers.

National Work Readiness Programs (that have offices in King County)

City Year: City Year's vision is that one day the most commonly asked question of a young person will be, "Where are you going to do your service year?"

Job Corps is a no-cost education and vocational training program administered by the U.S. Department of Labor that helps young people ages 16 through 24 get a better job, make more money, and take control of their lives.

Young Workers and Workplace Safety

Washington State Laws on young workers.

Department of Labor Youth Rules!  

OSHA Teen Workers page: This site, which educates young workers, parents, employers and educators on workplace safety, also offers educational resources such as fact sheets on workplace rights and responsibilities, hazards on the job, ways to prevent injuries, work hours, job restrictions and more. It also links to states that have special web sites or initiatives designed for young workers.

OSHA’s summer job safety campaign for youth!  Following the theme of "Landscaping — Plant Your Feet on Safe Ground," OSHA developed a "tool box" to help prevent injuries on the job in landscaping, covering topics from machinery to pesticides, sun and heat. Download the kit from http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/teenworkers/landscaping/index.html.

CDC's National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health page on Young Worker Safety and Health.

College Prep Resources and Scholarship Information

Explore the state's community and technical colleges through Check Out a College, a new website for high-school students.

View all the colleges and universities in Washington state.

Link to information that helps you apply for scholarships.

Saving for college? Try Adventures in Edcuation, where you can find a budget spreadsheet and calculator to determine how much money you’ll need if you want to go to college.

Youth with Disabilities

Washington State is recognized nationally for its disability programs. If you are a youth with a disability here are a few helpful links to the many resources that can help you get ready to work:

WorkSource Seattle-King County has lots of information regarding employment assistance for individuals with disabilities.

The University of Washington’s DO-IT program—Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking and Technology—is full of information and links to increase the success of people with disabilities in college and careers.

 Counseling and training services, self-directed job search support, and other resources for people with disabilities:  Division of Vocational Rehabilitation.

The Washington Assistive Technology Foundation (WATF) is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the socio-economic circumstances of people with disabilities through access to technology.

Food, Shelter, and Counseling

If you need assistance with legal advice, food and shelter, health care, education, or mental health counseling resources in the Seattle area, this site may be helpful.
http://www2.ci.seattle.wa.us/crisisclinic/search.asp#search