United Way of the Bay Area Blog » employment

MatchBridge Gears Up for Summer

Maria Stokes — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 17:08:23 +0000

MatchBridge, United Way’s program that helps local youth find private-sector jobs, is getting ready for the summer hiring season, working hard to recruit both employers and new youth members.

Last year, our program matched 184 youth with jobs and paid internships at 58 Bay Area companies.

Here’s what employers are saying about MatchBridge:

“While it has been challenging to assign, teach and monitor the interns’ efforts and progress, it has been very productive and well worth our time. All of the interns have been a pleasure to work with, and their enthusiasm and acumen has been very encouraging, allowing us to provide business-critical assignments.” – Virginia Meade of the Bohan Company

Click to learn more about how MatchBridge can help your company find qualified youth workers.

Here’s what youth members are saying about MatchBridge:

“Hello, my name is Borana. I am a member of MatchBridge, and i LOVE it… They have helped me alot. MatchBridge always sends me emails about companies that are hiring. I remember when I first signed up with MatchBridge, I was unemployed, and a week later I had a job! THANKS MATCHBRIDGE for all your help. Keep up the good work!”

Looking for a summer job or internship? Sign up today as a MatchBridge member!

Find Summer Camps for Kids: Call 211

Maria Stokes — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 16:28:11 +0000

Summer is almost here! Parents and caregivers can call 211 to obtain information about summer programs for kids throughout the Bay Area, including day camps, residential camps and therapeutic camps for children with disabilities or specific health conditions.

211 can also connect parents and caregivers with information about youth employment and internship programs, volunteer opportunities, and child-care resources to keep children safe, busy and productive this summer.

Residents who can’t dial 211 can call 800-273-6222 to reach the 211 call center in their area. For the hearing impaired, dial 415-808-4440 (TTY) or 711.

Learn more about 211 at www.211BayArea.org.

Photo courtesy of Mike Baird via Creative Commons license.

SparkPoint Featured on Front Page of SF Chronicle

Maria Stokes — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 19:36:07 +0000

United Way’s SparkPoint Centers are featured on the front page of today’s San Francisco Chronicle.

“United Way Centers offer credit, career advice”

Janeise Ollison’s eyes lit up as she described how she was advised to fix her credit and boost her savings.

“It was real simple; I paid one little PG&E bill for like $35 from two or three years ago, and my credit score jumped,” she said. “And the check-cashing place had been ripping me off; at least $50 of my monthly checks went to them. That’s money that could be in my pocket.”

The 24-year-old mother of two, who has worked as a security guard and bus operator, got even more buoyant discussing the career counseling that led her to study culinary arts and restaurant management, and to develop a plan to start a catering business with her mother.

Ollison got all that guidance from the SparkPoint Center in Oakland, a new concept being pioneered by United Way of the Bay Area to help working families build financial stability. It’s a one-stop shop that brings together multiple agencies and counselors to help low-income people improve their credit, build their assets and increase their income.

Read the entire article.

BRE Properties Named MatchBridge Employer of the Month

Olu Johnson — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 18:03:56 +0000

Strong support for programs like RE4TA is why BRE Properties was recently named Spirit of the Bay award winners

For the last three years, MatchBridge has teamed up with the real estate industry to offer the youth they serve an leg up in finding positions within the industry. The program is called Real Estate 4 Tomorrow’s Adults (RE4TA) and is a partnership between MatchBridge, United Way of the Bay Area, and the San Francisco Real Estate sector.

While RE4TA has created many outstanding partnerships for MatchBridge, one company has stood out in its dedication to the community and youth employment. Year after year, BRE Properties has gone above and beyond for the RE4TA initiative. This is why they are MatchBridge’s employer of the month!

In its first year, Connie Moore, BRE Properties’ CEO, stepped up to head the Founders’ Circle, comprised of many prestigious firms including: AMB Property Corp., BRE Properties, Cushman & Wakefield, Sares Regis Group, Sunset Development, TMG Partners, Webcor Builders and UDR Inc. Since then, Connie has provided steady leadership, spoken on behalf of the program on numerous occasions, and has gone above and beyond behind-the-scenes to support the MatchBridge program at every opportunity.

Throughout the years, BRE Properties has broken the record for creating the most placements for young jobseekers interested in the industry. BRE’s aggressive approach to creating opportunities for young jobseekers truly exemplifies the concept of building up the workforce of tomorrow.

In the past, Connie Moore has even personally come in with a team of managers to lead RE4TA seminars to help guide and instruct the interns as they start their careers.

This summer, 36 internships were provided by MatchBridge’s RE4TA program, five of them with BRE Properties. During their term, interns have the opportunity to look further into real-estate specific roles like property management and residential sales or they can choose to sign onto more general departments like marketing, office management, and outside sales.

RE4TA, and the experiences of its participants, would not be possible without the continuing dedication and support of companies like BRE Properties. MatchBridge thanks all of the volunteers, companies, and interns for taking part in this year’s program and investing in tomorrow’s workforce.

Making An Impact On The Next Generation

Olu Johnson — Thu, 27 May 2010 00:08:26 +0000

Together with MatchBridge, we hosted Dress For Success with the help of United Way Ambassador Nnamdi Asomugha. Already we’ve learned that some of the young people at the event have been hired.

Learn more about MatchBridge, or Emerging Leaders.