Learn & Earn Program

Square One is now offering a FREE education and career-building program for young parents ages 16-24, who are seeking to earn their high school equivalency diploma and begin building their careers while raising their children. Youth attend classes as well as work throughout the week.

Requirements

This is a paid work skills program, with a minimum of 10 hours of work per week. If you are a student, you are encouraged to work no more than 20 hours per week to allow time for skill building in the classroom and to meet with your case manager. 

EMPLOYERS: Preparing Our Workforce

The Square One Learn & Earn program helps prepare parents of young children for jobs vital to the community. Participants in the Square One program are taught important skills such as:

  • resume building
  • interviewing
  • computer skills
  • positive communication

Participants in the program receive:

  • Assistance with nationally accredited child care  
  • Work-readiness training
  • Job-search support
  • Transportation assistance
  • Ongoing career counseling with an individual career development case manager

When Learn & Earn participants enter a job placement, they are not only excited but ready to take on whatever job responsibilities or opportunities they are offered!

Partners for a Brighter Future

To continue to build our program and provide our students with the most beneficial experience, we are looking to expand our partnerships with area businesses.

As an employer, you are not required to pay the participants, as the program includes compensation for work time. Employers provide supervision, communicate with the Learn & Earn leadership team about the student’s progress, and sign off on timesheets.

For both employers and participants, this is a win-win situation. Employers secure a dedicated workforce and the participants get real-world experience to continue to build their careers.

We ask employers to commit to a temporary placement for the program and allow a set schedule of a minimum of 10 hours of work per week for students in school and a minimum of 30 hours for out of school participants.

For more information about this mutually beneficial program, please contact:

Jenise Katalina

Square One |  1095 Main Street, Springfield |  413.732.5183