CHICAGO, April 3, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Sprint
(NYSE:S) joins Youth Guidance to expand its Project Prepare Blue
program, after receiving a generous grant from The Aspen Institute.
Originally launched in 2016, and enhanced in 2017 with Sprint, the
program is designed to give youth, ages 18-24, who have attained a
high school diploma but are unemployed and out-of-school, the tools
and support they need to enter the workforce and and/or enroll in
higher education.
"Sprint is proud to support Youth Guidance in this positive
endeavor to create career paths for Opportunity Youth (OY)," said
Jim Mills, Sprint President of the
Midwest. "In our time together, 72% of OY have already entered the
workforce and/or enrolled in higher education within three months
of completing the program. As we continue to find talented,
ambitious people and in many cases, bring them onto our team, we
challenge other corporations to do the same."
Project Prepare Blue, or Blue, with Sprint's support, now
provides integrated training, career counseling, case management,
job placement, and retention support. Each youth is paired with a
Career Specialist to create and implement an individual service
strategy that guides them in overcoming obstacles to securing and
retaining jobs. Often, qualified candidates, who have completed the
program are then recruited by companies like Sprint.
With hundreds of stores in Chicago, Sprint is consistently looking for
talented individuals to fill retail positions.1 District
and store managers dedicate a substantial amount of time to recruit
and this program provides a funnel of qualified candidates. Retail
sales consultant positions are great opportunities for youth when
entering the workforce because they not only learn fundamental
skills but each store operates like a small business with employees
that fill diverse roles which includes greeters, sales, customer
care, technicians, and management.
"We are so proud to work in collaboration with Sprint on helping
youth successfully transition to the world of work," says
Michelle Adler-Morrison, Youth
Guidance CEO. "I could not have asked for a better corporate
partner. Sprint embraces its responsibility to give back to the
community while also getting qualified, prepared and enthusiastic
employees. We hope this positive partnership will motivate other
corporations to join us."
Sprint is committed to advancing employees from within the
company. Among District Manager positions in Illinois and Wisconsin, almost all of the positions were
filled by employees that began their career in a Sprint store. By
exposing youth to opportunities for employment and advancement at
Sprint, and developing industry skills, the results have shown
higher rates of hiring, retention, and progression for these
youth.
To date, Youth Guidance (YG) and Sprint have helped 25
Opportunity Youth through Blue in which 72% of those students have
entered the workforce or enrolled in higher education:
- 52% were placed in employment,
including Sprint
- 12% were placed in paid internships
- 12% joined AmeriCorps
- 20% enrolled in college and persisted through their first
semester 2
About Sprint:
Sprint (NYSE: S) is a communications
services company that creates more and better ways to connect
its customers to the things they care about most. Sprint
served 54.6 million connections as of December 31, 2017 and is widely recognized for
developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies,
including the first wireless 4G service from a national carrier in
the United States; leading
no-contract brands including Virgin Mobile USA, Boost Mobile, and Assurance Wireless;
instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a
global Tier 1 Internet backbone. Today, Sprint's legacy of
innovation and service continues with an increased investment to
dramatically improve coverage, reliability, and speed across its
nationwide network and commitment to launching the
first 5G mobile network in the U.S. You can learn
more and visit Sprint at www.sprint.com or
www.facebook.com/sprint and www.twitter.com/sprint.
About Youth Guidance:
Youth Guidance creates and
implements school-based programs that enable youth in underserved
communities to overcome obstacles, focus on their education and,
ultimately, succeed in school and in life. Youth Guidance's
programs include the well respected and evidence-based "Becoming A
Man" and "Working on Womanhood" programs or BAM and WOW. For more
information on YG and all its programs, visit
www.youth-guidance.org
1 Store count includes Sprint
corporate-owned stores, Sprint dealer stores and Boost Mobile
prepaid stores.
2 Some youth have
received multiple placements in programs so percentages shown above
will not add up to 72%.
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SOURCE Sprint