TeenForce is working to develop an Internship Program for Summer of 2011 offering 30 intership possitions throughout the community in a variety of fields. We are looking for local support from all who are interested in helping our developing young community

1. October 7, 2010

2. Quick History
• Retired after 25 year mortgage career
• Next career to be more community minded
• Received MBA from SCU in late 2009
• TeenForce plan developed as part of SCU
coursework
• Launched March 2010 with $50K and four
teenage workers

3. Our Mission
TeenForce is a self-sustaining non-profit
organization dedicated to creating positive
employment relationships between teens
(ages 13 – 20) and adults in specific
communities, resulting in the development of
healthy, caring and responsible youth.

4. Why? The Problems We Address
• Crisis in Teen Employment Trends

5. Crisis in Teen Employment Trends
51.4
48.1
40.2
42.1
39.6
37.1
32.9
28.6
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
June 2000 June 2001 June 2004 June 2006 June 2007 June 2008 June 2009 June 2010
Trends in the
employment ratios
of Teens (16-19) in
the U.S. (in %)
If ratio was 51.4%
in 2010, then 3.9
million additional
teens would be
working this year.
Andrew Sum; Northeastern University

6. Why? The Problems We Address
• Teens Lack Developmental Assets

7. Helping Teens Build Assets
http://www.search-institute.org/research/assets/assetpower
More than 50%
of youth have
fewer than 20
of the 40
assets
important for
youth to thrive.
A positive
job
experience
can help add
8+ assets.

8. Why? The Problems We Address
• Avoiding the “Race to Nowhere”

9. Avoid the “Race to Nowhere”
“Race to Nowhere points to the silent epidemic in our
schools: cheating has become commonplace, students
have become disengaged, stress-related illness,
depression and burnout are rampant, and young people
arrive at college and the workplace unprepared and
uninspired.” www.racetonowhere.com
Teach students to be Career
Ready: Academic Skills +
Employability Skills +
Technical Skills

10. Our Unique Solution

11. Local Focus, National
Ambition
Like the YMCA or the Scouts
Scalable and Replicable
Enable Communities:
Everyone to hire just one Teen
Alternative Staffing
Organization
50+ operated in U.S
Serving people with
employment barriers
Typically Non-Profit
DePaul Industries - $21M
revenue
Goodwill - $20M in
revenue
Temporary Staffing Industry
$73 Billion in annual revenue
2.8 million employees daily
95% of U.S. businesses use staffing
companies

12. Why Our Solution is Better
• Market based. Relies on proven business
models and works to be sustainable.
• Not government funded. Fast, flexible.
• Works with all teens. “Mainstreams” teens
with barriers. No stigma to the program.
• Businesses pay for valuable service.
Teens get paid. Self-regulating.

13. Core TeenForce Products
• Part-time and Temporary job placements for 8 – 12
hours per week. Local retail, office and restaurants.
(4 months history)
• Training and certification programs for specific
fields. Healthcare, Office Equipment, Retail, Food
Safety (using Community Partners). Soft skills
training – interviewing, customer service, resumes.
(November roll-out)
• Summer Internship Program. Substantial career
development opportunities. (Starts tonight)

14. Accomplishments to Date
• Built TeenForce in a Box
– Software, database, operations procedures,
legal documentation, insurance, marketing
• First job placements in June 2010
• Up to 39 teens put to work with 13 clients for
a total of 2725 paid work hours
• Approved as non-profit on July 31
• Established Teen Development Coordinator
position

15. Teen Development Coordinator
• Recent college grad joining the team to build
out our “soft skills.” Los Gatos pedigree.
• Coaching the students who need extra help
with job readiness skills.
• Building a team of “community trainers” who
will teach teens specific skills such as office
equipment, sales, food safety and customer
service.
• Assist with internship program for the
summer of 2011.

16. Growth Plan and Milestones
• Prove the model in Los Gatos
– Get volume for sustainability (33% there)
– Implement effective internship program
• Replicate the model in low-to-moderate
income community
– Need scaling grant from foundation
• Replicate many times over based on
community demand

17. Internship Program (finally!)
• Designed to develop robust, paid summer
work opportunities that will help students
select colleges, majors and/or careers.
• The purpose of these positions is to help
teens “find and test their passion” for a
particular career.
• Focus on “career ready” and not “race to
nowhere.”

18. Define Internship
• Meaningful learning experiences.
• Opportunities for professional development and
achieving technical skills.
• Planned, structured and supervised experiences.
• Communication, teamwork, and leadership skills are
tested and honed within an employment setting.
• Interns are supervised by professionals who routinely
use a professional level of knowledge, skills, and
judgment.

19. Not Part-Time Jobs
• Internship experiences differ from jobs primarily in the
emphasis on learning and professional development.
• Generally not appropriate for an intern to be assigned to
routine tasks (clerical work, data entry, telephone calling)
for more than 20% of the time.
• It is often helpful to base an internship around a
particular project (or projects) that have defined
beginnings and endings with a resulting product (e.g. a
report, research outcome, event, etc.).

20. TeenForce Internship Parameters
• 8 – 9 weeks. 30 – 35 hours per week.
• Open to students finishing Junior, Senior year in high
school or freshman, sophomore year in college
• Los Gatos / Monte Sereno residents
• 30 positions. One-third to students with barriers.
• Commute distance to Los Gatos
• Wide variety of industry. Legal, accounting, medical,
construction, automotive, technology, marketing, etc.
• Spring training courses (required). Likely a competitive
selection process, including employer interview.

21. Measurable Goals and Outcomes
• 30 internships provided to teens, 33% of whom have
barriers to employment. All of whom earn $2700 and
earn valuable experience and career insight.
• Creation of a sustainable program, measured by positive
cash flow ($14,000) and a 67% renewal rate from
employers.
• Program is documented such that it can be repeated in
Los Gatos and replicated in a low-to-moderate income
community (measured by implementing both in 2012).

22. Making it Happen
• Need a marketing team to find the internships
• Seeking parents/community members to commit
to finding one or more by December 31, 2010
– Internship information and materials for
employers are ready now
– Need your help to put TeenForce
management in front of decision makers
• We also need to expand the marketing team
• Commitment and follow-up are key

23. Call to Action!
• Join the Internship Marketing Team – Commit!
• Help us expand the marketing team.
– Easy Help: Post on Facebook. Send an email. Make
a phone call. Tweet!
– Hard Help: Host a small informational meeting with
friends. TeenForce will participate.
• Donate to TeenForce. Checks are great and there is
a PayPal button on the website.
• Stay informed. Sign up for our email newsletter.

24. 101 Church Street, Suite 19
Los Gatos, CA 95030
www.teenforce.org
408.827.3078