The purpose of the Next Stop Career Program is to expose students, ages 15-21,  to key in-demand industries and innovative career paths. We help participants identify their strengths, interests, and complimentary career paths. In addition, the program teaches students the essential skills needed to be successful in the workplace.

To address the issue of youth unemployment and workforce readiness, Aspire Youth Development has implemented Next Stop Career: A Virtual Summer Career Exploration Initiative over the past two summers. The Initiative has leveraged relationships with higher education institutions and local employers in order to prepare our emerging workforce to gain and maintain successful employment.

We will offer the Next Stop Career program in October, December, February, and April.  During these months, (20) students will participate in (3) 90-minute sessions on consecutive Tuesdays. To maintain social distancing guidelines, the program will take place virtually, using Aspire’s paid, password-protected-Zoom account. The program will combine various mediums to ensure participants stay engaged and we account for the diverse learning styles of students. Most sessions will occur “live” in real-time, using Zoom. We will utilize the zoom “breakout room” function to facilitate small group discussions and activities. By combining brief PowerPoint presentations with interactive discussions, video content, self-paced strengths, as well as career and personality assessments, we will provide a comprehensive, engaging curriculum over the course of the three weeks.

Aspire will work with our industry partners to develop virtual employer tours and presentations. The employers will represent various industries and will highlight the career growth opportunities and training, education, and skills needed to do well in that field. Industries are selected using the New Jersey Department of Labor analysis of projected growth in the region. We will also emphasize non-traditional career paths that students express interest in, to provide a realistic overview of the skills and training needed. Industries may include:

• Advanced Manufacturing
• Transportation, Logistics & Distribution (TLD)
• Healthcare
• Retail, Hospitality & Tourism (RHT)
• Finance
• Information Technology
• Social Media
• Fine Arts
• Music Production

In addition to the industry information and employer presentations, each day will focus on our career-readiness curriculum. To facilitate student’s self-discovery, we will use validated assessment tools such as High5 and ONET, to help students identify their top strengths and career interests. We will use the Conover Workplace Readiness program as our core curriculum to instruct and evaluate youth on the key “essential skills” needed. Topics include attitude, professionalism, communication, teamwork, job search, resume development, and interviewing skills. The Workplace Readiness program is divided into three main sections:

• The Job Readiness Series covers critical soft skills employers are looking for when assessing potential job candidates.
• Job Seeking Series includes key job-seeking skills needed to find, apply, interview, and accept a job.
• Job Keeping Series includes practical tips on how to effectively relate to customers, supervisors, and co-workers.

We will also integrate key life-skills training on topics such as financial literacy, leadership, and Emotional Intelligence.  We will also invite industry and higher education/training institution representatives to participate in a live virtual panel presentation during the last week of the program. Students will come prepared with questions they have developed after learning more about the various industries and their own career interests. Panelists may include employers, government, higher education, and other industry representatives, to provide a diverse perspective to students.

Age Groups	Adolescents
Community Services	Arts & Recreation Recreation / Social / Sports Basic Needs / Assistance Financial Counseling / Literacy Community Community Service Education Professional Education / Training Employment / Training Job Search Job Training Life Skills Training Preparing for Adulthood
Treatment Services	Outpatient Services Social Skills
Payment Options	System of Care (CSOCI Medicaid / FlexFunds)
Areas Served	Burlington County Camden County

Last Updated: 02/09/23