Job-Readiness Program
The primary focus of Coffee With A Cause is sustainable employment for transitional age youth (TAY) . We serve youth who:
Are age 16-24 (seniors in high school or above)
Have experienced foster care, homelessness and justice system-involvement
During our program, youth receive soft skill training, a paid internships with a local business, and 1 year of mentorship from a community volunteer. Our aim is that each youth completes the program with measurable improvement in soft and hard job skills, resume-ready experience and references, and support in obtaining sustainable employment.
All training and internships are currently in Pasadena and Highland Park. Youth are not required to live in those city limits, as long as they have transportation to and within one of those cities.
Already familiar with our program and ready to take next steps?
Click the button on the right to apply to our next internship cohort! Our application has key dates listed. If you’d like to learn more about our program before applying, scroll down to see the three main components of our program: soft skill training, paid internships, and mentorship.
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Step 1: Soft Skill Training
Each quarter, a new cohort of interns begins with soft skills training to prepare them for their upcoming internships. Our goal is to equip them with essential workplace skills that set them apart as they launch their careers. Training focuses on key areas such as communication, teamwork, motivationalstyles, problem-solving, hospitality, and timemanagement.
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Step 2: Paid Internships
As part of soft skills training, interns are matched with a local business partner in a role aligned with their interests and long-term career goals—ranging from coffee and retail to landscaping and more. Interns gain hands-on experience and hard skills throughout the internship, with ongoing support. We check in regularly and help navigate any challenges, with the ultimate goal of helping each intern secure stable, long-term employment after the program.
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Step 3: Mentorship and Career-Building
During the internship period, youth are encouraged to focus on job searching, with the goal of securing meaningful, long-term employment as part of their path to independence. Each youth is paired with a trained volunteer mentor for one year, offering support with job searching, retention, and essential life skills like budgeting, transportation, and accessing community resources.
After completing their internship, our youth can take industry certification tests to validate their job skills and impress future job interviewers, such as:
Barista Certificate
Career Resources
Personal Training Certificate
IT Certificate