The Youth Employment Partnership

What The Youth Employment Partnership does

The Youth Employment Partnership (YEP) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1973 in Oakland, California, originally as St. Elizabeth's Youth Employment Corporation by teachers from St Elizabeth High School to address summer learning loss and idleness among at-risk youth. The organization now operates from a 26,000 sq ft solar-powered workforce training facility at 2300 International Boulevard and serves low-income Oakland youth and young adults ages 14-24 impacted by poverty, the foster care system, the criminal justice system, school underachievement, and lack of work experience. Since founding, YEP has served more than 34,500 young people and currently serves approximately 500-600 transition-aged youth annually, with reported outcomes of 85%+ training completion and 78-80% placement into employment and/or advanced education.

YEP's "living classroom" model delivers three integrated program lines: (1) Youth Employment Programs for ages 14-18, including paid Career Tryout internships with 200+ local businesses and 100+ nonprofits, the crew-based Team Oakland community work program with Oakland Public Works, and Oakland Summer Rising which pairs academic support with paid work; (2) Young Adult Employment Programs for ages 18-24, offering vocational training in construction, culinary arts, warehousing & logistics, and healthcare, combined with an onsite high school diploma program run with the Alameda County Office of Education; and (3) the Stable Futures Housing Program, which pairs transitional housing (12-unit tiny home community and 30-unit dormitory) with 24/7 case management, education, and job training. The construction and culinary programs are also operated as social enterprises, with trainees building or rehabbing affordable housing (50+ homes completed with Oakland Community Land Trust and Oakland Housing Authority) and preparing daily meals for the City of Oakland's transitional community cabins.

YEP is funded through a diversified mix of government grants and contracts (U.S. Department of Labor YouthBuild, California Volunteers, City of Oakland Department of Violence Prevention, Oakland Workforce Development Board, Alameda County Probation, GO-Biz, and most recently the U.S. Department of Energy), private philanthropy (Hellman, Crankstart, Wayne & Gladys Valley, William G. Irwin, Kelson, KKR Grants, Glass Half Full, Tipping Point Community, Oakland Fund for Children and Youth), individual donations, and earned revenue from its social enterprises. Programs are delivered free of charge to participants, who receive paid wages, completion bonuses (up to $1,200+ across a program), attendance incentives, free meals, and bus passes. YEP is an independent organization with no parent company, no subsidiaries, and no public listing.

Name

The Youth Employment Partnership

Legal name

Youth Employment Partnership, Inc.

Website

https://yep.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Youth Employment Partnership is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1973 in Oakland, California, providing workforce training, vocational education, paid work experience, and transitional housing to approximately 500-600 low-income youth and young adults ages 14-24 each year who are impacted by poverty, foster care, and the criminal justice system.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Workforce Development and Youth Services

NAICS

Vocational Rehabilitation Services (624310), Child and Youth Services (62411), Other Technical and Trade Schools (611519)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Workforce Readiness, Career Pathways & Youth Employment Nonprofits (BPAGADAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth & Young Adult Workforce Programs (Out-of-School Youth) (EDAAAOAD), Employment & Job Readiness Support Services (BPAGAEAJ), Transition Programs (Reentry, Workforce Readiness & Life Skills for At-Risk Youth) (EDAJAEAF)

Keywords

• Youth workforce development
• Vocational job training
• Transitional housing programs
• Paid youth internships
• Construction culinary training

Headquarters

HQ city

Oakland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Government Grants and Contracts: YEP receives funding from government sources including U.S. Department of Labor YouthBuild program, California Volunteers, City of Oakland Department of Violence Prevention, Oakland Workforce Development Board, Alameda County Probation Department, and California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development. Several grants are performance-based, funding continuation contingent on meeting outcome metrics.
2. Foundation and Private Philanthropy: Support from foundations including Hellman Foundation, Crankstart Foundation, Wayne & Gladys Valley Foundation, William G. Irwin Charity Foundation, Kelson Foundation, Glass Half Full Foundation, KKR Grants, Oakland Fund for Children and Youth, and Tipping Point Community. Individual donor contributions also support operations.
3. Social Enterprise Revenue: YEP's culinary arts program prepares meals for City of Oakland's transitional community cabins and nearby alternative education high schools, generating revenue while providing training. Construction projects for community partners also contribute to program sustainability.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Youth Employment Partnership provides free, paid workforce training, vocational education, and transitional housing to Oakland youth and young adults ages 14-24 facing barriers such as poverty, foster care, and justice involvement. Core offerings include summer and afterschool jobs for ages 14-18, vocational tracks in construction, culinary arts, warehousing & logistics, and healthcare for ages 18-24, an onsite high school diploma recovery program, and the Stable Futures Housing Program combining 12 tiny homes and a 30-bed dormitory with 24/7 case management. All programs pair paid work experience with educational support and case management delivered through a "living classroom" model at YEP's Oakland training facility.

Product overview

The Youth Employment Partnership offers a multi-faceted workforce development platform with three integrated program areas: Youth Employment Programs for ages 14-18 (including Career Try-out internships, Team Oakland crew-based work, and Oakland Summer Rising academic/work experience), Young Adult Employment Programs for ages 18-24 (offering vocational training in construction, culinary arts, warehousing & logistics, and healthcare with integrated high school diploma recovery), and the Stable Futures Housing Program (combining Phase 1 tiny homes with Phase 2 dormitory housing paired with education and job training). Social Ventures complements these programs through construction and culinary social enterprises that serve as living classrooms while benefiting the community. Together, these programs form a comprehensive pipeline from youth employment through young adult job training to housing stability and long-term career success.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Youth Employment Programs Summer and afterschool paid job programs for Oakland youth ages 14-18 providing paid work experience, job readiness training, and connections to school and career. Includes Career Try-out internships, Team Oakland crew-based community work, and Oakland Summer Rising academic/work experience.
• Young Adult Employment Programs Comprehensive job training program for young people ages 18-24 integrating leadership development, support services, educational programming, college enrollment, and on-the-job vocational training in construction, culinary arts, warehousing & logistics, and healthcare with paid 10-week internships.
• Stable Futures Housing Program Transformative workforce housing combining emergency transitional and longer-term supportive housing with education, workforce training, and housing planning to move young adults out of poverty. Phase 1 provides 30-90 days of interim housing in 12 tiny homes; Phase 2 provides up to 2+ years in a 30-bed dormitory, with 24/7 case management.
• Social Ventures Social enterprise programs that train young people in construction and culinary arts while engaging in projects that directly benefit the community, including home rehabilitation for low-income families and meal preparation for City of Oakland transitional community cabins.

Quantifiable outcome

• 85%+ of participants complete workforce training programs
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Oakland Public WorkscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity agency providing work opportunities for youth through Team Oakland program focused on community beautification, park maintenance, and environmental projects.
• City of Oakland Department of Violence PreventioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity department working to prevent violence and support at-risk youth through employment and support services.
• Oakland Workforce Development BoardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity board overseeing workforce development programs and funding allocation for employment training.
• California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState economic development agency supporting workforce training and employment programs.
• Alameda County Probation DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCounty agency providing referrals and support for justice-involved youth and young adults entering workforce training programs.
• OUSD Expanded Learning Summer ProgramsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Oakland Unified School District for summer learning and employment programs for youth.
• Oakland Community Land TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for home rehabilitation projects where YEP trainees renovate homes for sale to low-income families at below-market value.
• Oakland Housing AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublic housing authority partnering on affordable housing rehabilitation and construction projects for community benefit.
• Alameda County Office of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOperates onsite high school diploma program in collaboration with Alameda County Office of Education for young adult trainees who haven't graduated.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• GRID Alternatives: National nonprofit providing solar installation training and workforce development for underserved communities, partially overlapping YEP's Construction Social Enterprise in mission and a relevant partner/comparator for skilled-trades career pathways.

Direct peers

• Per Scholas: National nonprofit offering tuition-free technical (often IT) vocational training and career placement to adults from low-income communities, a directly comparable tuition-free, employer-aligned training model targeting similar populations.
• Year Up: National workforce development nonprofit providing job training, internships, and wraparound supports to opportunity youth ages 18-24, the same core demographic and integrated training-plus-education-plus-career-placement model YEP delivers in Oakland.
• Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO): National nonprofit providing immediate employment readiness training, transitional work, and placement services for people returning home from incarceration, a closely aligned workforce reentry model with outcomes-based public funding.
• The Door: New York City-based youth services nonprofit offering workforce development, education, health, and housing support for young people ages 12-24, comparable integrated model serving similar at-risk youth demographics.
• STRIVE: Workforce development nonprofit providing job readiness training, vocational skills, and placement for opportunity youth and adults facing barriers to employment, mirroring YEP's training-plus-placement approach for justice-involved and low-income participants.
• Homeboy Industries: Los Angeles-based nonprofit offering employment training, social enterprises (bakery, catering, construction), and reentry support to formerly incarcerated and gang-involved individuals, a directly comparable training-plus-social-enterprise model serving justice-involved populations.

Broad incumbents

• Covenant House: National nonprofit providing housing, education, and workforce development for youth and young adults facing homelessness and trafficking, an overlapping integrated housing-plus-training model at much larger scale across multiple U.S. cities.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: National youth development organization offering workforce readiness, summer jobs, and college/career programming for teens, a broader incumbent serving overlapping youth-employment and career-exploration outcomes at national scale.

Regional players

• Rising Sun Center for Opportunity: Bay Area nonprofit providing workforce development, construction and energy-efficiency training, and employment placement to opportunity youth and adults, a regional peer operating the same green/construction vocational training model in adjacent Bay Area counties.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/YEPOAK
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/youth-employment-partnership
• Instagraminstagram.com/yep_oak

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Youth Employment Partnership