Youth Employment Services

Youth Empowerment Services

Mt. Diablo YES Program

Mt. Diablo Youth Empowerment Services (YES) is a federal funded program by the Contra Costa County Workforce Development Board. The funds received by MDUSD to support the YES Program are Youth Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act (WIOA) Grant funds, specifically targeted to serve at-risk youth 16 years old to 23 years old living in Bay Point and Central Contra Costa County, and needing assistance reaching their employment and/or educational goals.

The Mt. Diablo YES Program provides participants with continual service through a range of program options and incentives. Core program elements include a Case Manager who is assigned to each participant and supports the youth to reach their educational and employment goals. The Case Manager refers the youth to services within the school district and in the community based on each individual participant's needs. Participants prepare for success while in the program by participating in work experiences, ongoing academic counseling, mental health services, summer employment opportunities, job shadowing, internships, and other workshops and trainings provided by Mt. Diablo YES. Once a participant has completed their time as an active YES participant, the assigned case manager continues to support them by providing follow-up services to increase the rate of job and/or post-secondary retention.

Mt. Diablo YES Program serves both In-School-Youth and Out-of-School Youth with its main focus being Out-of-School youth, serving 80%-20%. Out- Of-School Youth are youth who have disengaged from school for 45 days or more, have graduated and need additional assistance to reach their long-term employment goals, and those who have not yet graduated . For eligibility requirements or questions about the program, please contact Anna Ramos, the YES Program Manager at (925) 682-8000 ext. 6228.

The Manager of Youth Development & Support Services oversees the Youth Empowerment Services program and manages the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) grant. They are responsible for program development, managing staff, developing community partnerships, collaborating with District, community and County programs, while also creating work-based learning opportunities to support youth in the program. The Manager of Youth Development & Supportive Services focuses on developing systems of support to ensure youth obtain a high school diploma or its equivalence and for creating post-secondary pathways. Case managers with the Mt. Diablo YES Program are MDUSD Work Based Learning Coordinators and they also support Career Pathways across the district. To learn more about the Career Pathway Programs please visit our Career Pathway Website.