From Afterschool to Career: Building Employer Partnerships That Actually Work for Young People
September 15, 2026 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
This online, interactive workshop gives youth services practitioners and educators a practical, field-tested framework for building employer partnerships that create real outcomes for young people. Most afterschool programs know they should be connecting young people to career pathways.
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The harder question is how? How do you actually approach employers, what do you offer them, and how do you build relationships that last beyond a one-time site visit or a check-in-a-box moment?
Tony Gaston draws on more than two decades of employer engagement work across New York City, including high school apprenticeships, sector-based career pathways, and public-private workforce initiatives. Participants learn how to identify the right employer partners, name the value their program brings, and move from a one-time connection to a structured, lasting partnership. This is not theory. Participants work through real scenarios, map their own program’s assets, and leave with a draft outreach approach for one real employer they want to engage.
The framework adapts across program size and sector focus, whether a site runs STEM, performing arts, or general enrichment. It assumes no dedicated workforce development staff. Any adult who works with young people can use it.
