Developing Workplace Skills with Sueños Academies
Youth participating in our program attend Sueños Career Cluster Academies where they are introduced to local in-demand industry sectors. In these structured learning environments, youth focus on a group of careers they have identified interest in and participate in a variety of career awareness and exploration activities as well as engage in extensive career pathway research.
In the academies youth learn about setting attainable goals and making informed choices and decisions, skills they then apply when developing their “career roadmap.” After their participation in the academies, youth will have a better understanding of the industry sectors, including the types of jobs, education and skill requirements, salary rates, and other local labor market information.
The program currently supports four academies:
- Architecture and Construction
- Health Science
- Hospitality and Tourism
- Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)
All academies are powerful tools for developing “expanded student learning opportunities…that lead to successful preparation for the world of work and higher education opportunities” (County Superintendent’s Goal 3.2a).
Sueños academies have been serving youth in Santa Cruz County since 2000, collaborating on many projects to enrich career and academic development for youth, providing “support to students who are unsuccessful in comprehensive programs by developing partnerships and creating programs that address service gaps” (County Superintendent’s Goal 3.4b).
This collaboration has resulted in successful career mentoring, internships, job shadowing, and general work experience, all of which have contributed to the achievement of individual goals set by the youth participants.
Participants can also earn up to $150 in incentives after the successful completion of each Career Cluster Academy.