Deayshia stands at the threshold of a new chapter in her life. With her high school graduation from Colorado High School Charter just in sight, she is faced with a vast, open sea of career opportunities and choices about her future. She lives at home with her mother, and as she reflected on her journey so far and the opportunities that lie ahead, she began feeling some uncertainty about what comes next.
That’s when Deayshia came to the Career Coaching Collaborative—the state’s free career coaching program designed to help Coloradans identify their unique strengths and interests and pursue next steps toward accomplishing their goals—seeking guidance and information to begin her journey.
“Deayshia’s high-priority needs were two-fold: resume engineering and job search assistance,” says her career coach.
Deayshia expressed a passion for pursuing a fashion design career, which was heightened when her career coach connected her to an art internship with Arts Street @ YEA—a job-training program that uses the power of arts and technology to engage youth in the creative workforce, learning and career development opportunities, and leadership skills to help the community at-large.
YEA is a nonprofit organization established at Denver Housing Authority to provide opportunities for education and employment for low-income youth and young adults ages 14-21 in the Denver metro area. YEA helps guide youth to graduate from high school, earn their GED, earn industry-specific certificates, attend post-secondary education, and receive hands-on job training and become employed.
In February, Deayshia was hired at the newly-built Firehouse Subs as a sandwich specialist and store associate. Today, Deayshia is maintaining employment while she finishes school and searches for the next opportunity to enter the field of fashion design.
To date, the Career Coaching Collaborative has helped nearly 2,000 people in Colorado since its launch in 2022. Currently, 25 coaches located throughout the state are helping individuals advance their careers thanks to grant money from the Coronavirus State Local Fiscal and Recovery Funds program.
If you or someone you know is interested in receiving help, connect with a Career Coach and schedule an appointment today. Services are provided free of charge to those who are eligible.