The Youthworks Job Readiness Program provides training and in-store experience for young people aged 15 to17. The program is conducted in the summer, between June and August, and involves three weekends of training on job-readiness skills, such as interviewing, proper attire, work ethics, problem resolution and communications. The purpose of the program is to introduce young people to the world of work. In this unique program, Pathmark has constructed real, operational supermarkets on the premises of six high schools in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
Students run the stores, supervised by two teachers.
As part of the training, students participate in seminars provided by the company on retail topics, such as merchandising, display, register operations, security, bookkeeping and customer service. The store is open five periods a day. The program was developed in collaboration with the NYC Board of Education as part of Project JOBS, designed to link business and education to help students in the transition to work after high school. This program provides an incentive for young associates to stay in school and receive a diploma. In this unique educational program, targeted students are recruited from area high schools for part-time employment at the company headquarters in Andover.