“Taking part in the Thousand Strong Program has been a completely new and amazing journey, I have gotten to learn and take part in things I would have never been able to otherwise, I have had the privilege to meet such amazing people. I’m truly thankful that I’ve been able to take part in such a fantastic experience.” Said Caleb Briseno, a current Metro Foundation intern.
Caleb’s internship journey is just one example of the impact reflected across youth in gaining on-the-job work experience.
800 youth, 57,000 hours worked, and over $650,000 earned in wages – Thousand strong returns for its eighth year. In partnership with the Office of Mayor Darrell Steinberg, Thousand Strong connects high school students with employers located in the City of Sacramento. Launched in 2016, Thousand Strong aims to bridge the gap between employers and local talent by investing in youth’s career development. Over the duration of the program, we have partnered with various industries throughout Sacramento; ranging from food and agriculture, business, finance, healthcare, nonprofits, and more.
This year-long program provides interested students with the opportunity to gain 40-hours’ worth of workforce development training, internship placements, and first-hand work experience.
How it works
Through Thousand Strong, Metro Foundation partners with the Foundation for California Community Colleges to act as the employer of record, manage onboarding, and payroll on behalf of the worksite. Additionally, Thousand Strong partners with a local Community Based Organization to provide the workforce readiness training, provide mentorship to the students, and more. Within this structure, the worksite hosting an intern can focus on providing a productive internship experience for the student.
Once a Sacramento employer partners with the program, they are encouraged to provide a $6,000 contribution to Thousand Strong to cover 300 hours required for student interns to complete by the end of the school year. Once a student applies for the program, they are then matched to a potential employer based on their shared interests and skills and will be connected to an employer for their interview process.
Get involved now
Join us in supporting Sacramento youth in exploring future careers and growing their work experiences. If you are interested in learning more, click HERE or to become an employer partner, please contact Jazmine Alop at jalop@metrochamber.org.