TeenForce is bringing youth jobs program to South County

Launch is supported by $7,500 grant from the
Intero Foundation

By Robert Airoldi
TeenForce, a social enterprise helping to solve the youth employment crisis by meeting the hiring needs of Santa Clara County businesses, is expanding its service area to include south Santa Clara County.
TeenForce unites foster teens looking for work with companies willing to hire them. Orchard Supply Hardware, Peet’s Coffee & Tea, Best Buy and Goodwill Industries are just a few of the firms that have stepped up, said John Hogan, CEO of TeenForce.
At a recent hiring fair in San Jose, seven job offers were made and more than 20 teens were offered second interviews, Hogan said. And three teens were hired by Goodwill in South County, he added.
“It’s a match-making business,” Hogan said. “We recruit, find, screen, hire and then place teens in jobs with partner businesses. Essentially, we’re a staffing agency for foster kids.”
But it’s not just foster kids who can take advantage of the nonprofit’s work. They accept any youth age 14 to 20. If they’re in the foster system they can be as old as 24.
TeenForce celebrated the third anniversary of its first job placement last month and has placed 263 youth ages 14 to 24 in jobs since inception. TeenForce youth have worked more than 75,000 hours and earned $723,000.
Destiney Nicole Iglesias, 20, has been in the foster system for 19 years and lived in 18 foster homes.
She now works at Plaza Loans in San Jose and said the program helped her gain valuable long term work experience.
“Before TeenForce, I wasn’t able to find a long-term job,” said Iglesias, who lives in San Jose. “Prior to getting involved, I only had seasonal jobs. Working with TeenForce I was able gain one year of experience at Goodwill Industries. I am now working as a receptionist for Plaza Loans. TeenForce allowed me to gain office experience which is going to be beneficial in the long run.”
She now hopes to continue working at Plaza Loans and attend college to become a nurse.
Ja’nai Spain, 21, who lives in San Jose and works at Princeton Capital, was in the system for 14 years. She said TeenForce has helped her acquire professional job skills and independence.
“Since being hired through TeenForce I’ve been able to buy myself a car, I can travel to and from work as I please,” she said. “TeenForce has helped me develop job skills for the future where I can effectively function in a corporate environment.”
John Horner, president and CEO of the Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce, said the chamber is pleased to welcome TeenForce to Morgan Hill.
“We think a lot of local businesses will find it very convenient to hire well-prepared and motivated youth through the TeenForce program,” Horner said.
Hogan launched the nonprofit three years ago in Los Gatos, where he lives. He spent 25 years in the mortgage business and after he retired in 2007 with no real plan, he earned an MBA from Santa Clara and was going to open an ice cream shop where he could hire a few teens.
“Then I wondered if we could get everyone to hire one kid,” he said.
Teen employment is at a 63-year low. Just 29 percent of teens 16 to 19 are working. More than 50 percent of youth have fewer than 20 of the 41 critical Developmental Assets important for youth to avoid risky behaviors and thrive, according to the Search Institute. A positive employment experience directly results in youth experiencing an increase of at least eight of these developmental assets
The TeenForce expansion into Morgan Hill was provided with a jump start from the agents at Intero Real Estate Services, who kicked in $7,500. “When we learned about the great work TeenForce was doing in San Jose, we thought it was important to help bring their services to South County,” said Ben Bruno, manager of the Intero Real Estate office in Morgan Hill. “We are proud that our agents’ contributions to the Intero Foundation make this type of support possible.”
Santa Clara County District 1 Supervisor Mike Wasserman is also enthusiastic about the expansion.
“TeenForce started in Los Gatos when I was a town councilmember. I’m very pleased to see their program continuing to grow to serve disadvantaged youth throughout our county,” Wasserman said.
And TeenForce has already helped numerous disadvantaged teens.
“Through a program like TeenForce, the struggle to find work as a young underprivileged adult is recognized and a change is being made,” Spain said.
For more information, contact John Hogan at (408) 827-3078, ext. 1 or at [email protected].