Everyone deserves the opportunity to achieve their full potential.
At Year Up United, we're on a mission to end the Opportunity Divide and ensure that every young adult has the skills, experiences, and support to break through barriers and achieve their full potential in their careers.
Our Vision
We firmly believe in the potential of all young adults. Opportunity should be a given, and yet, too many barriers keep untapped talent sidelined while companies miss out on what's right in front of them. As the demand for talent continues to rise, we are committed to ending the Opportunity Divide that persists in our society, reshaping the world of work so that it works for everyone, not just a select few. Because everyone deserves the opportunity to achieve their full potential.
Our core values guide our work:
Respect and value others
Engage and embrace diversity
Build trust, be honest
Strive to learn
Be accountable
Work hard and have fun
Our United Approach
For nearly 25 years, we've led the charge in the skills-first movement, serving over 45,000 young adults in partnership with more than 250 top employers. Now, as Year Up United, we're delivering comprehensive solutions that empower young people, connect them to real opportunities and build communities committed to transforming business and driving lasting societal change.
In addition to Career Pathways, our skills-first training program for young adults, Year Up United is reshaping the world of work through our portfolio of solutions.
Grads of Life: Mobilizing the Opportunity Employer Movement
Grads of Life, an initiative born from Year Up United, is leading the charge in engaging the private sector to bridge the Opportunity Divide. By advocating for hiring practices that prioritize diversity and economic equality, Grads of Life empowers employers with the tools and training needed to recruit, retain, and advance Opportunity Talent. Through research, communications, and direct engagement with employers, Grads of Life is reshaping perceptions of talent and fostering inclusive workplaces that drive economic opportunity for all.
YUPRO Placement: Championing Skills-First Hiring Solutions
YUPRO Placement is revolutionizing the hiring landscape with its focus on skills-first placement. Since 2014, YUPRO Placement has been connecting companies with diverse, career-ready talent from a nationwide network of nonprofits and upskilling partners. By prioritizing social impact alongside business success, YUPRO Placement helps employers build inclusive workplaces while creating pathways to upward economic mobility.
Talent Networks: Amplifying our Collective Impact
Through our Talent Networks, we're building and strengthening connections between training providers, community partners, and employers--creating a more inclusive workforce and scaling solutions to our partners' needs. We enable local organizations to provide the support young adults need to thrive in the industries they are passionate about and set them up for the next steps in their career journeys.
Alumni: Showing Change in Action
Our network of 30,000+ alumni around the world continue to prove that what we do at Year Up United works. With access to our alumni resource services, networks, and communications, alumni join a community that works together to show what inclusion, belonging and culture change look like in action and impact the world, one career at a time.
Year Up United is a proven path for young
adults to successfully launch careers.
We rigorously evaluate our program and measure outcomes to ensure that our program is impactful.
The data are clear: Year Up United works.
The data are clear: Year Up United works.
Awards
Charity Navigator
Charity Navigator has rated Year Up United a four-star charity over 15 times, placing us in the top 1% of tracked organizations.
NonProfitTimes Award
The NonProfit Times rated Year Up United one of the Best Nonprofits to Work For for eight consecutive years.
Candid Platinum Seal of Transparency
Year Up United earned a 2024 Platinum Seal of Transparency with Candid, the highest level, which demonstrates our commitment to transparency, so our community can support our work with trust and confidence.