This summer, YouthBuild Philly and Gap, Inc. launched the first summer of “This Way Ahead” internships for opportunity youth at Gap, Old Navy and Banana Republic store locations in the Philadelphia area. Twenty-five YouthBuild students and recent alumni are working in nine stores gaining real-world work experience, with supplemental professional development training to build customer service and career decision-making skills.  The goal of the partnership is to give students the critical first-job experience that can open more doors in the future, and to prepare students for possible full-time employment opportunities at Gap, Inc. stores after the ten-week internships.

“It’s a new opportunity I can put on my resume,” said Yasir, a student working at an Old Navy location in Delaware County.  “I feel really comfortable at the store and with my team. The experience is teaching me how to be more organized.  A typical day at the store is really busy, but it’s a cool environment to be around!”

“I decided to apply to the Old Navy internship because I like working with people and was interested in the retail experience,” said Paul, an intern at the Old Navy at Franklin Mills. “My coworkers are helpful and I really like the managers. I’ve learned how to greet customers and work with the team to help customers find what they’re looking for. This job is an opportunity for me to get out of the house and out into the world, and to become a young adult. It’s not always that easy to just go out there and find a job if you don’t have experience, but now I do. I’ve changed as a person.”

Old Navy and Gap interns are in their fourth week of the ten-week experience; Banana Republic internships just started this week. Stay tuned for more updates from this exciting new partnership!