YouthWorks, a state grant program administered by Commonwealth Corporation on behalf of the Executive Office of Labor, provides young people across Massachusetts with paid work experiences that help them build confidence, develop essential workplace skills, and explore career paths. Through meaningful employment, supportive mentorship, and career-readiness training, the program prepares youth and young adults ages 14-25 for long-term success while strengthening communities across the commonwealth.

In Greater New Bedford, one participant whose journey reflects this impact is Victoria Couto, a 14-year-old participant currently working at Little Patch of Heaven Sanctuary, an animal rescue and farm in Fairhaven. Couto has been working at the farm and enjoying it since last summer, thanks to YouthWorks.

“We are all different and special in our own way with a purpose,” Couto shares, and YouthWorks is helping her find her unique purpose.

Couto’s experience at YouthWorks has helped her grow in confidence and find her footing in a work environment she now treasures. She was connected to Little Patch through the MassHire Greater New Bedford Workforce Board, which recently received $ 1 million in grant funding via YouthWorks to engage over 300 youth, like Victoria Couto, in hands-on work experience and soft-skill development. 

“YouthWorks is a great program,” said Christina Baptiste, Interim Youth Program Director at MassHire Greater New Bedford Workforce Board. “It’s incredibly beneficial for young people to gain career readiness and workforce readiness skills.”

Baptiste also noted that confidence-building is a critical component of the program, an evident change for Couto, who has found herself being able to work with peers, supervisors, and speak up when needed- something that just didn’t come easy for her before. “Being able to work alongside peer leaders and supervisors at their worksites really gives [participants like Couto] an opportunity to grow within themselves and bring their potential into the community,” said Baptiste.

A key component of YouthWorks is the Signal Success curriculum, a comprehensive career readiness program developed in partnership with education and workforce professionals. Through a combination of self-paced online modules and live instruction, young people build essential workplace skills including communication, professionalism, responsibility, and teamwork.

“I find it valuable that our participants take part in the Signal Success curriculum,” says Baptiste. “Our youth really get something of the training and having that one-on-one support helps build relationships.”

Couto’s placement at Little Patch of Heaven has provided exposure to a career she is now passionate about.

“The farm has been very welcoming,” Baptiste said. “This program really exposes them to different careers. Employers really understand that this is often a young person’s first job, and they are open to teaching them how to show up and grow in the workplace.”

Couto started at the farm this summer and continues to work there through the YouthWorks year-round program, gaining confidence, responsibility, and a deeper connection to her community. Couto hopes to build on the skills she’s learning at the farm to one day become a herpetologist – a reptile veterinarian.

“It’s really important to have youth connected to the community and to be able to experience what the world has to offer,” said Baptiste. “This gives them a chance to grow, get their feet wet [in the workforce], and get involved in agriculture, which strengthens the workforce pipeline, it strengthens our food line, and ensures long-term sustainability for our region.”