Employ NV Youth Hub & Teen Zone Opens Inside West Charleston Library

Vegas Business Digest -

The first full-scale Employ NV Youth Hub and Teen Zone in Southern Nevada officially opened inside the West Charleston Library last Thursday, August 4th.

The nearly 2,500-square-foot hub and teen zone are a partnership between Workforce Connections and the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District and will allow young adults to access a variety of no-cost employment and education programs offered through both organizations in a convenient, teen-friendly atmosphere.

The Employ NV Youth Hub helps teens and young adults ages 16 to 24 with finding employment, paid training, internships, pre-apprenticeships, mentoring, and other educational opportunities. The hub is staffed with career coaches experienced in working with out-of-school and in-school youth who may face employment barriers or need guidance in finding a successful career path. The Employ NV Youth Hub will also offer teen-friendly, high-tech tools like virtual reality (VR) headsets that give young adults an immersive look at in-demand careers.

Las Vegas-Clark County Library District Executive Director Kelvin Watson and U.S. Representative Steven Horsford try out the virtual reality headsets available for teens and young adults to learn about in-demand careers.

The Teen Zone offers teens and tweens ages 12 to 18 a dedicated lounge area featuring future fun activities such as anime clubs, chess clubs, video games and more. The Teen Zone will also be equipped with VR headsets, provided through the Nevada Career Explorer program, to enable teens to learn about careers in healthcare, advanced manufacturing, IT, logistics, and skilled trades.

“Our goal is to expose young adults to well-paying careers while providing them the one-on-one assistance they need to turn their employment goals into reality,” said Jaime Cruz, Workforce Connections Executive Director. “This Employ NV Youth Hub and Teen Zone will empower the next generation to gain the skills needed to succeed in the workforce while helping create a pipeline of qualified workers for employers.”

Workforce Connections Executive Director Jaime Cruz with Workforce Connections board members Dasya Duckworth, Jerrie Merritt and Kelvin Watson at the Employ NV Youth Hub & Teen Zone grand opening on August 4, 2022.

“One of our primary goals at the Library District is to bridge the digital divide,” said Kelvin Watson, Las Vegas-Clark County Library District Executive Director. “Our partnership with Workforce Connections provides easy access to critical, no-cost employment programs and cutting-edge tools in a space designed specifically for teens."

The Employ NV Youth Hub and Teen Zone are open during regular library hours, Tuesday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. To learn more about the Employ NV Youth Hub call (702) 602-5199 or visit EmployNVYouthHub.org.

The Employ NV Youth Hub program is 98% funded by a $4,249,106 award of US DOL funds administered by Workforce Connections and 2% funded by $106,320 from non-governmental sources. This is an equal opportunity employer/program with auxiliary aids and services available to individuals with disabilities via Relay 711 or 1-800-326-6868.