Thursday, March 28, 2024

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

September 13, 2022 by  
Filed under Feature

Library District Executive Director Kelvin Watson and Congressman Steve Horsford attend the grand opening of the Youth Employment Hub at West Charleston Library.

The first full-scale Employ NV Youth Hub and Teen Zone in Southern Nevada officially opened inside the West Charleston Library, located at 6301 W. Charleston Blvd., in August. 

At nearly 2,500-square-feet, the 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 offers a comfortable and colorful space where teens and young adults ages 16 to 24 can find help with 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. 

The library’s adjacent Teen Zone provides teens and tweens ages 12 to 18 with a dedicated lounge area — including tables, an 85” TV and couches, perfect for hanging out, studying, or playing the latest video games on Xbox, PS5, and Nintendo Switch. Future activities will include a range of fun learning opportunities such as anime clubs, chess clubs, game tournaments, 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.” 

“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. Together, our two organizations will help our young adults discover their career interests and find future success.” 

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.

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