Do you remember how you felt on the first day of your first job? Anxious? Ready to quit on the first day? For youth, working their first job can be an overwhelming experience.
Express Bike Shop is a full-service bike shop and a social enterprise of Keystone Community Services where all proceeds from the bike shop are reinvested into our youth employment program. At Express Bike, youth like Jun can work alongside experienced mechanics, learning the ins and outs of bicycle maintenance, customer service, and more.
Jun, a Central High School graduate, has worked at Express Bike Shop for two years as a youth apprentice. Jun was quite nervous when he first started working at Express Bike Shop, but he quickly noticed that he started to gain a lot of confidence as he began shadowing Express Bike staff members and interacting with customers more.
Thankfully, with the support of our donors, Keystone’s social enterprise, Express Bike Shop, helps youth like Jun have a supportive first job experience where they can build confidence and gain the skills needed to succeed in today’s workforce.
Jun says, “I remember when I started working here, I was more in the front on the floor talking to customers and answering the phone. I was nervous doing this, but I worked towards gaining more confidence in talking to people so much that Sam and Shue [Express Bike mechanics] now rely on me to answer the phones.”
For Jun, working at Express Bike Shop has not only helped build his confidence but has also helped him build the skills necessary to work in the Health Science field, which he plans to do after obtaining his degree from Century Community College.
The support of Keystone’s donors is the key that unlocks the potential of Express Bike Shop’s youth apprenticeship program! We are thankful for them for helping empower youth like Jun with early job experiences that he’ll carry with him into the future.