Step up is a job provider that allows low income students to work over the summer and make money for themselves. You have to be 14 to 21 in order to apply, and you have to meet a certain income bracket. Step up gives you almost any choice of a job that you’re interested in.

 “It’s an internship program so students get trained, they get trained over the summer. They learn how to make resumes, professional skills, professional dress, communication, supervisor stuff, you name it,” said College and Career Center (CCC) coordinator Kelsey Massey.

“There are two levels to step up, level one is going to be for fourteen and fifteen year old students and that is going to be kind of your introduction to a job, usually it’s gonna be the first job for most fourteen and fifteen year old students so those jobs tend to be a bit more supportive, they might be outdoors or within government spaces,” said Massey.

Despite being the main way to qualify, your income isn’t the only way you can get into Step Up. “So the idea is that you have to follow with a certain income bracket to be eligible for our program, you also you could qualify through several [other] ways, [for example] you might have an involvement with the juvenile justice system, you might be pregnant or a parenting teen, you might be part of the ELL classes at your school, these are all things that students can self report on the application that can also help make them eligible for the program,” said Massey. 

Many former Step Up students think the program is useful.  “I think that step up is a good thing because it gives us students the opportunity and it shows us students what we want to be when we grow up,” said Ikra Abdi.  

Abdi continued, “I enjoy a lot such as meeting new people making new friends and working hard with the community. I have worked for 1 year with step up, [and] I am probably going to apply again for step up. It’s important because you have to go to every interview that they invite you to such as the convention center.”

You can even get High School credits from Step Up. Massey continued, “Students can get credit… for their work readiness training which happens in the spring and then you if you are apart of level two but you can get credit for your internship experiences as well.”   

“One thing I really like is that you get high school credits. Step Up has helped me through the summer such as being part of the community. Step Up is basically preparing you for your future job[s],” said Abdi.

Overall, Step Up is helpful because it is a program that focuses on helping low income students get their first job. Like mentioned earlier, they train students to create resumes, grow profession skills, and communicate. If you want to apply, you can go to  https://apps.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/StepUpApplication/?crmformtype=GeneralForm_Summer to fill out an application.