UPNEXT is a job training and family engagement program for unemployed men and/or non-custodial fathers. The program provides tools, training, and resources for participants to successfully compete in today’s job market and connect with their families. UPNEXT focuses on individualized attention and breakout sessions to support participants and provide opportunities to identify unique competencies, skills and challenges. Following the six-week UPNEXT program, job support fellowship and transitional work programs are also available. The UPNEXT Fellowship Program offers real-world work experience while supporting participants’ job search for an additional six weeks. The UPNEXT Transitional Work Program offers employment opportunities for three to six months to job ready participants through a partnership with the Times Square Alliance.
How It Works
- Engaging and competing in the job market
- Reinvigorating skills and learning new ones
- Connecting with family and fostering relationships with children
- Sustaining rewarding and satisfying employment
- Free Metrocards and gift cards
- Free professional attire
- Lunch and snacks
- Passes to museums, sporting events and movies, free family trips
- Access to computers and the Internet
- Unemployed men over the age of 24 who are seeking employment
- Non-custodial fathers aged 24 and older (at least 1 of their children does not live with them and must be 18 or younger)
The six-week UPNEXT program helps unemployed men and/or non-custodial fathers develop job and family engagement skills including:
UPNEXT trains participants with Job Readiness skills including: employment search strategy, network building, problem solving, conflict resolution and negotiation, customer service, budgeting and time management, online reputation management, résumé best practices, crafting professional emails and successful interview techniques.
UPNEXT supports participants with Fatherhood Engagement skills including: parenting skills, financial planning, visitation and parenting advocacy and child support navigation.
UPNEXT provides all participants with:
UPNEXT incorporates Thinking for a Change evidence-based workshops into the job engagement component.
UPNEXT uses the renowned fatherhood engagement curriculum 24/7 Dads and assigns each participating father a Case Manager who uses the evidence-based Motivational Interviewing intervention in his or her work.
Each cycle is six weeks in length. We provide food and daily transportation. The schedule is Tuesday to Friday from 9:00 AM -2:00 PM.
Eligible participants include:
To enroll, contact our Program Administrator at 646-264-1343.
