Workforce Challenge 

For David, working at Second Chance is motivating him to earn his high school diploma. “[This job] makes me want to strap down more and get my GED faster so I can move on to other things. I do want to go to college,” he said. 

Workforce Solution

“It felt like I belonged here from week one,” said David Wiggins, 17, of his position at the nonprofit Second Chance. He started working there in June 2011 in a sixweek summer job through Baltimore City’s YouthWorks program operated by the Mayor’s Office of Employment Development (MOED), but he knew almost immediately that he wanted to stay with the organization long‐term. “I knew I wanted to work here,” he said. “I like the atmosphere and the workers. Lifting is making me stronger. It’s hard work but it’s fun. We work as a team to get stuff done faster.” In an evaluation at the end of the YouthWorks program, David’s supervisor described him as “consistent and enthusiastic with a positive attitude; [he is] ready and willing to  complete assigned tasks, takes initiative, and is a team player.” 

Mark Foster, the founder and CEO of Second Chance, started his business seven years ago to provide people, materials and the environment with a “second chance.” The organization’s workers deconstruct buildings and homes, salvage usable materials and make those available to the public though Second Chance’s 150,000 square‐feet of retail space. With the revenue generated, they are able to provide job training and workforce development for those with employment obstacles in the Baltimore region. While they focus most of their efforts on adults age 22 and over, YouthWorks fits well with what Second Chance is all about as an employer, Foster said. Second Chance has served as a YouthWorks job site for the past few years and, including David, the organization hosted nine YouthWorks participants in 2011. MOED has operated Baltimore’s summer jobs program for more than 30 years. By connecting young Baltimore residents between the ages of 14 and 21 with meaningful job assignments with private sector, nonprofit, and city and state government employers during the summer months, YouthWorks offers young people the opportunity to earn a paycheck, gain valuable real‐world work experience, and explore potential careers. Many YouthWorkers, like David, perform so well that they are hired after the program ends for the summer. 

From the beginning, Mr. Foster of Second Chance said he was open to the idea of keeping YouthWorks participants on in a more permanent capacity. “But we want to keep them on track and make sure they understand that their education is primary,” Mr. Foster emphasized. For David, working at Second Chance is motivating him to earn his high school diploma. “[This job] makes me want to strap down more and get my GED faster so I can move on to other things. I do want to go to college,” he said. David is working toward his GED at the South Baltimore Learning Center, which is where he connected with the YouthWorks program in 2010. That year, his YouthWorks summer job with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources was his first work experience. The YouthWorks program strives to place older participants in jobs that more closely match their career goals, and David was placed at Second Chance this year because of his existing skills and the close proximity of the job site to his home. 

Outcomes & Benefits

David’s enthusiasm and hard work paid off, and he was hired by Second Chance as a full‐time warehouse worker in October 2011. He works 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. David says he hopes to one day be an entrepreneur and a homebuilder, and he feels strongly that the experience he’s getting at Second Chance will help him reach his goals.