Year Up United

Year Up United is a nonprofit that offers job training programs and access to career opportunities at leading companies for young adults. Through its Career Pathways, participants go through a learning and development phase and then move into an internship with a company, gaining hands-on experience with the goal of building a higher-paying career. Graduates describe the program as a supportive community that built their confidence and willingness to lead.

One Greater Boston graduate, Gaelle Akaliza, came to the U.S. from Rwanda at 17 and started at Suffolk University in 2020 before COVID-19 led her to rethink her plans. Through Year Up United she landed a 2021 internship at Vertex Pharmaceuticals as part of the two organizations’ first biotech pilot, which led to a full-time role as a Quality Assurance Coordinator managing documentation for regulators and auditors.

What to Know

• The learning and development phase lasts about six months before the internship.
• Another graduate interned at Microsoft’s 343 Industries studio.
• Near the end of training, students say which company they hope to match with for an internship.
• The organization is listed by the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce.