A nonprofit run by Barak and Sara Bomani, of Compton, was recently awarded a three-year grant to create 200 jobs for local teenagers and young adults.

The $897,000 grant from the Los Angeles County Justice Opportunities and Care Department for the Compton Youth Career Pathways (CYCP) program was announced on the nonprofit’s LinkedIn page.

The CYCP, which connects people ages 14-24 with career resources and opportunities, was founded in 2012. It provides job shadowing, internship, community service and other practical experience to prepare people for the workforce, according to the City of Compton.   

A teen who attends the program, Charles Paxton, said he comes to the program because he likes what they offer and has learned a lot so far about interviewing, among other career issues.

“I learned how to give eye contact. I learned how to sit up straight during an interview. I learned that I need to ask questions after the interview,” Paxton said. “I like coming here because I learned a lot, and my friends are here, too.”

“We’re here to help local youth break the cycle of poverty by offering them hands-on experience and direct pathways into stable jobs,” said the co-executive program director, Barak Bomani. “This grant will allow us to expand our reach and make an even bigger impact in the community.”

The opportunities young people get can help them build their resumes, increase their confidence and prepare for the workforce.

The program partners with groups such as Unearth and Empower Communities (UEC) and wants to expand those collaborations.

Upon high school graduation, students have the choice to enroll in college, train for a career or become an entrepreneur and UEC can support them as they progress down one of these pathways with training, scholarships and grants, according to the group’s website.

“We are also looking for local business partners to provide on-the-job training, job shadowing, and internship,” according to a fundraising page for Compton Youth Career Pathways.

Community collaboration and support is critical in helping young people thrive in both personal and professional realms. 

Joshua Larry-Simmons said a friend referred him to the program’s director when he was looking to transition from a sales job to management.

“My close friend and I we’re doing a lot of outreach in the Carson area, which is pretty close to Compton, a little bit of the Compton area, but mainly Carson. I was drawn to this program because it’s similar to what we were doing in terms of helping people – also providing resources and supplies and tools for underprivileged communities and families,” he said.

After working with the program to get tips on interviewing and other help, he was hired by Compton Youth Career Pathways as a program manager.

He mentions they hope for similar outcomes for their clients in the next few years with the help of the county’s grant.

An early draft of several paragraphs of the body of this story was produced by ChatGPT as a class experiment. Much of that has since been reworded, deleted and changed for style and accuracy.