Gen Z aren’t ready for the workplace—and this youth job program CEO is giving them a crash course in emails and workplace etiquette to change that

Gen Z wants internships and full-time jobs. Employers, meanwhile, keep saying the youngest workers show up without the basics. Genesys Works is betting the fix starts before graduation, not after the first awkward performance review.

The national nonprofit has been running since 2002 and works with underserved high schoolers. Its formula is pretty concrete: skills training, long-term coaching, and paid corporate internships. Before students head to one of its partner companies, they spend eight weeks in summer training on communication, critical thinking, digital literacy, Excel, and office etiquette.

That means the usual workplace stuff, too. They practice resumes and LinkedIn pages, go through mock interviews, learn to keep phones off during meetings, and stop sending sloppy shorthand in emails. Byron V. Garrett, Genesys Works’ CEO, says the point is to give students the office skills that tell an employer they can show up, fit into a structure, and get to work. He also says the program leans hard into AI, teaching students to fact-check outputs, understand limits, protect proprietary information, and use prompt engineering in a business setting.

The program now spans nine regional markets and has served more than 14,000 students nationwide. In 2025 alone, it helped 2,161 teenagers start their careers. It also stands out for paying students, who can earn up to $14,000 during a senior-year internship. Garrett says alumni seven or more years out earn an average of $67,000 a year, and Genesys estimates 73% of surveyed alumni earn more than at least one parent.

Healthcare, construction, and tech are the main openings right now. Mayo Clinic’s Jacksonville campus has doubled its intern cohort this cycle, and Garrett says construction demand is creating roles in back office work, procurement, and quality assurance. The broader pitch is simple: if companies want people who can handle both the office and the tools inside it, Genesys is trying to build that pipeline early.