A job is more than a paycheck. It is dignity, stability, and the ability to support yourself and your family with pride. When a young person who is out of school connects to meaningful work, it can shift their entire future. It can restore confidence, create momentum, and open doors to independence and long-term success.
Milestone 5 is MBK Houston’s commitment to making sure young people who are out of school are not left behind. Too many face barriers that have nothing to do with talent, including lack of transportation, childcare responsibilities, limited access to job networks, or difficulty navigating training and hiring systems. We believe opportunity should be accessible, and that the pathway to employment should be clear, supportive, and built around real life.
This is community work. It takes employers, workforce organizations, training providers, schools, nonprofits, mentors, and city leaders moving together so young people can build skills, gain experience, and secure jobs that lead to growth. That is why MBK Houston aligns partners, strengthens career navigation, and connects young people to wraparound supports that remove barriers and help them stay employed.
What we are building together
To create lasting change in Milestone 5: All Youth Out of School Are Employed, we focus on:
Expanding entry-level jobs, paid training, internships, and apprenticeship pathways that lead to real careers
Increasing mentoring and coaching that helps young people build confidence, workplace habits, and professional networks
Improving job readiness supports, such as resume help, interview practice, and career planning
Removing practical barriers to employment, including transportation, childcare, and basic needs support
Using data to align training programs with high-demand industries and track outcomes that show what is working
Building strong summer and year-round youth employment opportunities that create early work experience and momentum
Milestone 5 is led by Milestone Chair Alyska Malveaux of the Social Justice Learning Institute with Milestone Co-Chair Stacey Camille of Workforce Solutions. Together with partners across Houston, they are strengthening workforce pathways so young people who are out of school can access opportunity, secure employment, and build lasting economic stability.
Creating pathways to employment through opportunity, mentorship, and barrier removal.
Our Partners
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Frequently Asked
Questions
Milestone 5 is for young people who are out of school and looking for a job or a pathway into employment. This includes youth who are not currently enrolled in school, have recently graduated, or are working to reengage with training or career programs.
Employment means more than having a job for a moment. It means having access to steady, meaningful work or paid training that supports independence and growth. We also focus on helping young people keep employment by addressing barriers and building support systems.
We work with partners to connect youth to job readiness support, career coaching, mentors, and workforce training opportunities. We also help strengthen pathways into internships, apprenticeships, and entry-level roles that can lead to long-term careers.
Many young people face barriers that make employment harder to access or maintain, such as transportation, childcare, housing instability, lack of work experience, limited professional networks, and challenges navigating training and hiring systems. Milestone 5 brings partners together to reduce these barriers and increase support.
Join the Milestone 5 Action Team! Employers can offer internships, job shadowing, apprenticeships, entry-level roles, and mentorship. Community partners can host job readiness workshops, provide wraparound services, sponsor paid opportunities, or connect youth to training programs. If your organization supports young people, we welcome collaboration to expand pathways to employment.