From FutureForce to the Workforce: Soraya’s Journey

At the Boys & Girls Club of Fond du Lac, we believe preparing young people for the future starts long before they fill out their first job application. Through Life & Workforce Readiness (LWR) programming, our members have opportunities to explore careers, build confidence, develop real-world skills, and discover what they are capable of.

Over the past few years, LWR has continued to grow at the Club. Our programming begins with younger members exploring careers and learning about different possibilities for their futures. As members get older, those opportunities grow with them, eventually helping teens prepare for and pursue their first jobs!

For Teen Club member Soraya, that journey started with FutureForce and eventually led her to a summer job with the Fond du Lac Dock Spiders.

FutureForce is our LWR program designed to give teens a first taste of workplace expectations in a familiar environment: the Boys & Girls Club.

Through FutureForce, members apply and interview for a spot in the FutureForce program, allowing them to help within the Club. Their shifts might include helping at the Games Shack, supporting program areas, assisting younger members, or helping with daily Club operations. Along the way, members learn that showing up, communicating with others, taking responsibility, and being dependable are all important parts of being successful in the workplace. FutureForce also focuses on the skills teens need before stepping into their first outside job, including resume building, job applications, interview preparation, mock interviews, communication, teamwork, problem-solving, professional etiquette, workplace expectations, goal setting, and career exploration.

For many of our teens, they are eager and excited to work, but they may not yet have the experience employers are looking for. FutureForce helps bridge that gap by giving members an opportunity to practice those skills and build confidence before entering the workforce.

For Soraya, that first step through FutureForce became the foundation for something even bigger.

“FutureForce helped improve my social skills and taught me how to work different shifts and handle different responsibilities,” Soraya shared.

After completing FutureForce, Soraya continued her workforce journey through FutureForward, the next step in our LWR pathway. FutureForward is designed to create a bridge between the Boys & Girls Club and local businesses by providing older teens with hands-on work experiences, job readiness training, and opportunities to build connections within the community.

The goal is simple: help young people move from practicing workplace skills to actually using them in the real world.

For Soraya, that opportunity came when she interviewed for a position with the Fond du Lac Dock Spiders.

“I was so excited to take Soraya to her interview for the Dock Spiders, but I was also really nervous,” said Samantha Fabian, Director of Life & Workforce Readiness. “As we continue to grow our programs, we can plan and prepare our members as much as possible, but there are always outside factors we can’t control. I was over the moon when Soraya told me that during her interview, she was asked a question and was able to explain that FutureForce had prepared her with the skills she needed.”

That moment was a powerful reminder of why these programs matter.

Soraya wasn’t just able to say that she had participated in a workforce program. She was also able to recognize the skills she had developed at the Club and connect them to a real-world employment opportunity.

“FutureForce prepared me for working with the Dock Spiders by already giving me experience with things that helped me get into the job, work with others, and handle different responsibilities,” Soraya said.

Soraya put those skills into practice when working with the Dock Spiders this summer.

Her journey represents exactly what we hope to create through LWR; a pathway, not just a program.

FutureForce gives members the opportunity to practice. FutureForward helps connect them to the community and real-world opportunities. And local employers provide the chance for young people to take those skills and put them into action. Watching that progress has been incredibly rewarding for the entire Club team.

“To see all of the stepping stones come together and create a bigger and better opportunity for one of our Club members was incredibly exciting,” Fabian said. “We were all so proud of Soraya.”

Soraya’s story is one example of what can happen when young people are given opportunities to learn, practice, make connections, and take the next step. Through our growing LWR programs, we hope to continue creating more pathways like hers, helping Club members move from exploring what they could be, to preparing for it, to actually becoming it!

As we look toward the future of LWR at the Boys & Girls Club of Fond du Lac, our goal is to continue strengthening partnerships with local businesses, expanding hands-on experiences, and creating meaningful opportunities for members to build the confidence and skills they need to succeed.

Because sometimes, a first job is more than a job. It can be the first step toward seeing what is possible!

Want to learn more about Life & Workforce Readiness at the Boys & Girls Club of Fond du Lac? Contact Samantha Fabian at sfabian@bgcfdl.org to learn more about how our programs can help young people explore their futures, build valuable skills, and take their next steps toward the workforce.