Young Worker Leadership Academy
Applications are now open for YWLA February 20th – 22nd, 2025!
What is the Young Worker Leadership Academy?
The Young Worker Leadership Academy (YWLA) is an all-expense paid, 3-day leadership training for teens on workplace safety, rights, and responsibilities. YWLA’s mission is to build youth leaders and advocates for safe workplaces. The leadership academy introduces participants to service strategies (policy, education, media) and provides a forum for youth to plan service-learning projects for their schools and communities to promote positive, safe employment for youth.
Click for our Cover Letter in English
Click here for our Cover letter in Spanish.
Watch this video to hear YWLA participants talk about their experience!
How do I apply?
- Form a team of 4 youth (ages 14-18) along with 1 adult advisor. In addition to attending YWLA with your team, you will work together to create a community project to promote safe jobs for youth. This project will be highlighted during May 2024, which is Safe Jobs for Youth Month.
- Complete the Youth Participant and Adult Recommendation applications. Each youth member of your team must complete the Youth Participant Application, and the adult advisor must complete the Adult Recommendation Application.
- We will notify your team of your acceptance status in mid-December.
YWLA Youth Mentors
Youth mentors are youth who have already attended a past YWLA and completed their community project. Youth mentors return to YWLA to lead some of the activities for their peers, further develop their leadership skills, and help new participants plan their community projects. Watch this short clip on why you should be a Youth Mentor at the next YWLA!
Projects from past YWLA teams
Click on the tabs to view and learn more about projects from past YWLA teams
Sponsors and Partners
The Young Worker Leadership Academy is a collaboration of the Commission on Health and Safety and Workers’ Compensation (CHSWC), the University at California, Berkeley’s Labor Occupational Health Program (LOHP), and the University of California, Los Angeles’ Labor Occupational Safety and Health (LOSH) Program. It is part of the statewide Worker Occupational Safety and Health Training and Education Program (WOSHTEP) administered by CHSWC.
Fact Sheets and Lessons from the Young Worker Leadership Academy
Teens Speak Out for Safety on the Job is a step-by-step guide created by UC Berkeley’s LOHP and UCLA’s LOSH to help other organizations establish their own YWLA. The guide explains how the YWLA works and describes, step by step, how we plan and carry out the YWLA and what lessons we have learned.
Find more great materials on our Young Worker websites page.
Questions?
Email Liam at lmchavez4@berkeley.edu