Step Up Youth Employment Program, Minneapolis

Meet the Team Profile: Mai!

Q: What is your Step Up job title?
A: Employer Engagement Manager
Q: How long have you been working with Step Up?
A: I am a Step Up alum and now a full-time Step Up staff!
Q: If you had to explain your job to a five-year-old (using only emojis, what would you use)?
A: 💼🤝📑🎉
Q: Why do you think Step Up is important for Minneapolis?
A: Step Up helps Minneapolis teens and young adults develop important life skills so that they are workforce ready!
Q: If you could swap jobs with anyone on the team for a day, who would it be and why?
A: We don't have anyone like this on our team, but I would love to swap jobs with an amusement park ride operator—they bring so much joy to riders.
Q: Internal Soundtrack! If your job had a soundtrack, what would the theme song be and why?
A: "9-5" by Dolly Parton
Q: Has your connection to the color orange changed?
A: 💭
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Hundreds of Minneapolis youth are ready for Step Up Pro summer internships — and we need 50 more employers to help make it happen.
Host an intern, bring new perspectives to your team, and invest in local talent.
Learn more: https://www.achievetwincities.org/become-stepup-employer

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Step Up Step Up is more than an internship program — it's where youth ambition meets employer opportunity!

Applications open in 2 days! Step Up helps teens gain real-world experience and earn money. Don’t miss out! is a program of in partnership with and

🌟 Step Up Summer 2025 Recap 🌟

This summer, 1,385 Minneapolis youth gained real-world experience through paid internships with Step Up! Before starting, 1,874 young people completed online training to prepare for the workplace. Even those who didn’t get placed still built skills and earned a stipend.

Together, Step Up interns earned over $2.1 million while working with 85 local employers, money that supports their futures and strengthens our city. Step Up is all about helping young people grow, learn, and take the next step toward their careers. 💼✨

is a program of in partnership with and