Liz Kane knows the importance of a strong work ethic as well as anyone.

From her first job selling teen lingerie at Marshall Fields to her career in communications and technical writing to contract eLearning work, Liz has never slowed down. And, while she describes retirement as a well-earned reward, this stage of her life has been no different.

Liz has worked as a volunteer with Youth Job Center (YJC) for the past three and a half years. She previously volunteered teaching computer skills to adults, but when a member of her church told Liz about YJC, Liz knew it sounded perfect.

“I love it,” says Liz. “I like everything about Youth Job Center.”

Liz spends two days out of each Job-Readiness Training (JRT) session at YJC. Each JRT session lasts two weeks and consists of a series of integrated workshops. Participants spend these two weeks learning both hard and soft skills, including resume development, interview techniques, conflict resolution, and workplace expectations.

Liz spends one of her days with JRT helping with resume development and the other helping with mock interviews.

“This is something I used to do in my corporate life,” says Liz. “The more [youth] practice, the better they’ll be.”

Liz says she believes everyone has something to gain from giving back and that she would do more if she could. Most importantly, Liz says she is always pleased with how motivated and engaged she finds YJC’s clients.

"They're interested. They're engaged," says Liz. "It just makes all the difference."