Hire Gulf Coast Youth (HGCY)
Connect with a Youth Advisor
Ignite Your Potential. Launch Your Career. Land Your Future.
Hire Gulf Coast Youth (HGCY), powered by Workforce Solutions, helps youth ages 14–24 take the next steps toward your career. Our free programs guide you through every stage:
Ignite your ambition with career exploration
Launch your skills through paid, hands-on experience
Land the job that turns dreams into reality
The universe is full of opportunities - start your mission today!
Ignite: Explore Career Possibilities
With access to tools, resources, and real-world labor market data, you’ll learn about growing industries and the skills needed to succeed in them. Our Youth Career Advisors are here to guide you in discovering the right fit, planning your education, and taking those first steps toward a rewarding future.
Launch: Build Skills & Gain Experience
Take your goals from idea to action with paid internships, job shadows, and apprenticeship opportunities. Through Work-Based Learning, you’ll earn while you learn, gaining valuable experience in real workplaces. We also offer training and education scholarships to help eligible youth pay for tuition, books, and other costs tied to career training or college. Plus, our Summer Jobs Program connects you with supportive employers so you can gain work experience, explore careers, and build your confidence.
Land: Secure Employment & Advance Your Career
Turn your goals into action through Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA)funded services available to eligible youth ages 14–24. Our programs are designed around career pathways that help you explore interests, build skills, and prepare for long-term success in high-demand industries.
Through Work-Based Learning, youth can earn wages while gaining hands-on experience through paid internships, year-round work experience, job shadowing, and pre-apprenticeship opportunities with local employers. Eligible participants may also access education and training scholarships through our vetted and approved Gulf Coast Provider network to help cover tuition, books, credentials, and other training-related costs.
Our Summer Jobs Program is open to all youth, including those who may not meet WIOA eligibility. This program offers paid, short-term work experiences that help young people build foundational workplace skills, explore career interests, and gain real-world experience with supportive employers across the Gulf Coast region.