The Way to Work was launched in 1936 (formerly known as VFI) by an ambitious lawyer looking to help young men leaving prison get the basic skills they needed to get a GED, land a job and transition into becoming productive members of society.

Today, The Way to Work is one of the most successful youth workforce development programs in the nation, with more than 82% of clients retaining their jobs after a full year of employment.

The Way to Work provides young people ages 17-24 in New York City with a comprehensive set of free educational services including:

Career Training in the growing occupations of Administrative Technology, Energy Efficiency, Security/Public Safety and Medical Administrative Assistant

 
Educational services include:

• GED Prep and On-Site Testing, in partnership with the NYC Department of Education GED Plus program
• Career Counseling, Mentoring and Individualized Support
• Job Placement in entry-level jobs with the best possible salary, benefits and potential for advancement; and
• One year of Work Retention follow-up to ensure alumni not only maintain their employment but also move up in their careers.