Genesys Works, a national nonprofit, is running eight-week summer bootcamps that teach underserved high schoolers email etiquette, mock interviews, and AI prompt engineering before placing them in paid corporate internships. The program served 2,161 teenagers in 2025 and directly targets the workplace skills gap employers cite as a barrier to hiring Gen Z.
Students can earn up to $14,000 during a senior-year internship. Byron V. Garrett, the organization's CEO, said the training covers the basics that signal a young worker can step into an office and function: keeping phones out of sight during meetings, writing professional emails instead of shorthand, and building resumes and LinkedIn profiles. "The point is to give students the office skills that tell an employer they can show up, fit into a structure, and get to work," Garrett said.
AI training built into the curriculum
Genesys Works integrates AI instruction across its program. Students learn to fact-check generative AI outputs, recognize the tools' limits, and safeguard proprietary company information. Garrett said the curriculum also covers prompt engineering tailored to business settings. The approach reflects a bet that early exposure to AI literacy will make graduates more useful to employers on day one. For professionals looking to build similar skills, AI Excel Courses offer structured training on applying AI inside common office tools.
Where the internships are growing
Healthcare, construction, and technology companies are driving current demand. Mayo Clinic's Jacksonville campus doubled its intern cohort this cycle. In construction, Garrett said demand is creating roles beyond job sites - students are moving into back-office work, procurement, and quality assurance positions. The program now operates across nine regional markets and has served more than 14,000 students since its launch in 2002.
Long-term earnings data
Genesys Works tracks alumni outcomes years after program completion. Garrett said alumni who are seven or more years out earn an average of $67,000 annually. The organization estimates that 73% of surveyed alumni earn more than at least one parent. Those figures suggest the program's combination of soft skills, digital literacy, and paid work experience produces measurable economic mobility, not just a short-term internship credential.
Why this matters for education and HR leaders
Employers keep reporting that entry-level hires lack communication habits, punctuality, and digital judgment. Genesys Works offers a model that addresses the problem before graduation rather than through remedial coaching after a bad performance review. For HR and learning leaders, the takeaway is concrete: structured pre-employment training in office norms and AI tools can shift who shows up ready to work, and the organizations building those pipelines now are pulling from high schools, not just college career centers.
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