About
Year Up United is a national workforce development nonprofit on a mission to end the Opportunity Divide — ensuring that every young adult has the skills, experiences, and support to break through barriers and achieve their full potential in their careers. Founded in Boston in 2000 (and legally incorporated as Year Up Inc.), the organization has led the skills-first movement for 25 years, serving more than 52,000 young adults in partnership with over 250 top employers across 20-plus U.S. campuses.
Mission
Year Up United's stated mission is to "end the Opportunity Divide and ensure that every young adult has the skills, experiences, and support to break through barriers and achieve their full potential in their careers."
What they do
- Career Pathways: the organization's core skills-first training program for young adults. It is 100 percent tuition-free, pays students an educational stipend throughout, and can be completed in a year or less through three phases: virtual and in-person instruction, an internship placement with a corporate partner, and job search support. Training tracks include business operations, customer success, software development, and IT support, and a comprehensive student services team helps with housing, food, transportation, and childcare.
- YUPRO Placement: a skills-first hiring and placement business, operating since 2014.
- Grads of Life: an employer engagement initiative promoting skills-first talent practices.
- Talent Networks: connecting training providers, community partners, and employers.
- Alumni network: graduates join a nationwide alumni community with ongoing mentoring and career networking.
History
Year Up was founded in Boston in 2000 and enrolled its first cohort of 22 young adults in 2001. By 2004 it was serving more than 250 participants a year, demonstrating the viability of its skills-first approach to workforce development. The organization later rebranded as Year Up United and in 2025 marked its 25th anniversary.
Scale and impact
Year Up United reports having served more than 52,000 students to date, with a global alumni community of more than 35,000. It cites the following outcomes: 72 percent of graduates are employed or enrolled in postsecondary education within four months of completing the program, with an average starting salary of 55,000 dollars a year; the organization partners with more than 250 top employers and reports a 90 percent corporate partner satisfaction rate. Charity Navigator has rated the organization a four-star charity more than 15 times, placing it in the top 1 percent of tracked organizations.
Financials
According to Form 990 data on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer (filed as Year Up Inc., Boston, MA), for fiscal year 2023 the organization reported total revenue of 186,161,400 dollars, total expenses of 194,225,512 dollars, and total assets of 216,203,290 dollars.
Governance
Susan Murray serves as Chief Executive Officer of Year Up United.