Crossposted from Best Starts for Kids

In the span of a little more than a year, 19-year-old Jordan Kinney shifted from feeling hopeless to securing a dream job, with help from King County youth programs.  

Earlier this year, we shared Jordan’s story, just after he had landed an internship with King County International Airport with support from the King County program, Career LaunchPad. Since then, he’s managed to achieve another goal, getting a full-time permanent position at the airport as a Utility Maintenance worker.

“This job is a dream come true for me,” Jordan said. “I never thought this was possible. I’ve been able to help my family with bills and buy myself some things I wasn’t able to buy before. I’m hoping my first big purchase will be a car. A lot of people helped me get here and I’m so thankful for this opportunity.” 

Career LaunchPad, a program in King County’s Children Youth and Young Adult Division that gets, connects young people to opportunities that align with their personal career goals. It is funded through the Best Starts for Kids Initiative. Since before the pandemic, young people have been experiencing increasing rates of depression.

King County programs prioritize supporting young people in reaching their goals, connecting with community, and building proactive supports to help young people cultivate life-long well-being.  Often, helping young people feel less alienated is really about connecting them to resources and opportunities that align with their goals. 

When Jordan’s case manager presented him with opportunities, Jordan didn’t hesitate to take them on. He took three buses to and from the airport for his internship, earned his driving permit and then his driver’s license, earned his forklift certification, obtained his high school diploma and finally completed the rigorous and competitive King County hiring process to get his new role.  

Since starting his internship, Jordan has been working to mentor and connect other young people to opportunities. In May 2024 he spoke at the Airport Management Conference to highlight the importance of programs like Career LaunchPad.