Dozens of low-income young people received work experience at the Super Bowl on Sunday in Santa Clara through a Bay Area program.
“It’s simply once in a lifetime experience,” said Alvin Yu, the director of enterprise development at Juma Ventures, prior to the event. “As tiring and exhausting as the game will be and the event they’ll be working, they’re going to have a lot of fun.”
San Francisco-based Juma — meaning “work” in various African dialects — secured 60 jobs for participants at the big game in Levi’s Stadium.
Juma aims to connect young people aged 16 to 24 from disadvantaged backgrounds with jobs at sporting venues. For half of those in the program, Juma said, it’s their first job.
“For many youth, they don’t have those connections and the opportunity to find those first jobs,” said Juma CEO Lisa Chin. “So they come to us, with people like Alvin teaching them the basics that you need for any job, like customer service and financial skills.”
Many of those who worked at the Sunday’s game have been working throughout the football season at Levi’s Stadium.
“This will be one of those events where it’s like a cherry on top, because even up to now, they’re earning their way into working this event,” Yu said.
“You learn those communication skills and think, ‘How am I showing up? Am I putting in the full effort to earn the wage?’”
Alvin Yu, Juma Ventures
Monse De Luna, a San Jose native who has been with Juma for five years, worked as a concession vendor.
“I’m actually very excited,” she said in a pre-game interview. “I can’t wait to see Bad Bunny but also just to work at such a historical event.”
Yu had the same job opportunity as De Luna 10 years ago at Super Bowl 50 in Levi’s Stadium in 2016. He was employed through Juma and worked as a vendor at Candlestick Park, the former home of baseball’s San Francisco Giants and football’s San Francisco 49ers.
“What I did when I was a Juma youth was running up and down stairs, hustling and selling ice cream back then in Candlestick Park,” Yu said. “You learn those communication skills and think, ‘How am I showing up? Am I putting in the full effort to earn the wage?’”
Working the Super Bowl can be a challenging shift, with Juma workers estimated to be on the clock for 12 to 14 hours on Sunday. They earned at least minimum wage.
“We’re usually the last ones to leave and first ones to show up. “It’s exhausting, but it also teaches you a lot of those kinds of characteristics where you simply can’t learn unless you’re doing it.”