Strengthening Children, Youth and Families

Webinar Resource Page

Connecting to Jobs: Local Strategies & Policy Approaches to Employ Black Men

Co-Sponsors: Association of Black Foundation Executives & 2025 Network for Black Men & Boys

Speaker Biographies

Steven Pitts, PhD began work at the UC Berkeley Labor Center in August of 2001. His work focuses on issues of job quality and Black workers. In this arena, he has published reports on employment issues in the Black community, initiated a Black union leadership school, and shaped projects designed to build solidarity between Black and Latino immigrant workers. Currently, a major area work involves providing technical assistance to effort developing Black worker centers around the country. Steven Pitts' presentation

Pete White is the Founder and Co-Director of the Los Angeles Community Action Network (LA CAN), a grassroots organization working to ensure the human rights to housing, health and security are upheld in Los Angeles and beyond. A lifetime resident of South Central Los Angeles, he is committed to fight for a Los Angeles that does not tolerate racial injustice, promotes an equitable distribution of resources, and includes everyone. He and LA CAN are involved in numerous national coalitions and efforts. Pete also has served and currently serves on a number of Boards of Directors, including foundations and community-based organizations. Pete believes that organizing and leadership development are essential tools needed to achieve social change and racial justice. Pete White's presentation

Aaron Tavares began his employment with Youth Options Unlimited (then Youth Opportunity Boston) in 2002 as a case manager. He has continued to increase his commitment to the success of Youth Options Unlimited. Aaron currently holds the position of Career Development Coordinator with primary responsibilities of supervising the career development staff and overseeing YOU's workforce development continuum, coordinating YOU summer programming which hires 120+ young adults throughout the summer. These working opportunities include subsidized and unsubsidized employment placements for young people. Aaron Tavares' presentation

Linda Harris is the director of the Youth Policy team at CLASP. She has more than 25 years of experience in youth and workforce development policy, research and administration at the local, state and national levels. Her expertise is disconnected and disadvantaged youth in high poverty communities. She co-chairs the Campaign for Youth, an alliance of national organizations that seeks to raise awareness about the 32 percent of youth who drop out of school and fall outside of the labor market mainstream. She also played a lead role in establishing Communities Collaborating to Reconnect Youth (CCRY) Network, a vehicle for peer-to-peer exchange among communities that are engaged in cross-system programming for high-risk youth. Linda Harris' presentation

Webinar Presentation Available Here>>

Resources

Relevant Publications

Building A Comprehensive Youth Employment Delivery System: Examples of Effective Practice

Building Pathways to Postsecondary Success for Low Income Young Men of Color: A Community Intervention Strategy

Learning from the Youth Opportunity Experience: Building Delivery Capacity in Distressed Communities

Funding Career Pathways and Career Pathway Bridges: A Federal Policy Toolkit for States

Finding the Will: A Guidebook for Using Youth Distress Data to Promote Community Advocacy and Action

We Dream A World: The 2025 Vision for Black Men and Boys (2025 Network for Black Men and Boys)

Stepping Up and Stepping Out: Profiles of Philanthropy Responding to An American Crisis (ABFE)

Annual Report: Black Employment and Unemployment in 2011 (UC Berkeley Labor Center)

Communities Collaborating to Reconnect Youth (CCRY) Network

The CCRY Network is a peer network of communities working together since 2006 to learn from each other and document practice related to serving youth in the most challenging situations. Descriptions of the activities and accomplishments are detailed in the member section of the CCRY website.

In Their Own Words (video)
CLASP's In Their Own Words video was developed to gain better insight into the unique experiences of young men of color who have dropped out of high school and reconnected to career and education supports, and to capture their sense of hope and transformation.

Identifying State and Local Resources
To have a constructive community dialogue, there are several critical entities that should discuss the role their funding streams and systems are playing or can play in developing dropout prevention and recovery efforts. Find contact information for your state or local Workforce Board, P-20 Council, State Director of Adult Education or Children's Cabinet: