Creating a More Inclusive Economy: Igniting Systems that Produce Results for Youth Employment
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BACKGROUND
On March 5 and 6, 2018, stakeholders from across the Southeast gathered to engage in strategic dialogue on behalf of low-income youth and young adults, including opportunity youth. “Creating a More Inclusive Economy: Igniting Systems that Produce Results for Youth Employment” was sponsored by CLASP, MDC Inc., and the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, in partnership with Opportunity Youth United and Cities United.
Despite booming business and economic development across the Southeast, youth and young adults from low-income backgrounds are being left out. This is especially true for opportunity youth (young adults 16 to 24 who are not connected to school or work). Nationwide there are 4.6 million opportunity youth (representing 11.7 percent of American youth). Youth of color are more likely to be disconnected from school and work, with national rates of 25.8 percent for Native American youth, 17.2 percent for Black youth, 13.7 percent for Latino youth, and 6.6 percent for Asian youth. This is compared to 9.2 percent of white youth.
At this regional convening, government officials, philanthropic leaders, and opportunity youth discussed supportive systems and policies that can help youth access employment and career pathways that lead to economic opportunity. They discussed what it will take to build a full-scale, comprehensive youth employment agenda; local solutions that are working; and roadblocks to progress.
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
Day One (March 5)
Welcome and Opening Remarks
- Kisha Bird, Director, Youth Policy, CLASP (Washington D.C) | @CLASPKisha
- Stuart Andreason, Director, Center for Workforce and Economic Opportunity, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta (Atlanta, GA) | @Stuart Andreason @AtlantaFed
Economic Opportunity: Reflections on Workforce Practice, Innovation, and Policy
- Tim Gunn, Opportunity Youth United (North Charleston, SC) | @OYUnited
- Chauncy Lennon, Managing Director and Head of Workforce Initiatives, Global Philanthropy, JP Morgan Chase (New York, NY) | @ChauncyLennon, @JPMorganChase
Closing Remarks
- Leslie Boissiere, Vice President, External Affairs, Annie E. Casey Foundation | @LeslieBoissiere, @AECFNews
Day Two (March 6)
Welcome and Opening Remarks
- Kisha Bird, CLASP (Washington, D.C) | @CLASPKisha
- Stuart Andreason, Center for Workforce and Economic Employment Opportunity, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta
- Shanice Turner, Year Up, United Way, & Opportunity Youth United (Atlanta, GA) | @ShaniceSpeaks, @OYUnited
Leading on Opportunity: Building Social Capital and Confronting Segregation
- James Ford, Chair, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Opportunity Task Force (Charlotte, NC) | @JEFordNCTOY
Setting the Context: Regional Perspectives on Barriers and Opportunities
- Lesley Grady, Senior Vice President, The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta (Atlanta, GA) | @philanthropyATL
- Taifa Smith Butler, Executive Director, Georgia Budget, and Policy Institute (Atlanta, GA) | @TaifaButler
- Shanice Turner, Year Up, United Way, & Opportunity Youth United
- Ellen Zinkiewicz, Director of Youth and Community Services, Nashville Career Advancement Center (Nashville, TN) | @EllenZinkiewicz
Moderator: Kisha Bird, CLASP
Building a Talent Development Pipeline: What Works in Workforce and Economic Development
- Heidi Kaplan, Senior Community Development Analyst, Federal Reserve Board (Washington, D.C) @federalreserve
- Katrina Mitchell, Director, Strategic Partnerships, Georgia Division of Family and Children Services (Atlanta, GA) @kdm1274 @GADFCS
- Lashon Amado, Opportunity Youth United (Somerville, MA) @Lashon_YB @OYUnited
Moderator: Stuart Andreason, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta
Not Just About a Job: Systems Building for Greater Youth Inclusion in the Economy
- Olivia Golden, Executive Director, CLASP (Washington, DC) | @CLASPOlivia
- Edward DeJesus, President, DeJesus Solutions (Harrisburg, PA) | @DeJesusSpeaks
Strong Systems, Strong Programs: Connecting Local Systems
- Mayor Jeri Muoio, City of West Palm Beach (West Palm Beach, FL) | @westpalmbch
- Richie Knight, Senior Partner, HW Creative Marketing (Athens, GA) | @hwcreativemark
- Shawnice Jackson, Opportunity Youth United (Baltimore, MD) | @MissEducateThem
Moderator: Mala Thakur, Senior Program Director, MDC Inc. (Durham, NC)
@MDCinc
Facilitated Discussion: From Regional to National: Galvanizing Support for National Movement and Bringing it Home
- Edward DeJesus, DeJesus Solutions
- Kimberly Pham, Opportunity Youth United (Philadelphia, PA) | @kimmy_honors, @OYUnited
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
- Participants
- Data on Millennials and Opportunity Youth
- Selected Findings from the Survey of Young Workers
- Connecting Low-Income Students to Good Jobs and Careers
- Making College More Affordable for Low-Income Students
- Recognizing the Changing Face of Postsecondary Students
- Unrealized Justice Young Men of Color
- Unrealized Justice Young Women of Color
- Forgotten and Left Behind: Shifting Narrative and Exploring Policy Solutions for Vulnerable Youth and Young Adults
- How to Improve States’ Priority of Service for High-Need Adults in WIOA State Plan Updates
- OYUnited