Great but now I’m wondering what role local government officials have in making it easier to connect Opportunity Youth to new employment pathways that emerge in their city?
This model highlights the value and importance of investing in relationships. When employers are able to work directly with organizations to design and inform the programs that train Opportunity Youth on the skills that will in lead to employment. Secondly, that young person develops a deeper understanding of what the metrics of success are in that work environment. This model nailed it!
Was anyone who would identify as an “Opportunity Youth” involved in the creating process (innovation lab)? If so what was their vision of this pipeline to employment?
We run a small non-profit multi-service Organization and we offer Internships to youth age 15 to 19 at our office. However, over the years I have noticed many youth graduating from High School and even some adults are lost when it comes to skills that can help them function in the work place.
These are the people I would like to help. We lack the resources to train and place them and they eventually fade into the outside world.
John, I am part of the Rockefeller Foundation team that co-hosted the lab with Starbucks and LeadersUp.
We were fortunate to be able to engage several young people in the lab itself, as well as through some complementary work we did at Rockefeller with a team from IDEO.org. Something that struck me across both efforts was a desire among the young people we talked to to test and try different types of work experiences. This makes sense in terms of where they are in their personal and professional development, and also seems to align with a trend in the labor market more broadly toward shorter-term work engagements. It seems like there is a real opportunity there to think about how we might “curate” a set of shorter-term work experiences for opportunity youth such that they can try out different types of work, learn from and build on those experiences such that they are cumulatively greater than the sum of their parts. Might be some interesting connections back to the idea of working across an employer supply chain.
Great concept and beginning. I’m excited to see where it’s going and how it can eventually effect a more information- and technology-based young workforce.
COMMENTS
BY Chelsie
ON December 2, 2014 10:01 AM
This workforce development strategy is interesting. How can we get more employers with supply-chains to get involved?
BY Corey Matthews
ON December 2, 2014 02:16 PM
Great but now I’m wondering what role local government officials have in making it easier to connect Opportunity Youth to new employment pathways that emerge in their city?
BY John Roberson
ON December 3, 2014 01:42 AM
This model highlights the value and importance of investing in relationships. When employers are able to work directly with organizations to design and inform the programs that train Opportunity Youth on the skills that will in lead to employment. Secondly, that young person develops a deeper understanding of what the metrics of success are in that work environment. This model nailed it!
Was anyone who would identify as an “Opportunity Youth” involved in the creating process (innovation lab)? If so what was their vision of this pipeline to employment?
BY Jean P. Alexander
ON December 3, 2014 02:27 AM
I would really like to know more about this.
We run a small non-profit multi-service Organization and we offer Internships to youth age 15 to 19 at our office. However, over the years I have noticed many youth graduating from High School and even some adults are lost when it comes to skills that can help them function in the work place.
These are the people I would like to help. We lack the resources to train and place them and they eventually fade into the outside world.
How do we challenge these folks?
BY Lee Reagan
ON December 3, 2014 08:41 AM
Great start! I would like to see where this goes.
BY Abigail Carlton
ON December 3, 2014 10:40 AM
John, I am part of the Rockefeller Foundation team that co-hosted the lab with Starbucks and LeadersUp.
We were fortunate to be able to engage several young people in the lab itself, as well as through some complementary work we did at Rockefeller with a team from IDEO.org. Something that struck me across both efforts was a desire among the young people we talked to to test and try different types of work experiences. This makes sense in terms of where they are in their personal and professional development, and also seems to align with a trend in the labor market more broadly toward shorter-term work engagements. It seems like there is a real opportunity there to think about how we might “curate” a set of shorter-term work experiences for opportunity youth such that they can try out different types of work, learn from and build on those experiences such that they are cumulatively greater than the sum of their parts. Might be some interesting connections back to the idea of working across an employer supply chain.
BY G.H. Booth
ON December 8, 2014 12:05 AM
I applaud the vision, Mr. Wallace!
BY Brandon Hampton
ON December 9, 2014 11:12 AM
Great concept and beginning. I’m excited to see where it’s going and how it can eventually effect a more information- and technology-based young workforce.