Back to Press Room
MEDIA ALERT
February 9, 2010
Contact: Sandra Rodriguez (860) 522-1111 x235
Connecticut's Future Workforce - The Crisis in Youth Employment
Wednesday, February 24 – 3:30pm-5pm
State Legislative Office Building, Room 2D
- Learn about the steep decline in employment opportunities for teens (16-19 years old) and young adults (20-24) in the U.S. and the State of Connecticut.
- Understand the economic, social and fiscal consequences of the high school dropout problem in Connecticut, particularly in the State’s larger cities.
- Be the first to hear about outcomes from last year’s statewide Summer Youth Employment Program.
- Come hear from our state legislators, workforce leaders, businesses and youth
- Hundreds of legislators, youth and youth advocates expected.
Featured Presenter: Dr. Andrew M. Sum, Professor of Economics and Director of the Center for Labor Market Studies at Northeastern University in Boston, and nationally recognized expert in youth employment statistics.
Demographic research results:
CONNECTICUT – The Connecticut Workforce Development Council which represents the five Workforce Investment Boards in the state (N. CENTRAL - Capital Workforce Partners; EAST - Eastern CT Workforce Investment Board; N. WEST – Northwest Regional Workforce Investment Board, S. CENTRAL – Workforce Alliance and S. WEST – The WorkPlace, Inc) has again this year made it their legislative priority to address the needs for youth employment.
For the past couple of years, the Youth Service Managers from the five regional Workforce Investment Boards have been meeting regularly, in a series of discussion forums sponsored by the Youth Committee of the Connecticut Education and Training Commission to develop common data reporting elements for the State Youth Employment and Learning Program. These common data elements enabled the five workforce regions to demonstrate the results of their programs in a more consistent way than ever before, helping to show the positive impacts of the program.
In addition, the State Department of Education has been working in collaboration with this group to match lists of program participants with school lists of students who returned to school the following fall. The result has been an ability to demonstrate that educational outcomes for summer program participants were better than for a control group of youth who did not participate in the program.
The collaborations that have developed across the State to ensure any investment in Youth Employment initiatives have resulted in some very positive outcomes that emphasize that the State Youth Employment and Learning Program is an extremely worthwhile investment in building Connecticut’s future workforce.
Yet, Dr. Sum uses Connecticut specific data to present the bleak picture revealed by youth employment statistics both in the present and in trends predicted for the future and emphasizes the importance of youth employment, not only for improving the future life prospects of participating youth, but also for making a positive impact on the state’s fiscal condition. Demand for jobs is high, yet opportunities, particularly for our “future workforce,” are becoming scarcer. Even with the Federal funding last year, statewide, nearly 7,000 youths applied for the program could not be served. The outlook for summer of 2010 is ominous unless we have a commitment that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding, or State or other funding will be available or for the summer ahead.
We are extremely grateful to State of Connecticut for millions of dollars in years past and to the U. S. Department of Labor and a handful of municipal and public and private foundations that enabled the state’s workforce boards to serve over 5,900 teens and young adults last summer. These individuals, between the ages of 14 – 24 benefitted from employment experiences through a variety of employers throughout the state.
We are also grateful for the State of Connecticut’s $1.5 million investment that was received too late for the summer, but was applied to year-round employment opportunities statewide. The Workforce Boards have been leveraging this investment by preparing these youth to have an understanding of the 21st century skills and career competencies needed to be successful in the workplace, and by helping many of these individuals embark on career plans. Some of the youths have chosen their career paths as a result of these employment activities, and even those who did not have been given the ability to explore work options and have broadened their career choices as a result.
Come to learn about some of the dire statistics of youth employment – hear from legislators and youths – engage with community agencies and businesses that have truly made a difference in young people’s lives. Also, hear about ways in which Connecticut can take a more systematic approach to youth employment and broaden the capacity of building the state’s future workforce.
Here are some of the groups attending:
- Artist’s Collective
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Blue Hills Civic Association
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Capital Workforce Partners
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CCSU - ITBD
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Consolidated School District of New Britain
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CREC
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Hartford Communities that Care
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New Britain Chamber of Commerce Future Workforce
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OIC – New Britain
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Our Piece of the Pie
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The Eastern Connecticut Workforce Investment Board
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The Northwest Regional Workforce Investment Board
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The Workforce Alliance
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The WorkPlace, Inc.
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Urban League of Greater Hartford
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Youth @ Work, City of New Haven
Come see what these organizations can do for the young people in our state. See what has already been accomplished and what is needed to build momentum in the years ahead.
Many photo ops and opportunities to speak directly with the state’s youth.
Press RSVP recommended but not required.
Sponsored by:
CT Workforce Development Council and the
Youth Committee of the CT Employment and Training Commission
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