LeadersUp Future At Work Summit Bay Area to Connect Young Adults to Jobs and Make the Business Case for Inclusive Hiring Practices

OAKLAND, Calif., Aug. 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- For the fourth straight year, talent development accelerator LeadersUp will bring its Future At Work Summit to the Bay Area on Wednesday, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Esports Arena Oakland, 255 Second St. More than 20 employers from a broad range of industries will participate. At stake is an excess of 550 open positions that pay between $13 and $28 an hour. Some are expected to hire on the spot.

The Summit's theme is "From Hi to Hired," and there will be volunteers on hand to help job seekers make the trip. Attendees can update and create their resume in a tech-rich environment powered by Google.org. They'll also have access to mock interview prep, free haircuts, and jackets and ties. LeadersUp's Future At Work Summits have an average hiring rate of three out of every five interviews.

Participating companies include members of the LeadersUp Fair Chance Coalition of employers that have adopted inclusive hiring practices such as #banthebox to consider a candidate's qualifications first, not their arrest or conviction record. In the Bay Area, there are nearly 300,000 young men of color ages 18–29. More than 40,000 (13.5%) of them are neither in school nor working. Many are disconnected from work due to an arrest or conviction. Youth of color are four times more likely to be incarcerated than their white peers.

"We've been socialized to believe that it's acceptable to punish people with criminal records by denying them certain inalienable rights, and that includes being viewed as a viable job candidate," LeadersUp President and CEO Jeffery T.D. Wallace said. "Filling the talent gaps that threaten to slow business growth will require the full participation of justice-involved youth and young adults in the labor market."

Participating employers include FedEx Express and FedEx Ground; San Francisco International Airport; sweetgreen; AB&I Foundry; Courtyard by Marriott Downtown Oakland; Sprint; New Door Ventures; East Bay Innovations; Securitas; Hilton Garden Inn; Rising Sun Center for Opportunity; Greyhound Lines, Inc.; Old Republic Home Protection; Club Demo Services (CDS); Aspire Public Schools; Target; Berkeley Bowl; Allied Universal; and Sentry Living Solutions. Kaiser Permanente, while not hiring, will perform career exploration.

The Summit was designed for job seekers ages 18 to 29 but is open to all working age adults. Some of them will have completed the BrandUP job training curriculum developed by LeadersUp in advance. This year, the organization will raise its advocacy around eliminating barriers to economic opportunity for justice-involved youth. Wallace and corporate sponsors/partners FED EX and Bank of America will lead a discussion on inclusive hiring practices.

Last year, LeadersUp engaged 473 Bay Area youth and achieved an 80% interview-to-offer ratio and a 60% interview-to-hire ratio through its talent solution strategies. Over the past three years, LeadersUp has trained and brokered economic opportunities for approximately 2,500 Bay Area youth, 95% of them individuals of color.

To register for the Summit visit https://leadersup.org/summit/. Companies with open positions that wish to participate can sign up at https://leadersup.org/summit/.

About LeadersUp: LeadersUp was established in 2013 by the Starbucks Co. along with other business thought leaders to tackle the youth unemployment crisis. LeadersUp provides professional development training and career opportunities via its Future At Work Summits in Chicago, Los Angeles and the Bay Area/Silicon Valley to connect the untapped potential of young adults who are out of work and not in school with employers in need of talent.

Media contact: Karen Lewis | [email protected] | 323-424-9400.

SOURCE LeadersUp

Related Links

https://www.leadersup.org