New Casey Foundation Investment in Philadelphia Aims to Improve Job Prospects for Young Adults

PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 16, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following is being released by United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey:

The Annie E. Casey Foundation announced today that it will award $6 million in grants over the next four years to increase job opportunities for America's young adults in five cities, enabling them to begin building careers and develop the skills employers need. Nearly $1 million will be invested in Philadelphia through a new, nimble, initiative called Generation Work.

Generation Work will bring the best efforts of employers, funders, policymakers and practitioners together to match training and education with the skills needed in the workplace. This project leverages the collective expertise of four nationally-recognized core partners in Philadelphia -- the Job Opportunity Investment Network (JOIN), Philadelphia Youth Network, YouthBuild Philadelphia Charter School, and District 1199C Training & Upgrading Fund – and connects Philadelphia to a national learning community for four years of investment by the Casey Foundation in building the infrastructure needed to get more young adults working.

"Our future workforce is one of our nation's greatest assets, and we cannot compete globally unless it is strong," said Allison Gerber, a senior associate who oversees the Casey Foundation's investments in improving job opportunities for low-income individuals and families. "The next generation is eager to work, but we must create more avenues for young adults to develop the knowledge and experience they need to succeed in the job market."

While the Great Recession hit many hard, teens and young adults have experienced the most drastic drop in employment, data shows. In Philadelphia the need for action and change is urgent; nearly one in five young Philadelphians is disconnected – out of work and out of school. Across the country, millions of young people — particularly young people of color and from low-income families — face obstacles to employment or education, and the percentage of young people ages 18–29 in the job market has steadily declined in recent years. At the same time, employers often struggle to find workers with the right set of skills for available positions.

Generation Work aims to combine building relationships with businesses, factoring in their needs in the local economy, with youth development strategies to prepare young people for work, such as mentoring and on-the-job learning opportunities.

"Through Generation Work, we aim to transform Philadelphia's skill development landscape so that all young adults (18-29) have access to relevant, engaging careers and employers have access to strong, productive talent pipelines," said Jennie Sparandara, Director of JOIN.

"We can only do this through partnerships with employers, funders, practitioners and policymakers that share the same commitment to strengthening our workforce," added Jim Cawley, president and CEO, United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey (UWGPSNJ), the managing partner of the JOIN funders collaborative.

Philadelphia was selected for funding because it has demonstrated a promising approach to young adult employment, with a particular focus on those facing some of the greatest obstacles to getting a job; the ability to effectively implement services for young job seekers and employers; and the potential to help foster broader uptake of their approaches in their respective geographic areas, among other strengths.

"Partnership is the key to success when it comes to aligning all of our best strategies, citywide, to ensure young Philadelphians are able to reach the next level in their professional and personal goals," said Chekemma Fulmore-Townsend, President and CEO of the Philadelphia Youth Network. "We are able to reach higher, and achieve greater results when we grow together as a team. I look forward to working with 1199C Training and Upgrading Fund, YouthBuild and other leaders to combine our collective efforts and systemic tools to expand opportunity so that access to employment and education are no longer hurdles to jump, but doors to open."

JOIN, housed and managed by UWGPSNJ, will serve as the grant manager. The Foundation's award will be used in the first year to engage key stakeholders and plan the implementation and evaluation of strategies to increase young adults' access to job opportunities. Funding in subsequent years will support documenting the impact of their efforts and promoting the use of these strategies on a broad scale in the public, private and nonprofit sector.

Learn more about JOIN at www.joincollaborative.org.
Learn more about Philadelphia Youth Network at www.pyninc.org.
Learn more about District 1199C Training and Upgrading Fund at www.1199ctraining.org.
Learn more about YouthBuild Philadelphia Charter School at www.youthbuildphilly.org.
Learn more about The Annie E. Casey Foundation at www.aecf.org.

SOURCE United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey

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