2017 Mid-Year Report

24
New Initiatives:
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE
One of out seven teens are not enrolled in school and are unemployed. Five million jobs will
go unfilled by 2020 because of a lack of workers with adequate credentials.
Preparing young people for an increasingly global
workforce is critically important to the United
States. To remain competitive, a workforce is needed
that is prepared. It is often stated, however, that the
reality is that tomorrow’s leaders are not yet ready to
meet such competitive expectations.
Today’s teens face too few opportunities to develop
leadership skills, to access college and career readiness
programs, and to connect their passions with clear goals.
One of out seven teens are not enrolled in school and are
unemployed. Five million jobs will go unfilled by 2020 because
of a lack of workers with adequate credentials.
To meet this need, additional programs are being accessed,
building upon a foundation of success provided
through many years of Career Launch implementation
at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Skagit County.
Teen members at the Club work at a rate three times
greater than their peers nationally during the summer.
The program encourages Club members ages 13-18
to assess their skills and interests, explore careers,
make sound education decisions, and prepare to join
the nation’s workforce. Together, Club staff and volunteers
help teens build their job-search skills and job
readiness, working with teens individually or in small
groups. Mentoring, job shadowing, and training opportunities
round out the program.
The newly engaged Workforce Development Initiative
recognizes a need to begin earlier in a young person’s
life, and that it must encompass career and financial
literacy education, as well as planning and training for
first jobs and career paths. Understanding that Clubs
serve teens with a variety of career aspirations, the
Workforce Development Initiative does not limit preparation
solely to advanced education and degrees, but
encompasses vocational trades, military service, and
other opportunities. Through this, a member is empowered
to identify the career that best suits them, and to
develop the pathway to reach their career goals.