Career Pathways and Next Generation Youth Work Coalition

Submitted by LauraM on Thu, 08/27/2009 - 14:05

Cornerstones for Kids has once again funded support of the work for the Next Generation Youth Work Coalition. To kick off its first explicit round of policy work, the Next Generation Youth Work Coalition will work with identified networks/coalitions in seven "early adapter" states and cities across the nation (Baltimore/Maryland, Illinois, Missouri, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, New York City, Vermont) that are already on the leading edge in addressing youth work workforce issues. Each team will identify key leverage points for change within their state or city and program toward policy change and action in the following seven areas: recognizes competence; rewards competence; requires competence; redefines competence; reflects the perspectives of all stakeholders; relies on the use of public and private dollars and reaches all youth workers.

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ClearPoliciesforCareerPathway.doc79 KB
IdealSystemComponentsChart.doc75 KB
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A Concise Case for Investing in Youth Workers

In order to strengthen supports for youth workers, it is critical that new champions join the effort. We must not preach only to the choir! This two-page case statement is designed to make a clear, concise, convincing argument for investing in youth workers, not just youth programs. We hope it is useful as you reach out to new groups of stakeholders to engage in this work, including business, education, higher education and more.

Youth-Worker-Case-Statement-March2010.pdf
Strengthening the Youth Development/After-School Workforce

Despite major advancements in the field, staffing – everything from recruitment, retention, supervision, to performance – remains a major challenge. There is a need to reexamine currently held assumptions about what it will take to build a strong, stable, committed workforce. What incentives? What opportunities? What requirements? For whom? In what combination? This brief report by Nicole Yohalem, Karen Pittman and Sharon Lovick Edwards highlights lessons learned over the past six years by the Forum for Youth Investment, Cornerstones for Kids and the Next Generation Youth Work Coalition, with an eye toward implications for funders. We summarize what is known about youth workers, why investments in this workforce matter, and what funders (private and public) can do to spark and support these investments. The goal is to support discussions about how focused attention on workforce development can be a part of funders’ individual and collective efforts to strengthen and expand after-school and youth development programs and systems.

Find the document here: http://forumfyi.org/content/strengthening-youth-developmentafter-school-...