Jobs for Youth News Archive
Taproot Volunteers are on the Job for Youth
Jobs for Youth Business Breakfast
San Francisco, CA – Jobs for Youth has been awarded a Service Grant from the Taproot Foundation. With an estimated value of $50,000, the Taproot volunteers will assist Jobs for Youth in the development of key messages and brand strategy.
Funded by the Department of Children, Youth and their Families and United Way of the Bay Area, Jobs for Youth creates pathways to the local business community that enable young people to strengthen their foundation for success. The initiative delivers on its mission by coordinating efforts of the public, private, and non-profit sectors to connect qualified and trained youth with private-sector employment. More information is available at www.jobsforyouth.net
Recognizing that nonprofits have the greatest potential for addressing our communities’ most challenging social and environmental problems, but often lack the operational resources they need to thrive, the Taproot Foundation exists to close this gap. The Taproot Foundation model leverages skills of the business community to provide nonprofits with free, reliable, high-quality services. As the country’s largest nonprofit consulting firm, the organization has engaged over 2,000 business professionals in rewarding pro bono work, delivering more than $21 million worth of services to over 450 nonprofits in Chicago, New York, Boston and the Bay Area. More information is available at www.taprootfoundation.org.
The Jobs for Youth service grant team will be staffed by Glenn Eagleson, Senior Planner and Policy Analyst - DCYF; Pete Gerharz, Director of Workforce Development – Larkin Street Youth Services; Sonia Gomez, Project Manager; Barbara Hoo, Marketing Manager; Wade Jansen, Copywriter; Sheri Osborn, Account Director; Deepak Sharma, Brand Strategist; and Molly Wertz, Vice President Community Investments – UWBA. Each service grant team member is volunteering time and service within their area of professional expertise.
Jobs for Youth Business Breakfast
JOBS FOR YOUTH HOSTS BUSINESS BREAKFAST WITH MAYOR NEWSOM
SAN FRANCISCO, March 7, 2007 – Mayor Gavin Newsom and Jobs for Youth, a community project of United Way of the Bay Area, hosted the Jobs for Youth Business Breakfast at the San Francisco Marriott today.
Funded by the Department of Children, Youth and their Families Jobs for Youth is an intermediary organization and City initiative that coordinates efforts of the public, private, and non-profit sectors to connect qualified and trained youth with private-sector employment. Jobs for Youth works with businesses of all sizes to resource existing and generate new private-sector employment opportunities for youth. The program leverages local investments in youth workforce development to provide services including: job development, placement and matching; pay rolling; and information about relevant labor laws.
The breakfast was attended by approximately 250 individuals, representing 105 employers and Jobs for Youth community partners.
Mayor Newsom championed the program - which he launched in April 2005 stating, “Jobs for Youth is our strategy for capturing and increasing youth employment in San Francisco. Their great work facilitates the process of identifying and hiring youth.” He continued saying, “By employing youth, businesses ensure the emerging workforce has the knowledge and skills required to be competitive in San Francisco.” The Mayor concluded his address by challenging business leaders in attendance to pledge a commitment to hire youth right then. Jobs for Youth will follow up on the pledges made as a result of the Mayor’s challenge.
Breakfast attendees were also addressed by key leaders of the Jobs for Youth initiative. Michael O’Connor, Small Business Commission President, Owner of the Independent, and Jobs for Youth Co-Chair, invited attendees to leverage the program as a service provided to them by the City. “Working with leaders from the City’s various departments and representatives from business of varying size, we have developed Jobs for Youth from an idea into a service with the ability to deliver on your needs. Use it.” said O’Connor.
Marica Argyris, President of McKesson Foundation and Jobs for Youth Co-Chair, was joined by Johnny Parker, Manager of Information Systems Operations for McKesson Corporation, and spoke about the business’ 23 year Summer Youth Development Program. Argyris commented that, “Jobs for Youth is an incredible resource for businesses who have established youth employment programs. Jobs for Youth enables you to identify the right candidates from all of San Francisco’s communities.” Parker, an 8 year manager at McKesson, shared his experience supervising youth, stating, “Young people make great colleagues and really bring a lot to the office. Interns from the Summer Youth Development Program have made real contributions to the work I do.”
Eric McDonnell, Executive Vice President of United Way of the Bay Area, highlighted the organizations commitment to support and grow Jobs for Youth as a community resource. McDonnell said, “United Way is proud to support Jobs for Youth, which provides essential hands-on work experience for San Francisco youth. We encourage the business community to hire youth and create real opportunities for young people to gain the professional and social skills they need to build successful futures.”
Attendees were also addressed by Jobs for Youth Member Lily Lai. Ms. Lai, a SFUSD Senior, has been a member of the program since December 2006. Jobs for Youth connected Ms. Lai with a seasonal position at Macy’s where she learned “some basic skills – like be on-time, be prepared, and be honest - required to succeed at any job.” Ms. Lai concluded by asking employers to: “Please hire youth and provide meaningful employment… [take] the time to explain how our work contributes to your bottom line. If you take the time to explain why our jobs are important, we’ll do better at them.”
Businesses of any size can take part in the Jobs for Youth initiative by providing quality work experiences for youth, job-shadowing and paid internships; or by becoming a youth employment advocate. For more information on how to become involved with Jobs for Youth, contact Yuri Dew, Jobs for Youth Director, at 415-861-JOBS.
