Connecting Activities in the Brockton RegionSummer 2009

Collaboration between the Brockton Area Workforce Investment Board and the Brockton Public Schools

Connecting Activities in the Brockton Region

Summer 2009

A Systematic Approach to Youth Employment And Career

Awareness

Brockton Region – Spreading the Wealth

BAWIB operates 10 WIA programs in the region- 4 school systems and 3 CBO’s operate the 10 programs

BAWIB will implement an additional 10 summer programs through ARRA

“Transitioning Youth” program All WIA vendors are required to

place youth in internships with a MA WBLP

16-24 Year Olds Labor Market Indicators

16-24 Total Population 30,98316-19 14,72720-21 7,35222-24 8,904

HS Students 10,974Dropouts 2,509

16-24 Labor Force 23,200Employment Rate (Unemployment

Rate)80.8% (19.2%)

HS Student Employment Rate 65.7% (34.3%)Dropout Employment Rate 60.4% (39.6%)

16-24 Year Olds Labor Market Indicators (con’t)

Employment Rate by Age Rate16-19 71.6% (28.4%)20-21 84.3% (15.7%)22-24 89.6% (10.4%)

Employ-Population Ratio by Family Income

< $20,000 36.6%$20,000-$39,999 39.2%$40,000-$59,999 56.5%$60,000-$79,999 50.7%$80,000-$99,999 62.7%

16-24 Year Olds Labor Market Indicators

16-24 YO’s Who Did Not work W/in Last 12 Months

All 25%

16-19 35.6%20-21 14.3%

22-24 14.5%

HS Students 52.3% (of total population)

HS Dropouts 30.4% (of total population)

Data Story Roughly ½ of our 16-24 cohort is between the ages of 16

and 19, the age range with the highest unemployment Overall, our teen unemployment rate is over twice that of

the adult rate HS Students are roughly 4 times less likely to be employed

then adults Dropouts are over 4 times less likely to be employed then

adults The younger you are, and/or the lower your family income,

the less likely you are to be employed Models that integrate academic and technological learning

along with traditional job readiness must be developed to introduce our young people to the world of work

Putting it all together – Quality Elements for this summer Ideally, Programs should combine:

Explicit learning Career Development Employability skills acquisition Academic Support

Lead agencies will partner with work sites, funders and program staff

Active youth role Where appropriate, summer initiatives linked

to multiple pathway development for dropout prevention

Youth Employment Campaign

Second year of coordinated effort by community partners to increase youth employment

Led by Brockton Area Workforce Investment Board with Brockton Public Schools and other local groups

Obvious impact this year of economic downturn –fewer businesses saying Yes

Need for innovative job creation for youth in non-traditional settings

Brockton Public Schools Model Summer of Work & Learning (SWL)

16 years of SWL program – many lessons learned Led by Communities and Schools for Success (CS2)

– facilitating community partnerships Students placed in teams by industry sector, with

approx. 10-12 students per team; likely total number from 125 to 150, depending on funding

Industry sectors/teams include: Health, Business, Human Services, Teaching, Environmental, Public Administration

One BPS teacher as team leader for each team Monday – Thursday at worksites; Friday at the High

School for team-building, reflection time and portfolio development

SWL - Multiple Funding Streams Private Sector Businesses for intern wages DESE Work & Learn Grant – Fund 597 YouthWorks fund for nonprofit and public

sector internships 21rst Century Grant for Teaching teams Sheehan Family Foundation for

Environment team DESE Collaborative Partnerships for

Student Success - Fund 592 Local school-to-career funds for high

school internships Pending RFP for WIA Title I ARRA

SWL - Program Innovations: On-line student application process Use of Moodle – On line course work End of Program Showcase – Team Presentations in style

of Learning Fair Each student develops a high quality portfolio MCAS tutoring built into paid hours Most MCAS students placed on teaching teams for

“teaching to learn” Business networking luncheons Use of local temporary employment agency for payroll

services for youth General approach: Continual Improvement

Taking it to a new level -

Business Networking Luncheon

Underwritten by Comcast

Students from SWL 2008 on the Brockton Housing Authority team

SWL - New Team Development 2009 Community projects offer new opportunities

for non-traditional work experience Example: Fuller Craft Museum in Brockton

offers to partner with School District to have teens make art installations in storefront windows

Environmental team plans to address resource conservation by auditing high school energy consumption

Past examples: Brockton History team, horticulture team

SWL - Responding to local challenges: Example of a new team last summer Challenge: Making sure to enroll targeted

students who have not passed MCAS – Grant requirement for 597 grant

Reality – Largest pool of MCAS targets is bilingual students who are difficult to place in work sites where fluency in English typically required

Response: Create a team for students who are Limited English Proficient (LEP), and hire bilingual teacher as team leader

Work site: Placed in summer elementary program in support roles where language is an asset

SWL: Designing Teacher Externships

Each team leader is responsible for industry exploration in assigned sector and development of classroom connection

Program coordinators will oversee creation by staff of lesson plans and work plan for actual implementation in FY10 school year

Teacher work product part of showcase Plan for the award of Professional Development

Points (PDP’s) to staff for completion of well-designed curricula

The Mantra for a Powerful Summer: Ensure You’ve Got the Big Three --

To be successful in the 21st century economy, our youth will need –

Academic Skills, and Employability Skills, and Technological Skills

1. Academic Skills If they can’t read,

write and compute, then what are we doing for them anyway!

That’s where we start . . .

2. Employability Skills

Just because they can read, write and compute doesn’t mean that they can function on the job --

Communication, team work, professionalism, taking initiative, you know what I mean . .

3. Technological Skills By the way, it’s the

21st century, don’t forget, and the world is flat and the global recession is making it tougher . . .

And, in case you need reminding, they (our youth) will be keeping Social Security alive for us (if we make sure they get these skills!!!)

Opening Our Minds to New Ideas and Methods

Our youth face historic rates of teen unemployment;

We owe them new opportunities this summer

Thank You DESE for Your Continuing Leadership and

Support

For BAWIB: Sheila Sullivan-Jardim, Executive Director Brian Hannon, Youth Services DirectorFor Brockton Public Schools: Shailah Stewart, Partnership Coordinator, Communities and Schools for Success (CS2)