California’s new $185 million investment is giving marginalized youth, aged 16-30, job opportunities. The program’s recipients are usually ignored by society and lack access to jobs – and this has major impacts on their communities.
This program is intended to assist overlooked young people like foster, formerly incarcerated, low-income, and/or homeless youth. Black youth are overrepresented in these groups, and the unemployment rate for Black youth is very high.
What happens when these youth can’t find jobs?
Programs like these keep young people out of gangs and off the street, and can add up to tens of thousands of dollars in earnings later in life.
The program includes skill-building like resume writing and job training – resources not available to too many Black youth. The program is even bigger than that, however.
In addition to the jobs program, multiple California cities will receive investments of millions of dollars to community organizations.
The program recognizes that it’s just as important to help the communities these youth belong to as it is to give them the proper training to be competitive in the workforce.
Staying competitive in the workforce is difficult when you haven’t been given the tools to succeed. Programs like these give underserved Black youth, who are particularly vulnerable to the chaotic, often cruel workforce, a fighting chance.