2017 Young Adult Employer Champions

5.5.17  •  by Josh Enoch  •   Press Release

2017 Young Adults Employer Champions

The National Fund Recognizes Employers Who Address Skill Gaps by Hiring and Retaining Young Adults

WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 9, 2017) – Our nation is facing a young adult employment crisis, with labor market attachment near historic lows for younger workers. At the same time, many employers cannot find the skilled talent they need.

As a national leader working to help workers and businesses succeed, the National Fund is pleased to recognize exemplary employers investing in young adults as a talent pipeline that can address their workforce needs.

Now in its third year, the National Fund Young Adult Employer Champions Program honors employers who provide high-quality jobs and successfully hire and retain 18-25-year-old young adults who are unemployed or underemployed and not enrolled in school.  The Employer Champions program is a central component of the Young Adult Sectoral Initiative, which aims to develop a deeper understanding of effective practices for connecting young adults to careers in rapidly growing industries.

This year, we are pleased to recognize seven Young Adult Employer Champions for their exemplary work with community partners and training providers to identify, prepare, and hire young adults.

In addition, this year the National Fund is adding a new category: Young Adult Employer Champions – Pathways to Apprenticeship, for employers that participate in pre-apprenticeship and/or apprenticeship programs which prepare youth for in-demand occupations. We are pleased to announce nine Pathways to Apprenticeship honorees.

According to Monica Friedman, VP Human Resources at Nationwide, “we are proud to receive this Young Adult Employer Champion recognition. We see young adults who come to us from non-traditional pathways as a critical and untapped part of our region’s talent pool. They are creative, innovative and loyal associates, who bring energy, enthusiasm and diverse perspective to the work environment. This benefits our entire associate population, our members and the Des Moines community. We must attract the best talent to grow our business and these young adults are a vital part of our strategy.”

Nominations for recognition are submitted by National Fund regional collaboratives, their partners, or employers themselves. This year, almost three-dozen nominations were received, underscoring employers’ accelerating interest in utilizing the skills and talents of younger workers.

“The National Fund’s approach to promoting regional prosperity centers on meeting the needs of employers, while at the same time preparing unemployed and underemployed workers for careers with living wages,” said President and CEO Fred Dedrick. “Young adults are essential components of that strategy, and the National Fund is proud to celebrate employer leaders who have the vision to recognize young adults’ potential, and the commitment to help prepare and hire them in good jobs.”

A list of the Champions follows.

2017 Young Adult Employer Champions

  • Brown’s Super Stores, Inc., Philadelphia, PA
  • Montefiore Health System, Bronx, NY
  • Nationwide, Des Moines, IA
  • Starbucks, Boston, MA
  • Starbucks, Philadelphia, PA
  • Walgreens Corporation, Chicago, IL
  • Zaxby’s, Deland, FL

2017 Young Adult Employer Champions – Pathways to Apprenticeship

  • FELSOMAT USA, Inc., Schaumburg, IL
  • North American Lighting, Paris, IL
  • Principal Manufacturing Corporation, Broadview, IL
  • Richard Wolf Medical Instruments Corporation, Vernon Hills, IL
  • Sayre Health Center, Philadelphia, PA
  • Techtonic Group LLC, Boulder, CO
  • TRUMPF Inc., Farmington, CT
  • Wepco Plastics, Inc., Middlefield, CT
  • WITTENSTEIN North America, Bartlett, IL

 

About National Fund for Workforce Solutions

The National Fund for Workforce Solutions is a national network promoting economic opportunity and prosperous communities through investment and innovation.  Based in Washington D.C., the National Fund partners with philanthropy, employers, workers, public and private community organizations, and more than 30 regional collaboratives to invest in skills, improve systems, and generate good jobs. The National Fund supports civic and business leaders in promoting evidence-based practices and policies that build shared prosperity. Learn more about the National Fund and its local partners at www.NationalFund.org.