Eight communities will seek to improve employment outcomes for low-income, young adults of color
Washington D.C. April 18, 2022 – The National Fund for Workforce Solutions is partnering with the Annie E. Casey Foundation to manage the next phase of Generation Work™. Launched in 2016, Generation Work was designed to connect America’s young adults — especially low-income, young adults of color — with meaningful employment by changing the way private and public systems prepare and support them in jobs.
This next phase of Generation Work will build on previous successes and lessons and will focus on improving hiring, retention, and advancement practices in eight National Fund communities across the country: Birmingham, Alabama; Chicago; Cleveland; Indianapolis; Louisville, Kentucky; Philadelphia; Seattle; and Wilmington, Delaware.
“We are excited to be a part of the next phase of Generation Work and help realize a more equitable economy,” says Amanda Cage, president and CEO of the National Fund. “The Annie E. Casey Foundation was one of the first investors in the National Fund back in 2007. This initiative is an important continuation of our work together to address systemic racial inequities and barriers to meaningful employment for young people.”
The work in these eight communities will focus on four key areas:
- Racial equity: addressing systemic and structural inequities that contribute to employment disparities for young people of color.
- Employer engagement: changing practices to create more supportive workplaces for young adults of color.
- Positive youth development: working with employers to improve how they engage and empower young workers.
- Learning and evidence building: sharing lessons and best practices with the broader workforce development field.
“Given the ongoing economic impact of the pandemic and rising awareness of racial inequities in the labor market, the Generation Work partnerships are well-positioned to test employment practices that benefit both young workers and local employers,” says Allison Gerber, Casey’s director of employment. “Over time we hope this initiative will help shape the way workforce development practitioners work with employers to build more inclusive workplaces”
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About National Fund for Workforce Solutions
The National Fund for Workforce Solutions invests in a dynamic national network of 30+ communities taking a demand-driven, evidence-based approach to workforce development. At the local level, the National Fund’s partner organizations contribute resources, test ideas, collect data, and improve public policies and business practices that help all workers succeed and employers have the talent they need to compete. Learn more at www.NationalFund.org.
