Boys & Girls Clubs of America Convenes Top Leaders of Public and Private Sector to Improve Workforce Readiness Among U.S. Youth

Great Think: Workforce Readiness symposium aims to create a strategic action plan for career preparedness

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Apr 18, 2019, 10:43 ET

WASHINGTON, April 18, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Boys & Girls Clubs of America and top business leaders, experts and advocates from public and private sectors came together yesterday in Washington, D.C. to create a strategic action plan for workforce and career readiness among American youth.

Carrie Schwab-Pomerantz, board chair and president of the Charles Schwab Foundation, and Boys & Girls Clubs of America president and CEO, Jim Clark lead an in-depth discussion with Boys & Girls Club youth who spoke about how vital Club workforce programming has been for their career development.

Participants at Boys & Girls Clubs of America's Great Think: Workforce Readiness, attend smaller breakout sessions on the needs of youth, career readiness and workforce participation.

During this one-day symposium, Great Think: Workforce Readiness, national leaders discussed the challenges facing today's young people about career preparedness. Companies including Google, Charles Schwab, Comcast, The Hartford, Fluor, Microsoft, Toyota and Associated Builders & Contractors trade association alongside experts from the public sector, including U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross, were convened by Boys & Girls Clubs of America on this critical topic facing America's kids.

"Communities across the nation face significant challenges preparing youth for college and career, and at the same time, employers struggle to find sufficient talent," said Jim Clark, president and CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of America. "Today's youth have largely untapped potential, particularly those children and teens from underserved communities. By bringing together a task force of America's greatest employers and youth advocates, we hope to establish a viable action plan to increase access to work experiences and career exploration for young people."

"Through the creation of the National Council for the American Worker and the American Workforce Policy Advisory Board, President Donald J. Trump and his Administration have sought to address the serious problems facing American workers," said Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. "But we need the help of private organizations like Boys & Girls Clubs of America to solve these issues. Events like Great Think: Workforce Readiness can highlight how we can better prepare today's youth for success in tomorrow's workforce."

As one of the nation's leading youth-serving organizations, Boys & Girls Clubs of America provides formative experiences for young people to explore careers, develop skills and apply key learnings. Yet Boys & Girls Clubs cannot address the nation's workforce needs alone. The organization relies on meaningful public-private partnerships to identify solutions and strategies to support youth as they prepare for a career.

"Schwab has partnered with Boys & Girls Clubs of America for 15 years to help deliver financial education to America's youth through the Money Matters program. I applaud Boys & Girls Clubs of America for its ongoing advocacy for America's youth, and for convening private and public sector leaders to develop an action plan to help address workplace readiness," said Carrie Schwab-Pomerantz, senior vice president of Charles Schwab & Co. and president of Charles Schwab Foundation. "By recognizing the importance of financial literacy in helping people get and keep a job, we can help our youth make smart money decisions that lead to long-term financial security, which is a key contributor to a person's well-being, freedom and confidence."

Through the Great Think event, Boys & Girls Clubs of America seeks to develop a network of corporate, nonprofit, government and education organizations to increase access to a variety of career exploration and work experiences for more than 4.3 million youth served by local Boys & Girls Clubs. In February, Jim Clark was appointed to serve as a member on the American Workforce Policy Advisory Board, established by the White House. Boys & Girls Clubs of America is the only youth-serving nonprofit organization on the Board and joins 24 members including the CEOs of Apple and Walmart.

To learn more on Boys & Girls Clubs of America's career readiness programs go to https://www.bgca.org/kids-in-need/research-insights/career-readiness.

About Boys & Girls Clubs of America
For more than 150 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA.org) has enabled young people most in need to achieve great futures as productive, caring, responsible citizens. Today, more than 4,300 Clubs serve nearly 4 million young people through Club membership and community outreach. Clubs are located in cities, towns, public housing and on Native lands throughout the country, and serve military families in BGCA-affiliated Youth Centers on U.S. military installations worldwide. They provide a safe place, caring adult mentors, fun and friendship, and high-impact youth development programs on a daily basis during critical non-school hours. Club programs promote academic success, good character and citizenship, and healthy lifestyles. In a Harris Survey of alumni, 54 percent said the Club saved their lives. National headquarters are located in Atlanta. Learn more at Facebook and Twitter.

SOURCE Boys & Girls Clubs of America