Future at Work Summit to Connect Young Adults to Jobs and Make the Business Case for Inclusive Hiring Practices
LeadersUp's Fair Chance Coalition partners aim to reduce recidivism and strengthen local economies by connecting employers to talent pipelines of justice-involved youth
CHICAGO, May 14, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 500 people, young adult jobseekers and recruiters – some offering positions on the spot – will descend on downtown Wednesday for the annual Future at Work Summit hosted by nonprofit talent acquisition expert LeadersUp. This year's theme is "From Hi to Hired," and will include a focus on job opportunities for justice-involved youth, with experts on hand to guide employers through how to adopt inclusive hiring practices.
Future at Work Summit
Wednesday, May 15
9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Malcolm X College
1900 W. Jackson Blvd.
LeadersUp was established in 2013 by the Starbucks Co. along with other business thought leaders to tackle the youth unemployment crisis. In Chicago, more than 190,000 young adults between ages 16 and 24 are out of school and unemployed. Summit sponsors Bank of America, Strada Education Foundation and FedEx have joined LeadersUp to find solutions and work on changing attitudes about young adults with prior arrests or convictions.
"It is not enough to have a job fair. We must provide our young people with a comprehensive experience that addresses the real barriers they face to employment and achieving their goals," said Jeffery Wallace, president and CEO of LeadersUp. "At the same time, we're helping employers become better at recruiting, retaining and leading our young people. This is what makes the Future at Work Summit special. It's a space for both young adults and employers to connect and access the opportunities and skills they need to succeed."
LeadersUp created the Fair Chance Coalition to help businesses rethink their talent acquisition strategies to tap young adults who have criminal backgrounds. In its "Just Opportunity" report, LeadersUp cites statistics that show African American youth are more likely to get arrested, which can negatively impact educational attainment, income levels and career opportunities for a lifetime. As many as 1 in 3 Americans are affected by the criminal justice system and 49 percent of black males surveyed say they have been arrested by age 23. The result is a nearly $78 billion loss in annual GDP.
LeadersUp has set a goal to connect 1,000 justice-involved youth with 50 employer partners by the end of 2019. The Future at Work Summit galvanizes young adults, employers, talent development partners, civic leaders and local influencers around a shared interest: connecting young people to viable employment opportunities.
Also, during the Summit there will be:
- on-the-spot job offers from local employers
- special guest speakers, including a representative from Groupon
- employer workshops on recruitment, retention and creating winning teams
- on-site resume support, mock interview prep, and coaching for young adults
- free haircuts at the Dress for Success Station
Companies that wish to participate can sign up at https://leadersup.org/summit/.
For more information, please visit Future at Work Summit.
About LeadersUp: Established in 2013, by Starbucks and forward-thinking business leaders LeadersUp is an independent 501(c)3 nonprofit and talent development accelerator that works to address the burgeoning opportunity divide and national youth unemployment crisis. LeadersUp provides professional development training and career opportunities via its Future at Work Summits in Chicago, Los Angeles and the Bay Area/Silicon Valley to connect the untapped potential of young adults who are out of work and not in school with employers in need of talent.
Media contacts: Karen Lewis | [email protected] | 323-424-9400 (LA/Bay area) or Shawn Taylor | [email protected] | 312-371-6260 (Chicago).
SOURCE LeadersUp
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