Robbie Bach, Member of the Board of Governors of Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Former President of Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices Division, Joins Year Up Puget Sound's Board of Directors; Year Up Puget Sound Continues to Expand
SEATTLE, July 12, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Demonstrating his commitment to helping local young adults access professional careers in IT and communication technology, one of the most distinguished community leaders in the region recently joined the Board of Directors for Year Up Puget Sound: Robbie Bach, who serves on the national board of governors for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and was formerly President of Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices Division.
"Robbie has tremendous experience in the tech sector and knows what skills our students need to succeed in this space," said John Stanton, Year Up Puget Sound Board President. "His perspective and expertise will help the board continue to close the Opportunity Divide for students while closing the skills gap for local employers."
"Year Up is an amazing organization that focuses on both education and youth development, and generates real results," said Bach. "I'm looking forward to helping the program continue to grow and increase its impact on the community."
Lauded by President Barack Obama for its proven approach, Year Up is a national nonprofit organization that provides an intensive education and job-training program for urban young adults, ages 18-24. Year Up Puget Sound students gain technical and professional skills, with a focus on communication technology, and participate in a six-month internship at top companies like REI, Google, the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, JPMorgan Chase and Liberty Mutual. Nationally, 84 percent of Year Up students who successfully completed the one-year program are employed or attending college full-time within four months of graduation, earning an average starting salary of $30,000/year.
"There are more than 15,000 young adults in the Puget Sound region that do not have access to livable-wage careers or higher education," said Stanton. "The Year Up Puget Sound Board of Directors will continue working to help these disconnected young adults reach their full potential by providing them with the training and skills that employers are looking for."
Year Up Puget Sound opened its doors in March 2011 and continues to rapidly expand. It will serve twice as many students in the summer of 2012 than in 2011 and has signed agreements with new corporate partners that look to Year Up for access to a pipeline of skilled, entry-level talent.
Bach joined Microsoft in 1988 and over the next 22 years worked in various marketing, general management and business leadership roles. Bach retired in 2010 as Microsoft's President of the Entertainment and Devices Division. Bach sits on the national board of governors for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and was the chairman of the board from 2009-10.
The Year Up Puget Sound Board of Directors is composed of the top business and community leaders in Washington: John Stanton (chair), founding member and Managing Partner of Trilogy Partnership; Robbie Bach, former President of Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices Division; Rich Barton, co-founder and Executive Chairman of Zillow; Phyllis Campbell, Chair of the Pacific Northwest Region at JPMorgan Chase; Deb Horvath, founder of Horvath Consulting LLC; Sue Rahr, former Sheriff of King County and Director of Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission; Norman B. Rice, President and Chief Executive Officer of The Seattle Foundation and former Seattle Mayor; Jon Runstad, co-founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Wright Runstad & Company; and Judith Runstad, attorney at Foster Pepper PLLC.
About Year Up Inc.
Year Up's mission is to close the Opportunity Divide by providing urban young adults with the skills, experience, and support that will empower them to reach their potential through professional careers and higher education. Year Up achieves this mission through a high support, high expectation model that combines marketable job skills, stipends, internships and college credits. Its holistic approach focuses on students' professional and personal development to place these young adults on a viable path to economic self-sufficiency. Year Up currently serves more than 1,500 students a year at sites in Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, New York City, Providence, San Francisco Bay Area, the National Capital Region, and Puget Sound (Seattle). To learn more, visit www.yearup.org or www.youtube.com/yearupinc.
SOURCE Year Up Inc.
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