*Advocates in California dedicated to bettering the abilities of people to satisfy the human useful resource wants of the state need to see extra variety amongst younger folks becoming a member of the workforce.
Dr. Angelo Farooq, Chair of the California Workforce Improvement Board (CWDB), says he’s happy with the work his workplace has finished to attach younger folks from various backgrounds to alternatives in numerous fields — however extra must be finished.
The CWDB is a board reporting to the Governor that’s charged with overseeing and strengthening the state’s workforce growth system, governing all federal workforce funds coming into to the state, and creating a typical coverage framework for associated packages.
“The CWDB companions with different governmental entities such because the Division of Rehabilitation, Division of Schooling, and Division of Social Providers to leverage funding to facilitate entry to work expertise alternatives for youth, together with paid state internship packages,” Farooq instructed California Black Media (CBM).
Farooq, who was appointed Chair of the Nationwide Affiliation of State Workforce Board Chairs (NASWBC) in August, says the CWDB additionally companions with non-profit organizations to open pathways to careers for younger Californians.
“The CWDB obtained approval from the federal Division of Labor on a Workforce Innovation and Alternative Act (WIOA) waiver that targets methods concerned youth – that’s homeless or housing insecure, foster care, and justice-involved youth,” Farooq added.
“This waiver permits Native Workforce Improvement Boards further flexibility in the way in which they use their youth funding to particularly goal methods concerned youth earlier than they disconnect from the varsity system.”
In August the Legislature handed ACR 16, a decision that requires the state to “develop a statewide plan that can scale back persistent financial inequities endured by California’s youth,” in keeping with the invoice’s language.
The 2021 American Group Survey (ACS) of the US Census reported that 572,756 youth in California 16 to 24 years of age have been neither at school nor at work.
For Black and different minority youth, the statistics are extra dire. At 22.3%, the speed of Black teenagers and younger adults,16 to 24 years outdated, who’re disconnected from the tutorial system and workforce was greater than two occasions larger the quantity for his or her White friends, which was 10.9% Farooq stated CWDB is presently working to develop its youth portfolio; after handed this 12 months, the CWDB will deepen the partnership work to develop a statewide plan that can intention to cut back persistent financial inequities for “alternative youth.”
Though addressing youth unemployment is a prime precedence for the CWDB, the board doesn’t restrict its packages and advocacy to younger folks.
The company develops initiatives designed to create work pipelines for focused deprived teams, together with previously incarcerated and justice-involved people, in addition to pathways to employment in rising industries like building and infrastructure.
In September, The U.S. Division of Labor awarded a $5 million grant to the CWDB below the Constructing Pathways to Infrastructure Jobs Grant Program, the biggest quantity awarded to an company of its sort within the nation. In Farooq’s position as chair of the NASWBC, it’s the first time California has lead workforce growth initiatives on the nationwide degree.
“I’m honored to have the belief and confidence of my colleagues throughout the nation,” stated Farooq, after he was elected.
“In my 5 years serving as Chair of the CWDB, we have now expanded excessive street partnerships to new sectors, established building partnerships in each nook of our state, and far more. I stay up for working with my fellow workforce growth board chairs to share what has labored right here in California and the way we will prolong financial alternative to extra People.”
The NASWBC is an affiliate of the Nationwide Governors Affiliation (NGA) Heart for Greatest Practices, which helps administration and conferences for the Affiliation.
Members of the affiliation are the chairs of Governor-appointed state workforce growth boards. The Affiliation gives a automobile for state workforce board chairs and workers administrators to be taught from the experiences of their friends, share finest practices and discover widespread floor on nationwide coverage points.
“Dr. Farooq has been instrumental in constructing a high-road economic system right here in California,” stated Secretary Stewart Knox of California’s Labor & Workforce Improvement Company.
“Below Governor Newsom’s management, Dr. Farooq and the CWDB have over $1 billion in workforce investments within the area in the present day and are main the way in which in creating good jobs and assembly the workforce wants of California companies,” Knox added, praising his colleague who can also be President of the Board of Schooling for Riverside Unified Faculty District (RUSD).
After Farooq’s election to the NASWBC, United States Secretary of Labor Julie Su despatched her congratulations.
“Congratulations to my good friend, former colleague, and fellow Californian Angelo Farooq on his election in the present day,” she stated.
“The Nationwide Affiliation of State Workforce Board Chairs is within the arms of a dedicated and inventive chief.”
“Angelo is aware of that the workforce system performs an essential position in connecting employers with the varied, expert workforce they want and employees with the high-quality jobs they deserve, together with employees from traditionally underserved communities or these going through important limitations to employment,” she added.
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