Leading the Way in Youth Workforce Development!

Last week, DCAYA and our partners at the Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL) celebrated the graduation of fourteen local professionals from our Youth Workforce Leaders Academy (YWLA). The Academy has run for two years now, and was developed with the support of the Community Foundation’s Greater Washington Workforce Development Collaborative where the Foundation and a dozen other philanthropic partners are co-investing in programs throughout the Washington region that focus on building local residents’ literacy and workforce skills to support their movement toward greater economic security. Also central to the success of the Academy, YWLA session topic areas and materials were based on the IEL-led National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth’s (NCWD/Youth) Youth Service Professionals’ Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities professional development initiative, funded by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy.

A year-long learning community, YWLA enables DC youth workforce development providers from the nonprofit and government sectors to further their skills, and bolster their organizations with deeper knowledge and resources. Over 10 monthly sessions, the Academy explored the following tenets of high-quality youth workforce development programming: Youth Rights & Policies, Youth Development & Youth Voice, Program Design and Delivery, Career Exploration, Workforce Preparation, Assessment & Individualized Planning, Employer Engagement, Collaboration & Partnership, and Engaging Families. 

Cheers for our YWLA Graduates!

Today we’re bringing you a glimpse into the Youth Workforce Leaders Academy (YWLA) that we’ve been conducting over the last year, and into our celebration of the inaugural cadre of YWLA Graduates! Through our partnership with the Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL) and the Greater Washington Workforce Development Collaborative[1], YWLA was created as learning community to better support the growth and success of local youth workforce development professionals.

With the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) beginning implementation in July, and the District refocusing on quality and measurable outcomes in its workforce development programming, YWLA provides a way to build capacity within local organizations to scale up the District's quality workforce development programming.  As emphasized by our partners at IEL, YWLA has been a homegrown effort to increase coordination as encouraged by WIOA.

Our inaugural cadre of participants has done an incredible job of implementing the best practices highlighted throughout YWLA, culminating in their Capstone Projects. We’d like to spotlight our 15 participants and the impact YWLA has had on their work:

Najmah Ahmad, Director of Curriculum Outreach at Urban Alliance

Capstone Project: Navigating Success; Staying the Course - Curriculum to increase success of college matriculation

Paula Billingsley, Alumni Programs VISTA at Higher Achievement

Capstone Project: Alumni Career Month at Higher Achievement – Series of career exploration programming

Kimberly Davis, College Access Coordinator at For Love of Children (FLOC)

Capstone Project: Scholars Empowerment Curriculum – Series of civic engagement workshops

Elizabeth Edwards, Associate Director of Programs at Year Up – National Capital Region

Capstone Project: IT Certificates for All – Model program for IT certification of all graduates

Libby Hill, Senior Trainer at Global Kids

Capstone Project: Tracking Youth Workforce Development in Global Kids’ Programming – Outcomes plan for workforce development and career readiness

Marcia N. Huff, Esq., Senior Manager at The Young Women’s Project

Capstone Project: Workforce Readiness Curricula for High School & College Students - Curricula to build employment skills, explore careers, and set educational and employment goals

Angela Hughes, Manager of Program Operations at YWCA National Capital Area

Capstone Project: Job Shadowing Opportunities through Community Mapping – Community mapping that resulted in job shadowing opportunities for youth

Jacob Newman, Workforce Director at Latin American Youth Center/Maryland Multicultural Youth Centers

Capstone Project: Alignment of Job Readiness Training for Disconnected Youth – Aligned JRT across the organization’s workforce development programs

Efuntomiwa “Mimi” Okoh, Outreach Coordinator at National Center for Children and Families

Capstone Project: Career Exploration for Youth in Foster Care – Opportunity for job shadowing in fields of interest to youth

Phyllis D. Powell, Senior Youth Workforce Development Specialist at Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services

Capstone Project: Employment Retention Incentive Program – Developed a stronger job readiness and job search program

Kristina Savoy, Program Manager at DOES’s Office of Youth Programs

Capstone Project: Partnership with Rehabilitation Services – Agreement to ensure the proper referral of Year Round and SYEP participants with disabilities

Rachel Sier, Job Developer at YouthBuild PCS

  

Capstone Project: Best Practices in Employer Partnership Retention - Strategized to develop and maintain partnerships between workforce development programs and local businesses

Nadia M. Sookar, Supervisory Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist at DC Rehabilitation Services Administration

Capstone Project:  Partnership with Rehabilitation Services – Agreement to ensure the proper referral of Year Round and SYEP participants with disabilities

Trisha Taylor, Programs Director at Sitar Arts Center

Capstone Project: Sitar Intern Leadership Program - Selected SYEP students will learn advanced management skills and have additional responsibilities to lead peers  

Ashley Williams, Program Manager at DOES’s Office of Youth Programs

Capstone Project:  Partnership with Rehabilitation Services – Agreement to ensure the proper referral of Year Round and SYEP participants with disabilities

If you’re interested in joining this network of leaders through our second iteration of the Youth Workforce Leaders Academy, please contact DCAYA Policy Analyst, Amy Dudas, at amy@dc-aya.org.

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[1] An initiative of The Community Foundation for the National Capital Region