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Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
For more information call: 202-219-6871
High school drop outs building housing designed to last 100 years ...
young people qualifying for an apprenticeship program at a rate of 8.5 times
the national average ... at risk youth launching careers in early childhood
education ...
These are among 18 initiatives across the country that point the way for
helping disadvantaged young people succeed in the labor market.
"Cookie-cutter solutions to the problems of at-risk youth do not work,"
said Secretary of Labor Robert B. Reich. "We need a range of proven models to
help young people develop the skills and confidence they need to become
lifelong learners, productive workers and self-sufficient citizens."
Funded by the U.S. Department of Labor and four private foundations, the
Promising and Effective Practices Network (PEPNet) identified the 18
initiatives in a year-long effort to determine what works in helping at-risk
youth overcome barriers to employment. The effort is a project of the National
Youth Employment Coalition in Washington, D.C.
The 18 PEPNet projects were announced today at a ceremony at the U.S.
Department of Labor. Winners were recognized by Assistant Secretary of Labor
for Employment and Training Timothy M. Barnicle and by Erik Payne Butler, chair
of the National Youth Employment Coalition.
"Some believe that at-risk youth are so difficult to reach that no
programs are successful," said Butler. "Nothing could be further from the
truth. By identifying and building upon the highest possible standards, we not
only prove that youth programs can work, but we share the best practices so
others can benefit."
Three PEPNet initiatives featured during the event were:
- Casa Verde Builders YouthBuild Program in Austin, Tex., which
teaches high school drop outs to build affordable housing designed to last 100
years as well as life and job skills designed to last a lifetime;
- Manufacturing Technology Partnership, United Auto Workers/General
Motors Flint Metal Center in Flint, Mich., which enables young people to pass
an apprenticeship entrance exam at 8.5 times the national average; and
- Youth Internship Program, Young Adult Learning Academy in New York
City, with a nearly 80 percent success rate in training high school drop outs
for careers in early childhood education.
All 18 projects showed that successful programs for at-risk youth
require strong emphasis on human development and adherence to strict measures
of success, including strong, stable and effective management of projects; well
conceived and implemented approaches to youth development; clear emphasis on
the development of skills, knowledge and competencies that lead to jobs and
careers; and evidence of success.
The 18 successful models were identified by a review board of 47 experts
in youth programs from the private, public and non-profit sectors. More than 60
projects were considered by the group. The effort -- expected to last for 5-10
years -- is supported by grants from the Labor Department's Employment and
Training Administration and the Ford, AT&T, Clark and Prudential
Foundations.
The National Youth Employment Coalition is a network of over 80 youth
employment and development organizations that promote policies and programs for
youth.
Also highlighted during the ceremony were three pilot projects -- in
Houston, Los Angeles and Chicago -- funded by the Labor Department earlier this
year to boost employment rates for dropouts in high-poverty areas. The projects
were named in honor of former Labor Department employee Donald J. Kulick who
dedicated his life's work to assisting disadvantaged individuals. Kulick, who
died last year, was 52 years old.
Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
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