Career Pathways
Project Director: Ellen Gannett
Team Member: Betsy Starr
With funding from Cornerstones for Kids and The Packard Foundation, NIOST is partnering with the Forum for Youth Investment and Child Care Services Association to develop a set of guidelines to promote and strengthen the youth work workforce, with the aim of increasing stability, preparation, support and commitment to the well-being and empowerment of youth. The main objectives of the project revolve around increasing the education, compensation, retention, and development systems within the youth work field. With a few main pilot states, including Pennsylvania, Minnesota, and Missouri, NIOST and its partners are taking concrete steps to analyze systems, provide scholarships, create fund development plans, and develop a team of mentors that will engage stakeholders and create buy-in for the project.
By 2010, Career Pathways would like to see at least 5 states or cities taking coordinated steps and putting serious effort towards applying stronger career pathways to those in the youth work workforce. These pathways may be achieved through amendments to regulatory or administrative policies on a state level, but should have as the ultimate goal the retention and compensation of high-quality staff. NIOST and its partners are involved in generating examples and models of such support systems.
For a report on phase one of the career pathways project click here.
Tags: Workforce Development