Preparing Foster Youth for Today’s Workforce

Preparing Foster Youth for Today’s Workforce

Our Goal

Foster Youth leave the care system equipped to function independently, able to obtain viable employment, ready to support themselves and their families, and prepared to be good citizens and contributing members of society.

Workforce Readiness

• It is critical that our foster youth leave care ready to enter the workforce with stable, well-paying jobs.

• Education is the means to prepare them for future careers, and caseworkers, social workers, and independent living coordinators have a major role to play in ensuring that foster youth pursue and succeed in postsecondary programs.

Postsecondary Education

The US Department of Labor projects that 80% of all new jobs will soon require some sort of postsecondary education – either academic or career-specific.

Getting Ready for the Workforce

Source: Dixie Sommers, “Overview of Occupational Projections, 2014,” 2007. Note: High-skill occupational categories are Management and Financial Occupations and Professionals and Related Occupations; middle-skill categories are Sales and Related Occupations, Office Administrative Support, Construction, Installation and Repair, Production Operations, and Transportation and Material Moving; and low-skill categories are Service Occupations and Farming, Fishing, and Forestry.

Getting Ready for the Workforce

Youth can explore the world of career options online at the Bureau of Labor Statistics Career Information Home Page:

http://www.bls.gov/k12

Employment in NY State (2006)

From the NY State Department of Labor:• $36,700 – Average Wage with Vocational Certificate• $56,500 – Average Wage with Associate Degree

Auto Mechanic: $33,780Computer Support Specialist: $41,470Registered Nurse: $57,280 Dental Hygienist: $62,800

Community College or Trade School?

• New York public community colleges offer over 300 majors and cost considerably less than private vocational/technical schools.

• Vocational school programs may be shorter than those at community colleges, but their training is not always transferable or recognized by other institutions.

“American community colleges are the nation’s overlooked asset. As the United States confronts the challenges of globalization, two year institutions are indispensable to the American future…In the century since they were founded, community colleges have become the largest single sector of American higher education with nearly 1,200 regionally accredited two-year colleges enrolling 6.5 million students annually for credit (nearly half of all undergraduates)”

From: Winning the Skills Race and Strengthening the Middle Class: An Action Agenda for Community CollegesPublished by: College Board, Center for Innovative Thought

Paying for School

• Pell Grantswww.FederalStudentAid.ed.gov

• Education and Training Voucherswww.statevoucher.org

• Scholarshipswww.fastweb.com

All are available for vocational/technical training as well as for college programs.

Advising Youth on Paying for School

• Seek training that is affordable• Do NOT sign contracts or promissory notes for

full payment up front• Do NOT take out large loans to pay for course

work

Does vocational/technical training really pay off?

Does vocational/technical training really pay off? YES!

The annual income of an air traffic controller is $102,030; the annual income of a utility lineman is $72,000. Neither career requires an academic degree.