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Council member advocates for reimagining youth workforce development
4:04:22
·
93 sec
Council Member Althea Stevens passionately argues for the need to reimagine workforce development programs for youth, stating that current models like SYEP are outdated and not meeting the needs of today's young people.
- Stevens emphasizes that young people are seeking actual jobs, not just internships or stipends
- She calls for a more comprehensive and holistic approach to youth workforce development
- The council member stresses the importance of listening to young people's needs and being responsive to their desire for real work experience
Althea Stevens
4:04:22
mean I know you heard my rant earlier about the middle school and the lack of programming so you know and I've been saying this for the last three years and so I'm gonna say it out loud again because when I say stuff apparently in these hearings, people be listening and stuff be happening so I'm gonna say it.
4:04:38
We have to reimagine workforce development.
4:04:40
SYP was great in the 70s when it started, but like we have advanced past that.
4:04:46
Kids at 16 are not getting jobs at the grocery stores and the footlockers like we were when I was growing up, and so we have to get to a place where if kids want jobs that we are figuring out how to give it to them.
4:04:56
And you know we have all these different buckets, but we need to really be thinking about a more comprehensive plan.
4:05:02
I know in DOE they have like you know LTW and train and earn and you know we have SYP and work on grow and advance and earn, but the reality is we need to be looking at this as a holistic thing and making sure that in all these different buckets that kids are able to have access.
4:05:20
But I'm gonna focus on SYP for right now because that's all we really have that is open to all young people, but I really want us to really buckle down to really think about what does reimagining this looks like because this when I'm talking to young people, they are telling me I want a job.
4:05:40
Miss, could you find me a job?
4:05:41
Miss, could you give me a job?
4:05:42
Not an internship, not a stipend, they're like, Miss, I want a job.
4:05:45
And so we have to listen and be reactive to that.
4:05:49
So again, I'm saying it, I need us to reimagine, reimagine, reimagine the workforce for young people.