We celebrate Workforce Development Month this September honoring dedicated staff and community business leaders in connecting quality youth employees with places of local business. We are grateful for the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA - US Congress, 2014). Now more than ever is the time to join AACF to receive education, training, internships, and job placements!
The COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly created serious issues in the job market and the national economy. Here are a few sobering facts according to US Senate Resolution 346, August 9, 2021:
- Nearly 10,000,000 individuals are unemployed
- Unemployment rates for Black and Hispanic adults are well above the unemployment rates for White adults
- Workers without a bachelor’s degree are nearly 2 times more likely to be unemployed
- More than 1⁄2 of the jobs lost due to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID–19) pandemic were by workers earning less than $40,000 per year
- According to a recent poll, nearly 1⁄2 of workers said they will need to learn new skills in the next year to do their jobs, while more than 1⁄2 said they would retrain for a career in a different field or industry if they had the opportunity
Workforce development programs will play a critical role in addressing the 500,000 additional jobs that remain open in manufacturing industries compared to pre-COVID–19 pandemic levels (US Senate-Resolution 246).
Now is a great time to invest in community workforce development by contributing to assist our community youth in rising above the current challenging issues. If you are a business owner or manager consider becoming a WIOA workplace. If you are a community member consider volunteering your time and skills as an AACF Youth Professional Mentor or by offering financial support. Here are some ways you can become involved with AACF:
We are grateful to our community leaders, members, and partners in assisting our youth program participants in rising above the current national and global challenges. Thank you for all of your support!
Source:
*US Senate-Resolution 346 (August 9, 2021)