16-24 Out of School, Out of Work Alignment Team

 

10,000 young adults between the ages of 16-24 have left high school without a diploma.

The 2010 US Census revealed that Nashville has approximately 10,000 young adults between the ages of 16-24 that have left high school without a diploma. Young adults who do not earn a high school diploma have difficulty finding a job and earning a living wage. For each high school drop-out who remains unemployed, the immediate social burden is $37,500 per year. The 16-24, Out of School, Out of Work Team believes that without further education or job preparation, these young adults will not make the transition to productive, working adults.

 

The Community-Based Reengagement Coaching Pilot (Re3), aimed to Reengage, Reenergize, and Rediscover opportunity youth, is the result of engaging the community to execute three tactical plans. These tactics are:

Tactic 1

Develop a Resource / Tool Kit that identifies community agencies that can respond to the barriers and needs identified by the target population

Tactic 2

Develop a Train-the-Trainer community-based coaching model

Tactic 3

Engage organizations that already provide services to this population to sponsor existing staff members for training in Community-Based Re-Engagement Coaching

 

The 16-24 OOS, OOW A-Team released two Invitations to Participate™ (ITP) for this pilot. The first Invitation to Participate rallied organizations that offered services that address the needs and challenges faced by the target population. The team received 32 responses to this ITP. To ensure the resource guide stays current and relevant, this ITP remains open.

The A-Team also released an Invitation to Participate™ to recruit organizations to participate in the pilot. The A-team hosted a community meeting that drew over 30 people from organizations and agencies throughout the city to learn about the pilot.  The A-Team received 12 responses to this ITP.  

 

LONG TERM OUTCOME:

 Increased Community Prosperity

Number of students that complete an education/career plan x $37,500*, social burden of opportunity youth = loss of earnings and taxpayer dollars

While the A-Team has not had a student complete the program yet, if all of the students who signed a contract successfully complete an education plan, the program could potentially save taxpayers

$975,000 per year

MIDTERM OUTCOMES:

% of engaged youth were referred to an education or career program

% of participating youth are placed in either a college or career program

% of current cohort of coaches become re-engagement train-the-trainers for future Re3 coach

SHORT TERM OUTCOMES:

% of youth that enroll in the coaching program complete their education plan

While no student has completed an education plan, 69% of youth signed up for the program are still engaged in the coaching process and 38% of engaged youth have created an education/career plan. The team is on target to meet this goal.

  • 26 opportunity youth signed coaching contracts
  • 68% of youth are in engaged in the coaching process
  • 38% of engaged youth have created an education/ career plan

 

The R3 Reengagement Pilot was featured in a Tennessean article titled “Nashville’s Lost Generation Loses out on Economic Boom” about Nashville’s Opportunity Youth.

The pilot is included in the recommendations for Education and Youth in the NashvilleNext: a plan created by Nashvillians for Nashville’s prosperity and well-being for the coming 25 years

The A-Team will be contributing a chapter about the pilot in the National League of Cities upcoming book published by Rowman & Littlefield, Bringing Students Back to Schools: Reengagement and the Power of Positive Educational Pathways.

 

  • The R3 Reengagement pilot was featured in a Tennessean article titled “Nashville’s Lost Generation Loses out on Economic Boon” about Nashville’s Opportunity Youth.
  • The pilot is included in the recommendations for Education and Youth in the NashvilleNext: a plan created by Nashvillians for Nashville’s prosperity and well-being for the coming 25 years
  • The A-Team will be contributing a chapter about the pilot in the National League of Cities upcoming book published by Rowman & Littlefield, Bringing Students Back to Schools: Reengagement and the Power of Positive Educational Pathways.

 

The coaching process was incredibly flexible in that clients can enter at different points of their life...and that's fine.

 -Christina Scott, Youth Villages

Opportunity means the OPTIONS we may or may not be aware of. You [R3 coaches] are helping them to find the opportunity for themselves.

-Judge Sheila Calloway 

16-24 A-TEAM MEMBERS

Judy Rye, Chair Martha O'Bryan Center

Megan Godbey, Vice-Chair Metro Nashville Public Library

Pamela Bobo, Tennessee State University

Toby Cannon, TGC & Associates

Michael Cousin, Nashville Career Advancement Center/NCAC

Susan Cowden, Tennessee College of Applied Technology

Marvin Cox, Nashville Metro Action Commission

Carla Flexer, Metro Nashville Public Schools

Debbie Grant, Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee

Kimberly Graves, Life Assistance Outreach Dream Center & Training Institute

Carol Martin-Osorio, Nashville State Community College

Marcy Melvin, Centerstone

Meg Nugent, Nashville Adult Literacy Council

Tim Queener, YMCA of Middle Tennessee

Elizabeth Stein, Nashville State Community College

Bill Warren, Metro Nashville Public Schools

 

16-24 A-TEAM PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS

Re3 Coaches:

Room in the Inn

Centerstone

Safe Haven

Urban League

New Transitions

Youth Villages

Resource Guide:

Casa De La Cultura Latino Americana

Center for Refugees and Immigrants of TN

Centerstone

Conexion Americas

CWJC Middle TN

ESL @ Thriftsmart

ESL to Go (Tennessee Foreign Language Institute)

Goodwill Industries of Middle TN, Inc.

mano.amiga

Martha O'Bryan Center

Mercy Ministries of America

Metropolitan Action Commission

Nashville Adult Literacy Council

Nashville Financial Empowerment Center

Nashville International Center for Empowerment

Nashville Opportunities Industrialization Center, Inc.

Nashville Public Library

New Transitions, Inc

Park Avenue Church ESL

Park Center

Room in the Inn

Safe Haven

Salvation Army

Tennessee Electronic Library

TN College of Applied Technology Nashville Adult Education

Urban League of Middle Tennessee

Y-Build of the YMCA of Middle Tennessee

Youth Villages

YWCA of Nashville & Middle TN

 

For more information, contact Glen BiggsSenior Associate Director.