Youth Coordinator Tiffany Nagle Offers a Look at the RPC's Work with Local Youth Providers Following Annual Kickoff Meeting

Youth Coordinator Tiffany Nagle Offers a Look at the RPC's Work with Local Youth Providers Following Annual Kickoff Meeting

The Annual Youth Provider Kickoff Meeting was held on July 13 to usher in the new program year. Through Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) funds, eight local organizations will be providing services to youth with barriers to education and employment this year.

The focus of the annual kickoff meeting—and WIOA’s continued priority—is quality work experiences for youth. There are several benefits for youth engaging in experiences with local employers and include the opportunity to develop “soft skills” that employers look for in employees. These experiences also help increase one’s knowledge of specific occupational skills and workplace settings, establish a work history and make connections that can aid in future job searches, and develop an understanding of different occupations so that they can make an informed career choice.

My role as Youth Coordinator is to support, coach, and empower the providers with the goal of successful delivery of services to youth. To further support their capacity to connect youth with local employers, we enlisted the help of the RPC’s Talent Development Specialist, Cassandra Dunham, to promote youth Work Experience in her own work with employers. With her help, we were able to add seven interested employers, including some that employ numerous employees in positions with upward mobility.

Additionally this year, RPC tools and processes were updated to ensure meaningful Work Experiences reinforcing youth skills, needs, and interests. Implementing these strategies with the goal of quality work experiences will provide youth with the skills they need to successfully transition to adulthood, career pathways, and post-secondary education and training.

2023-24 Youth Providers

  • Cunningham Children’s Home Vocational Options program
  • DREAAM (Driven to Reach Excellence & Academic Achievement for Males)
  • Panther Academy
  • Parkland College Adult Education
  • Principal’s Scholars Program
  • READY Program
  • Urbana Neighborhood Connections Center
  • Urbana Adult Education