Leaders from Northern California to Convene in Richmond to Discuss Challenges and Solutions to Building the Next Generation Workforce

Richmond Community Foundation is partnering with West Contra Costa Unified School District t to present the 7th Annual Northern California Summit on Children and Youth, Building the Next Generation Workforce, which takes place on May 17th at the Craneway Pavilion from 10 AM to 8 PM. This year’s event will feature a new element you won’t want to miss, a career fair for students and teachers, the ideal way to incorporate participation from the target population, underserved youth and students of color.

The transition of our communities from economies focused on manufacturing to economies in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields has changed how we build our next generation workforce. The benefits of this changing economy have not been evenly distributed across labor markets and the disparity has affected urban, minority communities disproportionately.  Ending this disparity will take an approach that:

·         Creates enthusiasm for STEM programs among younger students;
·         Encourages passion among youth to harness the power of STEM;
·         Promotes innovative instruction; and
·         Furthers the opportunities for partnerships between private sector companies and institutions of higher learning. 

The Summit will ensure that our communities are ready to fill the employment opportunities available in our region in coming years, such as health care, ICT, biotech and many other vocations.  In addition to presenting engaging workforce programs that actively train and develop young people for careers, the Summit explores academic, vocational, training and mentoring programs targeting underserved youth, and community college students.

The Summit includes inspiring speakers and presentations from programs throughout the Bay Area, including Marc Philpart from PolicyLink, Sherice Torres from Google, and Joseph Fortuno, a recent graduate of Hercules High School, as well as concurrent sessions and roundtable discussions to tackle challenges and opportunities. 
The afternoon and evening portion of the event will feature a career fair and resource village for students, teachers and parents, including presentations from businesses, community leaders and entrepreneurs, and opportunities for students and teachers to interact directly with them.  

For more information about the Summit program, or to register, visit: Summit 2016.