Newark attends annual Opportunity Youth Forum
City leaders gather to develop youth workforce strategy
Aspen, Colorado -- Newark leaders convened in snowy Aspen to develop a city-wide strategy centered on youth career readiness and workforce training during the Aspen Institutes’ Opportunity Youth Forum (OYF) communities.
“As the founder of YouthBuild Newark, we have been laying the groundwork for this city-wide strategy with our partners for more than 15 years. This is an exciting time to see Newark’s efforts be recognized on a national stage and become a part of such a preeminent learning community,” said Robert Clark, Chief Executive Officer of the Newark Opportunity Youth Network.
The Aspen Institute Opportunity Youth Forum was launched in 2012 as a community-based, collaborative, solution initiative to reconnect 6.7 million disconnected opportunity youth to school or employment. The OYF network includes more than 20 communities all serving the needs of their community of opportunity youth.
As an Aspen community, the Newark delegation’s city-wide initiative is focused on establishing a youth workforce development ecosystem that focuses on systems alignment, including adopting quality standards for youth workforce development; creating pathways for career exploration through internships and apprenticeships; and addressing wraparound support needs for youth as they transition into the world of work. With a city-wide strategy, Newark leaders hope to create a system that shares information across local networks in order to mobilize the community on a unifying accord.
The Newark delegation includes three NOYN staffers -- Robert Clark, Chief Executive Officer; Jasmine Joseph-Forman, Chief Program Officer; and Khaatim Sherrer El, Director of Policy and Advocacy — as well as Marsha Armstrong, Director of Youth Services at the Newark Workforce Development Board; Stephen Hernandez of the Newark Alliance; Kevin Callaghan, Newark's philanthropic liaison; and Mateus Baptista, Deputy Director for Strategy & External Affairs at the Panasonic Foundation.
“We look forward to bringing together leaders from backbone organizations and their collaborative partners, including youth leaders and those representing school systems, institutions of higher education, community-based organizations, foundations, the private sector, and government,” said Melody C. Barnes, chair for the Aspen Forum for Community Solutions. “Once again, we are excited to welcome new communities into the OYF, increasing representation from rural and tribal communities while also expanding the geographic footprint of OYF to new urban locales.”
United Airlines, with its hub at Newark Liberty International Airport, awarded a generous grant for travel vouchers to the Newark Opportunity Youth Network that will be used to cover the costs for the delegation's airfare.
About Newark Opportunity Youth Network
Newark Opportunity Youth Network (NOYN) is New Jersey’s leading advocate of opportunity youth with a body of replicable initiatives that are designed to address youth disconnection.