Changing Lives and Shaping Our Workforce: Summer Internships Make a Difference
February 23, 2016
by Gary Toebben
Los Angeles County has more than 200,000 young people who are out of school and out of work. At the same time, many businesses are struggling to fill thousands of entry-level positions. We call these 16-24 year olds “Opportunity Youth,” because their disconnection from the labor force is a significant loss to the L.A. economy.
Forty leading U.S. companies, including many L.A. Area Chamber of Commerce members, are now stepping up to harness the potential of this young, untapped talent pool. The 100,000 Opportunities Initiative, launched in partnership with Starbucks, held its L.A.Opportunity Fair & Forum on Feb. 11, the largest youth hiring fair in L.A.'s history, drawing 6,000 attendees to connect with hiring managers from more than 30 employers. Participating employers included Chamber members like Alaska Airlines, HMS Host, Lyft, Macy’s, Microsoft, Republic Services, Sprinkles, Starbucks, Target and Walmart. It resulted in more than 1,000 Opportunity Youth on-the-spot job offers in a single day.
For 10 years, the Chamber has helped youth throughout L.A. find summer jobs, but this year, the Chamber is especially encouraging businesses to commit to internships. Through internships, young people can experience not only the excitement of new experiences, but also build their resume and marketable skills. An internship is often the first step on the road to meaningful employment, and they can help young people develop skills like leadership, critical thinking, collaboration and communication. Internships also contribute to career exploration and benefit businesses by expanding our workforce capacity and building a pipeline for future employees.
We premiered this video on the powerful impact internships have on young people and employers at Chamber's Inaugural Dinner on Feb. 11. We encourage you to view it here.
You can impact a young person’s career and shape our future workforce by giving young people the opportunity to earn and learn. Join our campaign or contact Maria Dolores Nieto at 213.580.7599. One internship can make a difference.
And that’s The Business Perspective.
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