COVID-19
A Long End to a Long Year
The latest COVID relief legislation passed by Congress and signed by President Trump on December 27th, despite more than eight months of haggling and drama, hastily unveiled, too small, and yet also predictable. It closely resembles a proposal from Senate Republicans months ago. Packaged with FY21 regular federal appropriations – also near levels agreed to…
Read MoreHosting the First Live Virtual Career Fair using Edge Factor
Challenges are not new to the people who live and work in western Pennsylvania, so when COVID-19 upended what activities take place during a normal school year, local workforce and education leaders addressed it as an opportunity to rethink their annual Business & Industry Career Fair. “The Fair is an opportunity for our 10th grade…
Read MoreYES Bed Stuy: A Partnership to Reshape The Future For Young Adults In Bedford-Stuyvesant
Bedford Stuyvesant is a hub of culture, talent, and opportunity. While Brooklyn millennials grew up admiring Bed Stuy legends like Biggie Smalls, Yasiin Bey, Jay-Z, Lil’ Kim—and memorized countless songs dedicated to highlighting the ups and downs that Bed Stuy residents experience every day—their beloved neighborhood has seen drastic changes leaving young adults today questioning…
Read MoreThe Next Generation of Marketing
While trying to find creative ways to incorporate youth voice into our work at the Next Generation Zone, I brainstormed an idea to start an internship that would teach selected young people who are currently enrolled with us about marketing. The idea being to educate them about our workforce system, and our branding, and then…
Read MoreWhat Will Post-Pandemic Jobs Look Like?
The nature of work was rapidly changing before the COVID-19 outbreak: more part-time jobs and gig work, with fewer benefits and lower wages, even in a strong economy. What kind of work do we want when the pandemic passes? Despite calls for “Rooseveltian” responses to this unprecedented pandemic, recently passed relief packages lack the scale and…
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