Youth Talent Development Network

This past month, we partnered with Denver Workforce Services to host high school career expos in Southwest and Far Northeast Denver.

After each career expo, our team provided a post-survey to students to gather their feedback and self-reflection regarding their experience. A total of 375 students completed the survey.

Swipe to see some of the common trends and critical feedback elicited from high school students and recent alumni graduates representing high schools from opposite sides of the city.

NEWSFLASH: We will be hiring high school student interns for the following internships beginning this summer:

∙ Sales and Marketing Coordinator
∙ Wordpress Developer
∙ Community Outreach Coordinator

Interns will receive on-site and virtual training, specialized skills, and a paid wage!

We are leading by example with internal internships to show our commitment to developing interns as we continue to partner with other companies to open their doors to interns!

Stay tuned for the student application process!

In a world of rising college costs, increased demand for trade workers, and a shifting talent pool; many organizations have brought work-based learning opportunities to the fore as a solution to this urgent problem, but how can all of the key stakeholders come together to actually follow this guidance and strengthen our communities?

We view the problem as dual faceted:

1) It takes a lot of connections, resources, and logistical wrangling to develop and coordinate an effective WBL program at the school or district level.

2) Time-strapped small businesses lack the manpower and training to prioritize internship and apprenticeship program buildouts.

We are here to help take a holistic approach to solving both sides of this implementation puzzle .

CALLING FOR INDUSTRY PARTNERS!

Whether you're a small business owner or part of a large corporation, we are looking to expand our strategic partnerships with industry-driven organizations that are globally connected, network-based, and knowledge based in creating high quality pathways for our youth.

Swipe to see how a partnership works, our WBL coordinated activities, our support services, and benefits for your organization!

If you'd like to learn more, DM us. We'd love to connect.

It's been our distinct pleasure to serve and collaborate the past few months on the Steering and Education Subcommittee for the Colorado Workforce Development Council, in preparing actionable recommendations to the State Youth Council of enhancing youth and employer connections throughout the state.

We are looking forward to our upcoming meeting in May with the entire State Youth Council in championing the creation of multiple pathways to economic and career success for Colorado’s youth!

Some photos from yesterday's career expo that our team facilitated and hosted in Southwest Denver!

Students had the opportunity to learn some professional tips and tricks in a resume building workshop, nontraditional postsecondary pathways degree programs, and explore through networking with industry reps about internships, apprenticeships, and credential career opportunities in industry sectors and occupations that are racing to the forefront with high demand, competitive wages, and named as the top specialized skills in Colorado.

21 different local industries were in attendance, providing live hands-on demonstrations. Employers were representing industries from:

• Construction
• Advanced Manufacturing
• Energy and Natural Resources
• Technology and Information
• Healthcare
• Creative Arts
• Buisness and Financial Operations
• Electronics
• Trade, Transportation, and Utilities

🏭 🚧 🏗 🚚 🏥 🖥 🏦 🎓💹📈📉

Shoutout to industry partners Denver Health and Children's Hospital Colorado! We're excited to collaborate in propelling high school students towards careers in healthcare through hands-on experiences and professional development opportunities in the Medical Career Collaboratve (MC²) Program.

Graduates of MC² can lead to career pathways in many different healthcare and bioscience careers, including medicine, nursing, laboratory sciences, public health, medical interpreting, and biomedical research.

Congratulations to our CEO, Dr. Jay Samant on being selected as a 2023 Colorado GenXYZ Top 50 Young Professionals in the state of Colorado! Over hundreds of nominations were made this year, and we're honored that he and YTDN are featured in this month's issue of ColoradoBiz.

ColoraoBiz is the statewide business magazine and website covering the companies, people, trends, and issues impacting the future of Colorado.

We are pleased to be an affiliate with TalentFOUND. The TalentFOUND gateway is Colorado's access point that's designed to bring systems, partners, programs, and initiatives together for students, job seekers, and workers exploring education, training, and career opportunities!

We are officially recognized by the Colorado Department of Education and are now listed on their postsecondary and workforce readiness page as a work-based learning program that can partner with schools, buisnesses, and community organizations statewide!

The time for change is now. Reach out to our team if you're invested in supporting our youth in accessing, strengthening, and advancing equity in work-based learning programs in our schools. 🏫

Today, we had the opportunity to attend the Denver Mayor's Forum, focusing on an education conversation in the heart of Southwest Denver. It was uplifting to hear several candidates mention the importance of internships, apprenticeships, and career-connected education in improving our commitment to our homegrown talent.

Shoutout to , TEN Collective Impact, and Kepner Beacon Middle School for hosting the event!

Our team had a fantastic experience at the 2023 Colorado Charter League Conference, collaborating in sessions with renowned educational leaders, leadership councils, and state officials on the current state of the charter school sector and how we can move forward in the next 30 years.

One of our favorite moments was hearing personal experiences from a dynamic student panel on how education happens not only in the classroom, but also in the community! 👏