ProgramsNYU Wagner Capstone: Social Impact, Innovation & Investment (Fall 23'-Spring 24') ProjectsExpanding and sustaining workforce development programs for youth a...

Project Title: Expanding and sustaining workforce development programs for youth and youth adults with barriers to employment

Youth Rising

Details
Project Title Expanding and sustaining workforce development programs for youth and youth adults with barriers to employment
Project Topics Corporate Social Responsibility Customer Service & Account Management Growth Strategy Legal, Regulatory, Compliance Organizational Culture Research & Development
Skills & Expertise Brand Strategy Business & Corporate Law Business Analysis & Strategy Business Project Management Financial Analysis & Modeling Labor & Employment Law Market Research Mathematics Product Reviews Qualitative Research Quantitative Research Supply Chain & Logistics Project Management
Project Synopsis: Challenge/Opportunity
How to grow and sustain our workforce development program, YouthForce, year-round by developing businesses (food trucks, etc.) that can be operated and supported by youth interns who experience barriers to employment and residents in our 18-month transitional living program for pregnant and parenting teens who need to gain life and workforce skills and show proven experience before transitioning to adulthood. 
Project Synopsis: Activities/Actions Required
  1.  A business plan that takes into account the long-term sustainability and growth and expansion with the goal of replicating the model of a piloted business and internship program in a rural Oregon community and expanding it into other targeted states where our agency is growing in both urban and rural communities including Northern California, Idaho, Oregon, Arizona, Tennessee, New Mexico and Utah. We are currently the largest state-funded youth workforce program for youth with disabilities across the state of Oregon (8 counties/200+ youth). However, not all states trickle down funds in the same way and this program is only operative during the summer. We need to assess how to grow and expand this to other populations that we serve, with emphasis on high school drop-outs and homeless youth/young adults, and those housed in our programs. We are considering purchasing a $100k food truck to launch a pilot program in rural Oregon where it is chronically ranked as one of the top counties for child abuse rates in the state and in the top tenth percentile for all other negative social-economic factors.
  2. Marketing (working with our AI graphic design company and marketing department) to establish a plan that incorporates our overall agency brand into all 
  3. A call-to-action piece that helps us to inform the community and obtain local and state buy-in and support from donors, corporate sponsors, state departments, and customers.
  4. Assist with turning this into a replicable model (think franchise) which is the way we are growing all of our programs but with keeping local needs, existing resources, economy, access, and other things in mind that impact how this program (internships and business model) would be successful. The framework/bones would be the same, but the details would be curtailed to the local community based on a deep dive and community assessment.
  5. Where students will gain diverse experience is being able to develop a business model that combines a for-profit and non-profit approach within very diverse community settings and it will help us to forecast the needs and strategies we should take when thinking of sustainability and community buy-in and support.
Project Synopsis: Expected Results
This is a perfect opportunity for students to work with an innovative and growing organization that has "social entrepreneurism" in mind. The founding CEO will meet with students at least once a month for brainstorming and collaborate on strategies, barriers, and the overall vision. She quit her job to start this company and worked part-time with a handful of youth....everything that has been built was from the youth voice truly being at the table. The same approach will be taken with NYU students, as she sees the next generation as the ones who know best and would be thrilled to work closely with you.

Measurable results would include a business plan for a food truck that would provide real-world project-based learning opportunities for youth with barriers to employment and self-sufficiency.

A marketing plan in conjunction with our existing branding and marketing team.

Assist our Programs Department with developing an internship program model for working at our food trucks that can be replicated in any type of community and among any type of youth/young adult population.

Provide an assessment of other potential businesses that would be sustainable and feed funding back into the program to be self-sustaining and also teach viable trade skills for those who might not choose to access higher education.

Adding the business/economic lens to our existing community assessments and helping to complete community assessments we have not yet worked on.

The CEO is also open to other ideas that come up in an initial brainstorming session or strategic planning session with the students who would choose to get involved in this project. This would be taking the same approach that we take when working with youth. Letting you inform us of some things that we might have not thought about to be more successful in serving young people who need our help.

Project Timeline

Touchpoints & Assignments Date Type

Program Kickoff

 Aug 02 2024 America/Asuncion (UTC-04:00) Event

Program Managers

Name Organization
Elizabeth Larsen New York University (NYU)

Teams

Team Name  Project Name  Team Members 
No Teams Available