Helping Youth Succeed In The Workplace with Ivy Walker

On The Intersection Podcast, host Nancy Harris and guests tackle the important issues of social justice, business and leadership, and how to bring them together to transform the workplace. In this first episode, Nancy’s guest is Ivy Walker, CEO of Purpose Workforce Solutions. Ivy’s company works with opportunity youth to not only place them in organizations, but also to create career pathways for them. She and Nancy talk about what it means to truly have an inclusive workplace, as well as the work Purpose Workforce Solutions is doing to disrupt the way we think about talent in the workplace.Here are a few highlights from their conversation:Opportunity youth are 18-24 year olds who are typically disconnected from work and school.Ivy’s company provides one full year of post-placement coaching and wraparound supportive services for the youth they place.Young people are coming to the workplace to earn a living, but they're also bringing the challenges that they live every day with them. Ivy says her company helps them to reframe those challenges into strengths that could benefit them as well as the companies they work for.Diversity is inviting me to the dance; inclusion is asking me to dance when I’m there.Ivy asks clients to commit to providing real-time feedback “so that we can properly coach the youth that we place.”Nancy says that manager-employee relationships is one of the biggest challenges in HR.Companies need to invest in cultural awareness training.80% of people go to work disengaged. Ivy shares some tips on how employee engagement can be improved.Funders do not have the risk appetite for investing in social ventures, Ivy explains, because the returns are not usually as tangible as investing in the technology space.Activity is the illusion of progress.Tackle difficult challenges by reframing the problem and working backwards, Ivy advises.ResourcesPurposeWorkforce.comPurpose Workforce Solutions on Twitter | Facebook | InstagramIvy Walker on Twitter | Linkedin