Putting Teens to Work

Fewer young Americans are working summer jobs than in decades past, and fewer of those jobs are going to the teens who need them most. San Diego Workforce Partnership is a nonprofit organization that funds and operates youth employment programs. On this week’s podcast, Andy Hall, vice president and chief program officer at San Diego Workforce Partnership, joined co-hosts Scott Lewis and Laura Kohn to talk about the nonprofit's approach to assisting youth seeking employment skills and experience. Hall said San Diego has "53,000 16- to 24-year-olds who are not connected to either education or employment." Lewis and Kohn also talk about schools' role to prepare youth for careers. Got thoughts, opinions or experiences with this? Call 619-354-1085 and leave your name, neighborhood and story so we can play the voicemail on future episodes. Number of the Week 21.6 percent: That was San Diego’s youth employment rate in 2014. What’s Working McKinley Elementary School is a model for parent-led fundraising efforts. The money they helped raise saved the school's prestigious International Baccalaureate Program. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.