Northwest PA Workforce Development Network

The Northwest PA Youth in Transition Taskforce has come together to focus research and improvement of services and opportunities for high-school dropouts and youth aging out of foster care. The long term goal of the Taskforce is to reconnect these target populations to further education and employment,

1. The Taskforce will undertake an initiative to assess current available resources and identify opportunities for synergy to increase options for the target youth populations. A thorough resource mapping will be accomplished through the Taskforce’s research. The map, analysis, and resulting recommendations will be shared with all school districts, service providers and other groups, who then can help us find, appeal to, and connect these youth to needed services.

2. The Taskforce will examine local and state policies and initiatives regarding dropouts and youth aging out of foster care. Through a series of community forums, the Taskforce will share this analysis and gather the perceptions and opinions of the greater community as they share how these policies and initiatives are working – or not working – to serve the affected youth population. With the strength of community input that seeks out all of these segments of the community, the Taskforce can present critical findings and make recommendations, perhaps even innovative recommendations, to local and state entities and affect positive changes. The same approach can be taken to school districts, with the Taskforce acting as an advocate and working to affect changes in the schools that will improve the prospects for youths who have dropped out or are aging out of foster care.

3. The Taskforce will focus on opportunities to connect dropouts to education by evaluating the existing alternative education, adult learning programs, high-school reform efforts, and other community and faith-based programs designed to encourage youth to return to school. Included in this endeavor will be the identification of the aforementioned community groups and organizations at city and county level, in an effort to identify best practice models that may be tailored to fit the needs of the local region and populations that are particularly effected by high numbers of dropouts and children leaving the foster care system. The goal of the Taskforce will be to cooperate with all of these groups, give them a voice, and invite them to join in an effort to affect

4. This Taskforce will provide an opportunity for its cooperating groups to effectively advocate for policy changes that will better serve these youth, especially where changes will increase funding that creates a positive future for them. In addition, the Taskforce members will make a priority of identifying, creating, communicating with and educating allies among policy makers and stakeholders who influence policy makers. By regular communication, Taskforce members can share the positive stories that have resulted from best practices and secure the support of these decision-makers – in matters financial and otherwise – for years to come.