MEDIA CONTACT:
Haley Kubik
haley@emccommunications.com
(425) 260-4100
SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 5, 2024 – United Way Bay Area (UWBA) has been awarded a $1.8M grant from the state of California’s Employment Development Department (EDD) to support economic opportunity and career advancement for 115 Bay Area youth and young adults through its Youth Opportunity Pathways program. The grant is part of the EDD’s Opportunity Young Adult Career Pathway Program, which is focused on improving employment outcomes and reducing persistent economic inequities among young adults ages 18-28 in California. EDD has awarded more than $17.6M to 10 organizations as part of this effort.
“EDD’s Opportunity Young Adult Career Pathway Program helps capable, young adults find valuable job training and career opportunities,” said EDD Director Nancy Farias.
UWBA’s Youth Opportunity Pathways (YOP) program was created in 2012 to provide young adults ages 18-28 with jobs, internships, and work-based learning opportunities. To date, UWBA has connected more than 41,000 young adults to job and internship opportunities. Over 60,000 youth across the Bay Area are unemployed or underemployed, with the greatest disparities in Alameda and Santa Clara. Youth in these areas, who are predominantly Black and Latinx, are disproportionately experiencing economic inequalities compared to their white peers.
“Young talent from Black and Latinx families face greater barriers entering and advancing in the labor market. Young people are ambitious and the evidence is clear that when young people are connected to the workforce, it increases the likelihood that they will be employed and earn family-sustaining wages later in life,” said Nicole Harden, Vice President of Economic Success at United Way Bay Area. “We’re grateful for this grant from the state to support this work, and looking forward to engaging with our Youth Opportunity Pathways partners throughout the region to assist young people most in need of support to connect to the workforce and quality jobs in the Bay Area.”
Key partners in UWBA’s work to operationalize the grant funding include:
- EBALDC
- San Jose Conservation Corps
The Opportunity Young Adult Career Pathway program is funded by a grant award totaling $16 Million (100%) from the U.S. Department of Labor, with $0 (0%) financed from non-federal sources.
About United Way Bay Area
United Way Bay Area (UWBA) mobilizes the Bay Area to assist people living in poverty and to dismantle the root causes of poverty. One of the most respected and highly effective philanthropic organizations fighting poverty, UWBA supports workers and students seeking employment and better careers, helps families struggling to meet basic needs, supports our neighbors toward achieving their financial stability goals, and advocates for housing justice for all Bay Area residents. Learn more at uwba.org.
