1A Special Note We extend our heartfelt sympathy to those personally affected
by the horrific events of September 11. We are fortunate that
everyone in JFF's immediate "family" is safe and accounted for,
but we are sharply aware of the large numbers of people for whom
it is otherwise. Like many, we find ourselves struggling to comprehend
the dimensions of this tragedy and its implications for all of
our lives. As we face the added uncertainties of a declining economy,
we find ourselves looking at JFF's work with a renewed sense of
urgency and resolve. It is even more important now to continue
building pathways to economic opportunity and educational advancement
for those who need it most.
2Hot off the Presses: Low Wage Workers in the New Economy Low Wage Workers in the New Economy: Strategies for Productivity and Opportunity, a new book edited by JFF's Richard Kazis (rkazis@jff.org)
and Marc S. Miller (mmiller@jff.org),
is about what federal and state governments can do to help the
men and women for whom the American Dream remains out of reach.
In this collection of original essays, an impressive line-up of
experts describes the extent and contours of the challenge facing
our nation's working poor.
Even as the diverse contributors to Low Wage Workers in the New Economy come from differing perspectives, their conclusions
suggest "core principles" for a policy agenda to help increase
economic opportunity for low-skill and low-wage workers:
Keep work central: all those who can work should have
the help they need to enter and succeed in jobs.
Invest in education and work skills.
Help individuals stay employed and advance by providing
support for child care, transportation to work, and
health coverage.
Use public subsidies and incentives to encourage employers
to hire, train, and support low-skill, low-wage workers.
To order Low Wage Workers in the New Economy, contact the publisher,
Urban Institute Press, at 1-888-UIPRESS, pubs@ui.urban.org.
3Building Sector Partnerships: A National Conference The National Network of Sector Practitioners announces
"Expanding Opportunity: Building Sector Partnerships that Work."
The meeting will be held on October 25-28, 2001, at the Marriott
City Center, Oakland, California. It is the network's first national
conference on sector interventions--innovative workforce and economic
development strategies that enhance industry development and improve
economic opportunities for low-income individuals, families, and
communities. Join practitioners and supporters of all levels for
a weekend of shared learning about the sector approach and engagement
in setting the agenda for a new national organization.
The conference planning committee, chaired by Mary Pena of Project
Quest, was composed of sector practitioners, foundation leaders,
and national organizations, including representatives of the National
Association of Manufacturers, the AFL-CIO Working for America
Institute, the Center for Community change, and Jobs for the Future.
4Accelerated Advancement, Part I: An Interview with Hilary Pennington In an interview posted on the Jobs for the Future Web site this
month, Hilary Pennington, Vice Chairman, CEO, and co-founder of
JFF, discusses our efforts to Accelerate Advancement: of young
people to higher education and rewarding careers, of low-income
adults to family-supporting employment, and of public systems
to a new level of effectiveness and relevance in the eyes of constituents,
policymakers, employers, and parents.
Two Accelerated Advancement projects are JFF's partnership with
Year Up (see #6 below) and From the Margins to the Mainstream,
which is partnering with What Kids Can Do (see #7 below).
5Accelerated Advancement, Part II: Year Up Connects High Schools and College Jobs for the Future has formed a strategic partnership with Year
Up, a start-up organization launched by an executive from the
information technology industry. Year Up offers a 13th year of
high school combining rigorous technical and academic instruction,
sophisticated apprenticeship practices, and counseling supports.
Year Up operates in conjunction with schools and other community
partners and prepares urban youth aged 18-22 for both college
and entry-level IT careers. The intensive, one-year training program
consists of six months of project-based, classroom instruction
on technical and professional skills, followed by a six-month
internship.
Year Up represents an expandable model with potential to critical
challenges: 1) it is designed to provide multiple pathways for
youth to achieve high standards, and 2) it is designed to accelerate
their advancement to postsecondary study.
As a strategic partner, JFF plays several important roles in
the development of Year Up: advising on program design and financing;
documenting strengths and limits of its model; identifying promising
sites and partners for expansion; designing a data collection
system to measure impact; and helping to raise start-up funds.
6Accelerated Advancement, Part III: New From WHAT KIDS CAN DO Check out the latest at the WHAT KIDS CAN DO Web site. Working
with strategic partners like the Forum for Youth Investment, the
Coalition of Essential Schools, the Rural School and Community
Trust, and Jobs for the Future, What Kids Can Do documents the
value when young people work with teachers and other adults on
projects that combine powerful learning with public purpose.
"Our America:" WKCD notes an outpouring of emotion
and action from youth around the nation in response
to the disaster we are suffering together. With youth
reflections on September 11, 2001, WKCD reminds us of
the idealism and energy of young people, and the importance
of their voices and contributions.
"Moving to the Head of the Class": Students who teach
in summer programs provide powerful role models for
younger kids—and a potential teacher corps for
the future.
"In Their Own Words": 18 young people across America
speak about their efforts to promote youth leadership
and voice in their schools and communities.
"Kids on the Wire": With updates several times weekly,
WKCD scans local and national news sources to summarize
stories involving adolescents and provide links to their
original publications. What Kids Can Do posts a changing
mix of news, features, research, analysis, resources,
and other information involving young people in and
out of school.
7JFF Looks Back: The Track Record Since its founding in 1983, Jobs for the Future has earned a national
reputation for research, consulting, and public policy advocacy,
maintaining a consistent focus on advancement for youth and adults.
To find out more about JFF's two decades of activities, accomplishments,
and milestones, please visit a new section on the JFF Web site
summarizing our "track record."
8Help Newswire Help You: A Few Questions Jobs for the Future launched Newswire in January, and now we want
to ask you about its value to your work—and about how we
can improve Newswire. Please e-mail your comments to Carmon Cunningham,
V.P. for Technology and Communications, ccunningham@jff.org.
Below are a few questions you might want to consider, but feel
free to comment on anything. Thank you.
Question: How often do you read Newswire?
Question: For an average issue of Newswire, how many items do
you share with other people?
Question: What do you find most—and least—valuable
in Newswire (such as its information on: JFF products, JFF-organized
meetings, speaking engagements by JFF staff, new JFF projects,
and interviews available on the JFF Web site)?
Question: How can JFF make Newswire (and the related information
on our Web site) more useful to you? Shorter items? Longer items?
Fewer items per issue? More items per issue? Come out more often?
Come out less often?
Question: Would you like some or all editions of Newswire to
focus on a single topic? If so, what topics are of particular
interest to you?
Question: Who else should get Newswire? Please send us their names
and e-mail addresses. For inquiring minds who want to know: each
issue of Newswire now goes directly to over 2,300 people.
A Special Note
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