CONTACT: LINDA NGUYEN, 253.254.7607
Tacoma, WA – WorkForce Central (WFC) and State Farm have partnered to assist students and young adults complete secondary education and pursue post‐secondary education that will lead to living‐wage jobs. Nationally, over 5 million young people ages 16 to 24 are both out of school and out of work ‐ a statistic with dire economic and social consequences.
A $10,000 private investment made by State Farm will be leveraged with public workforce investments to support a web based platform called Career Link Pierce County. This tool provides information about careers and jobs; facilitate connections to site tours, job shadows, internships, summer employment as well as access to online mentoring through public message boards.
“There has been a nearly 40% decline in youth employment over the past 12 years. It is critical that our youth and young adults have easy access to information and experiences that will excite them to pursue one of the many career pathway options that are in high demand. WorkForce Central will continue to partner with local businesses like State Farm to generate multiple opportunities for our future workforce,” said Linda Nguyen, CEO of WorkForce Central.
Research shows that youth and young adults who work are more likely to return to school, have a job in subsequent years, and earn more money over the course of their lives. They are also less likely to engage in crime and other high‐risk behaviors. “State Farm is proud to support the great opportunities provided by CareerLink and WorkForce Central. We strongly believe that when local students participate in employment opportunities and are able to navigate through job experiences, Tacoma and Pierce County can continue positive economic prospects into the future,” said State Farm spokesperson Ty Cordova.
CareerLink Pierce County has been introduced to the Tacoma Public School district as an enhancement to established curriculum. WorkForce Central plans to expand access to this tool to all Pierce County school districts. If you would like to learn more about partnership opportunities, please contact MaryEllen Laird at mlaird@workforce‐central.org.