Investing in Human Potential - P2P Workforce Development

P2P hosted it's 7th Virtual Job Fair today. It couldn’t be successful without all the leaders and trailblazers in the room!?Special thanks to William Freeman - The Education Trust, Donte Small - Silicon Valley Tech Company, Diana Plank - Strayer University, Margaret diZerega - Vera Institute, Jeffrey Abramowitz - JEVS Human Services, Harvey Galler - STL Reentry Collective, LaShana Lewis - Opportunity at Work / LaunchCode and Patrick Hibbard - JEAP Initiative.?

The P2P Leadership Team (Dr. Stanley Andrisse, Mancy Thompson, Machli Joseph, Eric Harris, Rose Butts, Jessica Snow, Jacob Maynard, Donte Small & Basia Skudrzyk) led a Virtual Job Fair that provides resources and a support network to help system impacted people define who they want to be. A space that builds hope, authenticity and opportunity for successful outcomes (allowing people to become independent). Nine scholars will be graduating tomorrow from the Transitional Center in St. Louis. A partnership with the Missouri Department of Corrections that allows people to reenter into their communities in a safe and supportive way through education, workforce development and a very strong support network.

P2P builds a human pipeline focused on achieving meaningful education and workforce development with community partners, universities, institutions and employers addressing today's challenges. Graduating scholars are introduced to a network of inspirational leaders who have worked hard to break barriers. They consistently demonstrate positive solutions for successful education and workforce development programs to live in a space that brings everyone together.

P2P has completed 26 Cohorts to date. Scholars are provided with lifelong mentors and tutors who work together and experience remarkable transformations in the field of STEM education . Here are some of the highlights of our day today:

Strayer University?is a private university?with its headquarters in?Washington, D.C.?The university enrolls more than 50,000 students through both its online learning programs and 64 campuses located throughout 15 U.S. states and Washington, D.C.?The university specializes in degree programs for working adults and offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in accounting, business administration, criminal justice, education, health services administration, information technology and public administration.?

Diana Plank, Sr. Account Manager,?Office of Employability, shared resources on the "Grads to Work" program where scholars have the opportunity to go to school debt free and obtain work at the same time through the partnership they have developed with P2P.??Quest Diagnostics and Best Buy amongst many other employers support the workforce development pathway Strayer University is building together with community partners.

Harvey Galler, Co-Founder of the STL Reentry Collective discussed his story and journey. is putting together a docu-series and workshop series addressing the barriers and successes of formerly incarcerated people The STL Reentry Collective was created by a group of formerly incarcerated people and allies who launched a mutual aid fund for justice-involved people transitioning from incarceration to the St. Louis community.??The founders had met while working for a college in prison program in St. Louis.?Harvey is a graduate of Washington University through the Prison Education Program and promotes the importance of trauma informed training.

Many people returning into their community deal with high levels of trauma and stigma - factors that are often dismissed and not supported to allow people to heal and become whole. "Success looks different for all of us as we enter society. There is a trauma element that is not being addressed.?Community is a critical factor but we have to be whole individuals in order to be successful in that community. Being your authentic self is key," shared Harvey.

Margaret diZerega, Initiative Director from Vera Institute has joined P2P for ALL seven virtual job fairs with special appearances by her cat too.??Vera Institute’s motto is to "To drive change. To urgently build and improve justice systems that ensure fairness, promote safety, and strengthen communities."?Margaret is a part of this movement and discussed how Vera Institute has been in operation for 61 years and is creating job opportunities that are available for justice impacted people reentering the workforce space.??Vera brings together experts, activists, and policymakers to end mass incarceration.?

Jeffrey Abramowitz is an experienced and motivated leader, advocate, entrepreneur, educator and professional with a love for people, knowledge and business. He is a keynote speaker on issues of incarceration, reentry, criminal justice and prison reform, workforce development, adult education and constitutional law. He runs his own radio show, 3 podcasts, promotes access to employment and serves as the Executive Director for JEVS Human Services and serves on the COABE Board.?Each year JEVS touches nearly 25,000 lives, focusing on individuals with physical, developmental, and emotional challenges as well as those facing adverse socio-economic conditions including unemployment and underemployment.

Jeff is quite the multi-tasker as he was running the very first capstone experience for people who are not justice impacted.?What does it look like for a non justice involved person to experience a day in the life of a person who has been formerly incarcerated and is seeking basic services and employment? Jeff created that experience in Philadelphia today. Want to learn more about it? It will be discussed on many of his social platforms. Resource sharing is key! Here are some of the resources Jeff highlighted as people are preparing for the workforce:

• LINCS Community, Courses & Resources for Adult Education
• Behind Every Employer Podcast
• Coalition on Adult Basic Education
• Adult Education Podcast
• Looking Forward Podcast

Jeff stressed the importance of education in today's discussion. This includes digital literacy – getting people smarter so they can improve themselves – it's essential to advocate for the importance of education. Jeff is always looking forward!

LaShana Lewis is the Chief Technology Officer at Opportunity?STARs Program.?She recently was honored at LaunchCode for a very prestigious award recognizing her leadership and being a trailblazer in our community.?LaShana grew up in the projects of East St. Louis.?She was told all of her life that she wouldn’t amount to anything.?There were so many naysayers and barriers in LaShana’s life, but she did not give up. She listened to herself and motivated herself each and every day to prove to people who did not want to provide her with opportunities that they were wrong.?

Why STEM? LaShana is a graduate of the LaunchCode program. Through this experience she was able to begin her career stepping stone and worked at MasterCard overseeing system servers in the IT dept.?On Launchcode's website, it states "Most of the world continues to use outdated education models and hiring practices, yet expects more diverse, inventive, and motivated tech talent. We believe in hiring differently. We're on a mission to connect passionate, qualified individuals with employers in need of skilled tech talent. We offer FREE tech education and job-readiness training. Qualified individuals are matched with an apprenticeship at one of our employer partners who need tech talent, ranging from Fortune 500 companies to fresh new start-ups. More than four out of five of our apprenticeships result in a full-time job offer, and most LaunchCoders double their previous salary after landing a job." (btw - LaunchCode is FREE)

LaShana was offered a full-time position at Mastercard as a junior level engineer.?She received her IT certification and was fully reimbursed by MasterCard. Through this career pathway she was promoted several times and become a software engineer.?Her efforts do not go unrecognized. In March 2015, President Barack Obama called and saw a video of LaShana's performance through LaunchCode. As an ambassador she showed that it can happen if given the opportunity to do so. President Obama put together a $100 million package to raise programs like LaunchCode called “Tech Hire”?which now is known as "Opportunity at Work".?

Guess who is leading this effort? Yes, LaShana and her energy and leadership is transferring into so many new spaces. As an Ambassador she is launching programs in Houston working with the American Petroleum Institute – people recognize that talent is not just needed in the traditional ways of of education, but in the skills that people have.?There are 70 million workers in this same situation?- IBM, Gap Foundation, and many more companies are coming together embracing change and the opportunity to build a stronger and more innovative workforce together.

Recovery support services for people experiencing substance use disorder are multiplying, but there is little research on what makes these services effective. The JEAP Initiative is working to change that. The JEAP Initiative is a five-year project funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and is a collaboration between the Oregon Social Learning Center, Sponsors Inc., and the Transitions to Adulthood Center for Research at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Patrick Hibbard joined us today as a Postdoc and researcher of the program sharing his story and the remarkable outcomes he has been able to achieve.

It all starts with an idea that stems from passion, a vision and a need for change. Dr. Stanley Andrisse started P2P just five years ago and would have never imagined where it is now. Jessica Snow, P2P's Marketing Manager shared her story of being a part of the Virtual Job Fair not too long ago. She questioned whether or not she should apply for the JEAP Initiative. Through the experience and support she received from her Cohort and mentors, she applied. She is now working as an intern herself. Such spaces give people the courage and hope to keep moving forward and excel beyond what society has set to be the norm.