One Degree LA Youth Community Resource Specialist Training & Employment Program

Youth economic advancement

Pilot or new project, program, or initiative (testing or implementing a new idea)

Our project seeks to address the urgent issue of unemployment and the barriers to tech careers through an innovative dual-focused program. This initiative will provide vital employment and training opportunities while enhancing access to local social services, thus reinforcing the social safety net in Los Angeles. For the tens of thousands of individuals experiencing housing instability in LA, securing employment is not just a path to long-term stability but also a daunting challenge fraught with stress and uncertainty. The trauma of homelessness is compounded by the difficulty in accessing essential support. One Degree has pioneered cutting-edge online community information systems that empower residents to independently navigate and access the help they need. By bridging this critical gap, we aim to transform lives, offering a lifeline of support and a pathway to economic resilience for the most vulnerable members of our community

The objective of our program is to develop a pilot youth employment program in Los Angeles to grow the technical skills of people with lived experiences and to support the quality of information on www.1degree.org. This employment program would be modeled off of Streetlives’s community information specialist role in NYC, where people with lived experiences seeking social services work to ensure accurate, up-to-date information is listed on every service. For instance, the best people to know what information is needed about job training programs are people who have experience seeking these services. This peer-powered model was co-developed with NYC government under the Opportunity Starts with A Home initiative. We would then hire five people with lived experience for these roles. The team would be supported by a program manager and would join the existing One Degree resource specialist team. Our resource specialists would gain experience in data entry, online research, outreach, data management, and training. The role entails updating and enhancing the information we have on over 2,200 programs for young people in LA County. This program will provide job training for youth in LA and more accurate workforce development services on www.1degree.org enabling the local community to easily identify training that meets their needs. Peer-validated information would increase the trust in and quality of the services listed on One Degree.

LA will see transformative changes in both the quality and accessibility of workforce development resources on the One Degree platform. Last year alone, over 600,000 people used 1degree.org to access social services and benefits, and we want to ensure that the accuracy and reliability of these resources fosters smoother interactions with service providers and builds greater trust among people seeking help. The youth employed through this program will gain critical skills in data management and resource navigation, equipping them for future careers in the tech industry. Our vision extends beyond immediate impacts. We plan to scale this model across Los Angeles County, continually expanding our team and refining our approach based on community feedback and outcomes. In the longer term, this initiative will serve as a blueprint for similar programs in other regions, driving systemic change and empowering more individuals to achieve economic stability and mobility.

As an early-stage initiative, we will define and measure success through both qualitative and quantitative metrics. Our primary goal is to enhance the accuracy of workforce development resources on 1degree.org. Success will be measured by tracking data accuracy improvements, user satisfaction, and the number of successful referrals. Other metrics for success include:
Data Accuracy: Regular audits and user feedback to ensure up-to-date information.
User Engagement: Surveys and analytics to measure satisfaction and interaction frequency.
Employment Outcomes: Tracking participants' job placements and readiness.
Scalability: Monitoring the program's growth and adaptation in other regions. These metrics will provide evidence of impact, guiding our plans for scaling and expanding to benefit more communities.