FlexLA: Employment App for Opportunity Youth

Youth economic advancement

Gateway Cities Long Beach South Bay LAUSD (select only if you have a district-wide partnership) South LA Central LA

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

“Option” schools, such as continuation high schools, serve students who are behind their age-appropriate grade level and demonstrate behavioral, academic and social needs that require the highest level of intervention. These youth are on the fringe of the educational system, often coming in and out, and easily disengaged. They have been – or are most likely to become – Opportunity Youth.
Sharefest began service to these schools in 2009 and is uniquely positioned with MOUs to deliver workforce development programming to 18 LAUSD continuation high schools in the Harbor area and charter options schools from Koreatown (DTLA) through South LA to Long Beach. We have a proven track record of engaging these youth and helping them develop a vision for their future. However, after graduation, they find opportunities for economic advancement are very limited. Furthermore, the challenges of adult life often derail them from their career plans and disconnect them from supportive resources.

Career Connections is a WASC-accredited, pre-employment development program embedded in high schools serving 500+ students at greatest risk of drop-out. It addresses foundational personal growth work along with practical life skills, career awareness, exploration (including career panels, presentations and field trips), and development of a career plan. Instructors help students develop a vision for their future and resources to support it.
FlexLA is an employment app that Sharefest has customized for young adults facing significant barriers to employment. We added employability criteria, such as Personal and Professional Skills, Teamwork, Financial Literacy, Public Speaking, Written Communications, Verbal Communications, Professional Behaviors, and Portfolio Documents (i.e., resume, career plan, cover letter, etc.). By completing tasks within each criterion, students achieve “badges” that reflect a new level of employability. Those who complete all criteria are “Sharefest Certified” as Employment Ready.
We have begun guiding students onto FlexLA through Career Connections. The success of the platform, however, will rely on securing a critical mass of employers willing to consider hiring these young workers. LA2050 funds will support the build-out of employment opportunities through dedicated staff members working directly with our network of corporate partners, while expanding the network to include other corporations, job placement agencies and internship programs.

If successful, we foresee opening FlexLA to other youth development programs facing challenges in job placement for their participants. It has the potential to be a game-changer for both Opportunity Youth and the organizations that serve them.
First, it engages “at-risk” youth in a durable framework for their professional development while still in the school system. Once they drop-out or graduate, they are much harder to find and engage. The platform provides clear goals and next steps in their career path; serves as a repository for all employment-related documents; and, importantly, keeps them connected to the mentorship and support of case managers. Their platform profile and documentation will persist through moves, homelessness and other disruptions our target population commonly face.
Local businesses that are in need of reliable workers will have a new pipeline of entry-level employees with the foundational training necessary to be effective, long-term assets to the company.