Oakland-Alameda County Opportunity Youth Initiative

Model and Strategy

Young men of color previously involved in both the child welfare and juvenile justice systems are at the highest risk of entering the adult criminal justice system. The Opportunity Youth Initiative is designed to stabilize and re-connect these young adults to education leading to career employment in health, advanced manufacturing, construction, and digital arts/media/information technology. The primary target population is young adult males of color, 18-24 years old who have been involved in both the juvenile justice and social welfare systems. We seek to connect these vulnerable young men, as well as other young adults who are out of school and unemployed to pathways to family-sustaining employment. The project’s purpose is to develop pathways connecting young adults to stabilization services

Impact

The initiative will move 10% (230 individuals) of the primary target sub-population (cross-over young adult males of color) and 10% (1,624 individuals) of our secondary target sub-population (Opportunity Young Adults) in Alameda County into family-sustaining, career employment, apprenticeship programs, certificate programs, or a higher education degree-granting program.

By working with public agencies and community-based providers, the initiative will create effective systems and processes to better serve opportunity youth/young Adults. The project will provide distinct career pathways for each identified growth sector and a plan for an integrated data system to track outcomes across the target population.

Urban Strategies Council, Inc.