Does your park and recreation department offer youth workforce development? You probably do, even if you think you don’t! Local parks and recreation agencies are central to providing part-time and full-time employment for young people, from training lifeguards and camp counselors to landscapers and urban foresters. This panel is intended to inspire fellow park and recreation professionals to see their work as workforce development, including the ways workforce development can solve challenges for agencies.
Working from the principles of NRPA’s Youth Workforce Development Framework, panelists will facilitate conversation on successes, challenges, and new ideas for workforce development programming in parks and and recreation. They will cover how to integrate workforce development into your current programs, the importance of building transferable skillsets, how to prioritize leadership pathways for young people and highlight partnerships as core to the work.
Attendees will learn from three different program models, from Douglasville, GA to Washington, D.C., including a feature on Student Conservation Association (SCA) program models, such as teen summer or school year crews, seasonal young adult crews, and internships. Come join us to find out how to build young people up, preparing them for successful career paths – and even to take your job!
