An educated, motivated and loyal workforce drives a local economy. And a workforce engaged with their neighbors and colleagues makes a community.
California has the 8th largest economy in the world, but needs to produce an additional 1M career-ready college graduates by 2025 to meet employers’ needs. The reality is that most of its students face a different future. Only 40% of the state’s 2.2M young adults (ages 25-34) hold an associate’s degree or higher (U.S. Department of Education, 2012) and many lack the skills needed for workforce success.
It is imperative for the business community to prioritize attracting and cultivating the leaders of tomorrow. Investing in young people helps employers engage with their community and strengthen their brand. It supports long-term productivity and competitiveness in an ageing society.
To meet the challenges of developing young professionals and keeping them in the Capital Region, the Metro Chamber re-established our Foundation earlier this year. We are committed to fostering economic and community development through the promotion of young professionals, emerging leaders, and philanthropy. Two of our strategic programs include Metro EDGE and Leadership Sacramento – each designed to bridge education and workforce gaps for emerging leaders and young professionals. The Metro Chamber Foundation also administers an annual grant-making program, Inspire Giving. Inspire Giving is a collective giving model, held as an endowment at the Sacramento Region Community Foundation with a robust annual grant-making effort. Together, these three programs help young professionals connect, embrace employees who lead and encourage professionals and businesses to give back and serve the communities they call home.
Our vision is to increase regional investment in young people because we believe strongly that building a talent pipeline, improving workforce diversity and bringing new ideas and skills into the workplace are all critical components of building a healthy and thriving community.
Source: Comstock’s Magazine, July 2016
