For Immediate Release
January 27, 2022
Contact: Shaleeka Powell, Shaleeka.powell@cv.ca.gov, (916) 584-1705
Contact: Jonathan Bair, jbair@oaklandca.gov, (510) 847-0632
California Volunteers, Big City Mayors Announce Program to Employ Underserved Youth
#CaliforniansForAll Youth Jobs Corps will recruit thousands of young Californians to help solve some of the state’s greatest challenges.
Watch the full press conference here.
SACRAMENTO – Today, Chief Service Officer Josh Fryday and the mayors of California’s 13 largest cities announced the launch of the #CaliforniansForAll Youth Jobs Corps, a California Volunteers-led program to employ underserved youth across the state in critical issue areas.
The #CaliforniansForAll Youth Jobs Corps is an innovative partnership between the State of California and local government to help underserved youth find employment. Through the program, young people in cities across California will gain critical job skills while making a positive, lasting impact in their communities. Included in Governor Newsom’s 2021 budget, the #CaliforniansForAll Youth Jobs Corps includes $150 million dollars for youth workforce development in the 13 largest cities in California and $35 million dollars for programming in counties and smaller cities around the state.
“California is investing in our youth by bringing people together in service,” said Chief Service Officer Josh Fryday. “As communities across the state invest in COVID-19 recovery and fighting climate change, this program will allow underserved youth to find employment, gain valuable job skills, and give back to their communities to build an ethic of public service.”
The program was created to help build opportunities for California’s young people between the ages of 16 and 30, with a particular emphasis on youth who are low-income, are unemployed and/or out of school, are justice-involved, are in or transitioning from foster care, and/or are engaged with mental health or substance abuse systems.
Starting in February, cities will begin recruiting and hiring underserved youth to tackle local priorities, with a focus on climate change, food insecurity, and COVID-19 recovery. Cities may hire youth directly or grant the funding out to community-based organizations. All participants will receive at least $15/hr and many will have access to wrap around services like case management, resume preparation, job training, and other benefits. Applications for cities with a population under 300,000 and all counties will remain open through February 15th.
As part of the ‘21-‘22 Governor’s California Comeback Plan, the state will invest the following amounts to the 13 largest cities:
- $53,249,641 to Los Angeles
- $19,151,293 to San Diego
- $13,976,741 to San Jose
- $11,876,095 to San Francisco
- $7,421,049 to Fresno
- $6,998,984 to Sacramento
- $6,348,277 to Long Beach
- $5,911,024 to Oakland
- $5,393,613 to Bakersfield
- $4,797,453 to Anaheim
- $4,497,514 to Santa Ana
- $4,401,597 to Riverside
- $4,355,097 to Stockton
“#CaliforniansForAll Youth Jobs Corps is an investment in the future of California’s youth and the future of Oakland. We’re building on the successes of California’s Climate Action Corps to address environmental and urban challenges across our state’s largest cities while providing job opportunities for the next generation,” said Oakland Mayor and California Big City Mayors Chair Libby Schaaf. “In Oakland, we’re going to use this investment to create community-based jobs that make our neighborhoods clean-and-green, and promote climate resiliency. We’re also going to support our holistic and comprehensive approach to public safety by creating career pathways in violence prevention and youth cadet programs. I applaud Governor Newsom, our legislative leaders including Senate Budget Chair Skinner, and California Volunteers for having the courage to invest in our cities’ young people as future leaders in addressing our challenges.”
“The energy and talent from our young San Joséans in the Resilience Corps are helping us tackle many of our greatest challenges–from the pandemic to climate change to widening gaps in educational and economic outcomes,” said San José Mayor Sam Liccardo. “With state funding from the #CaliforniansForAll Youth Jobs Corps program, we can continue to expand paid opportunities to young residents with a passion for community service. I am thankful to Governor Newsom and Chief Service Officer Josh Fryday for investing in our future.”
“We’re at our best when we empower young people and remove any hurdles standing between them and their dreams,” said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. “This new program is an investment in our State’s future and in the lives of countless young Californians – allowing them to match their potential with a fair shot at a brighter future.”
“This program will create meaningful job opportunities for Fresno’s most at-risk youth,” Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer said. “Youth and young adults from low income, underemployed and underserved parts of the city, those who have been touched by the criminal justice system, are timing out of the foster care system or challenged with substance abuse, deserve a second chance in life. This program gives them that second chance and an opportunity to change the trajectory of their lives forever.”
“San Francisco has prioritized career development for youth for years through our local Opportunities for All program, which has created thousands of employment opportunities. We’re excited to partner with cities across California, and our state government, to ensure that we are investing properly in our youth, who are the future of our state. #CaliforniansForAll will provide workforce opportunities for youth that increase their lifetime earnings, encourage civic engagement and build a talent pipeline for employers. To address inequity and prepare youth for work, we need programs focused on connecting youth with opportunities to earn money, while learning transferable skills and making a positive impact in their communities,” said San Francisco Mayor London N. Breed.
“California’s youth are smart, they are energetic and they are eager to get to work on one of the most pressing global challenges — and that is climate change,” says Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia. “This program will connect young adults in Long Beach and across California in innovative ways to our environment and our communities, and it will pay dividends for years to come through the experience they gain throughout their careers. I could not think of a better way to invest in the future of our workforce than with a focus on our climate and our environment.”
“The City of Bakersfield appreciates the opportunity to develop a pipeline for careers in public service and community service for at-risk youth,” said Bakersfield Mayor Karen Goh. “Youth will engage in a City Hall Fellowship for college students, a City Hall Internship for high school students, mobile Recreation and Parks teams, a partnership serving foster youth and other initiatives that spur economic development in disadvantaged communities. We look forward to the impact that paid jobs with mentorship will have on hundreds of youth in the City of Bakersfield”
“The pandemic has hit us all in some way or another. But it’s no secret that our young people, particularly those who were already facing poverty, food insecurity and other struggles, have been uniquely impacted by this crisis. This significant California Volunteers funding will allow our city of Anaheim Workforce Development and Community Services teams to enhance and expand key programs, services and community partnerships to ensure no one in our city is left behind. With a focus on public service and community betterment, the program will help our Anaheim youth succeed and lift up our entire community in pandemic recovery,” said Anaheim Mayor Harry Sidhu.
“The CaliforniansForAll Youth Jobs Corps program not only provides meaningful work for our young residents, it will actually transform lives, by renewing hope in a generation that has struggled these past 2 years” said Riverside Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson. “Thank you Governor Newsom, our State Legislature, and Chief Service Officer Josh Fryday for investing in our youth, our community and our future.”
California Volunteers recently announced #CaliforniansForAll College Corps, a program that will help create debt-free college pathways for low-income students who commit to serve.
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Led by California Chief Service Officer Josh Fryday, California Volunteers, Office of the Governor empowers Californians to take action to improve their communities. #CaliforniansForAll is a California Volunteers service initiative launched in response to COVID-19 to establish a volunteer corps to support the state’s response to emergencies and disasters.