Many students are leaving high school not fully prepared for employment and college, while local businesses struggle to hire and retain qualified employees. The heart of the issue is that our youth need to reach their full potential and our businesses need to fill positions with talented and skilled employees. VPP’s high-engagement investment style blends a private equity model for investing with time-proven best practices from foundations and nonprofits. This allows us to help create long-term systematic change. We are working in partnership with Prince George’s County administration, public schools, local business leaders, philanthropy and a number of nonprofit organizations to create a holistic, collaborative, and sustainable strategy.
I. Strengthen Career Academies
- Partner with TFA-DC Region to improve academic achievement
- Build capacity of career academies to enhance technical skill development and expand enrollment numbers so more students can graduate career- and college-ready
II. Expand youthCONNECT
Students must develop foundational life skills to transition into being successful adults. youthCONNECT is a group of high-performing nonprofits that collaborate with schools to improve students’ readiness for employment and post secondary education.
We worked with:
- PeerForward–National Capital Region (formerly known as College Summit)
- Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection
- Maryland Multicultural Youth Center
- Urban Alliance
- Year Up-National Capital Region
The nonprofits we invest in have undergone a rigorous selection process, and they are the best at what they do. These nonprofits coach students on:
- Developing career goals
- Time management
- Appropriate behaviors in the work environment
- Applying to college and technical education programs
III. Provide Real Work Experiences
Students need real work experiences before they graduate. When young people get connected to meaningful job experiences at an early age, they are more likely to be employed and stay employed as adults. We are partnering with business leaders and employers to make certain the skills and competencies students are learning meet employer needs.