Education Partners Get Youth Ready for Tech Economy

By Hydra Mendoza and Kristin Rhodes

New statistics paint a shocking picture about the sharp opportunity divide affecting young people in San Francisco. Local youth are increasingly disconnected from access to education and training, especially in the fields of
science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). 

At the recent YouthSpark Connection event held at Microsoft’s San Francisco offices, the Brookings Institution released new research showing that one in six young people are either not in school or in the workforce, which amounts to 39,000 unemployed San Francisco youth who are in need of direction and opportunity. While 44 % of adults possess a bachelor’s degree, only a third of those are born and raised in California. San Francisco heavily relies on in-migration to populate the ranks of their educated workforce.

The Brookings Institution research shows that more than a quarter of San Francisco-area jobs require above-average STEM requirements.  Additionally, the research shows that approximately 27 percent of San Francisco’s jobs are in STEM-focused fields.  Not surprisingly, this is above the national average, making it even more imperative that area youth gain STEM skills.  

There is hope, and the skills deficit can be overcome, especially in a city with such rich STEM history. To do so we must create new strategies and programs to educate and train youth in these fields.

The City of San Francisco is doing its part through our Summer Jobs+
initiative. This year, Mayor Lee has set an ambitious goal to provide summer
jobs and paid internships for 6,000 young people, with a focus on disconnected
and at-risk youth. Summer Jobs brings together public and private employers in
partnership with the United Way to create job opportunities for young people
across San Francisco. Through this initiative, our youth is given the
opportunity to experience jobs in the STEM industry.

Microsoft, local educators like San Francisco Unified School District, Mid-Pacific Information and Communication Technologies Center and San Francisco State University, along with nonprofits like Year Up, Junior Achievement, Boys & Girls Clubs, Goodwill and JVS, are creating programs that give kids real-world access and training in STEM education.   One program leading the way is Microsoft
YouthSpark – an initiative to create 300 million opportunities for youth around
the world over the next three years.  In San Francisco, this means technology access, training and mentorship programs through nonprofit partners.

These types of partnerships extend the reach of our traditional educational institutions and reach at risk youth most prone to experiencing the opportunity divide. 

The issue of producing a modern workforce with the skills required for economic success is one of our community’s greatest challenges. Through partnerships with governments, nonprofit organizations, and businesses, YouthSpark provides youth with increased opportunities for education, employment and entrepreneurship, as well as the power to shape their professional and financial destiny.

Every one of our children is a success story in waiting, and we must act now to start writing the next chapter.  By joining together, we can give young people
access to the critical tools needed to cross the opportunity divide and reach
their full potential. For more information, please visit www.microsoft.com/youthspark.