Ninety-two percent of business executives believe that Americans do not have the skills that they need to do the jobs of today or tomorrow. This skills gap threatens to increase fiscal and social challenges for cities. Afterschool programs provide a way to address the skills gap through providing social-emotional/foundational skills and hands-on learning experiences.
This brief from the National League of Cities examines how afterschool and summer learning opportunities can be leveraged as strategies to improve workforce development in cities. The brief examines city program examples in North Carolina, Minnesota, Florida and Illinois to illustrate the impact of afterschool programs on learners’ social and emotional growth, skill proficiency and awareness of career opportunities.
This brief is a useful resource for stakeholders interested in improving and implementing afterschool programs to promote workforce development in their communities. This brief belongs to a series dedicated to showing the impact of afterschool and summer learning opportunities on workforce development and college and career readiness. To read the other brief associated with this series click here.
