by Kate Santini
HARTFORD, CT — Could public service be the key to engaging disconnected youth? A municipal webinar tomorrow will explore just that strategy, according to Gov. Ned Lamont.
Disconnected youths are defined as those not in school or the workforce.
“Engaging disconnected youths by encouraging them to participate in public service is a great way that we as public officials ourselves can help young people get the support they need to gain the tools necessary to build successful, long-lasting careers,” said Lamont.
Last January, Lamont’s office partnered with youth organizations including the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities (CCM), Domus Kids, and Our Piece of the Pie to launch the Service-to-Career Pathways Toolkit. This guide is designed to help communities and municipal officers create career pathways for young people ages 16 to 24 who are disconnected from the workforce, to pursue careers in public service.
CCM is a nonpartisan organization consisting of public servants from every municipality in the state. Its members are committed to advocating and organizing plans for shared, community-based incentives.
“This project represents a powerful collaboration between state, municipal, and community partners to build real, sustainable pathways from service into public service careers,” said Joe DeLong, CCM executive director and CEO.
Joseph Thornton, CCM’s director of communications and member relations, said the initiative recognizes that many young people want to make a difference, but may not see a clear path into government and public-sector careers.
“This toolkit helps municipalities create those pathways by connecting service opportunities, work-based learning, internships, and early employment experiences to long-term career opportunities,” he said.
The toolkit aims to eliminate the barriers that disadvantaged youth face when entering the workforce, said Thornton. It serves as “a framework for building programs that meet young people where they are and help them develop the skills, confidence, and professional networks needed to succeed.”
This initiative was a part of the broader Service-to-Career Pathways Policy Academy which allocated Connecticut, along with five other states, funds to help disadvantaged youths find and sustain early employment.
In a joint statement, Hector Rivera, president and CEO of OPP, and Mike Duggan, executive director of Domus Kids, said the framework ensured that setbacks become teachable moments rather than dead ends. Both Rivera’s and Duggan’s organizations are partners in a new nonprofit called 119kToZero.org, which also includes five other youth-development nonprofits from around the state. The goal of the new umbrella nonprofit is to get 60,000at-risk and disconnected youth back on track by 2035.
“When young people contribute to their communities, they gain a sense of purpose, and our towns become safer, more resilient, and economically stronger,” they said.
The toolkit is designed for municipalities to adapt according to their specific needs. The 90-minute webinar will provide a six-step plan for setting up pilot initiatives in specific municipalities and will include a panel where attendees will be given the opportunity to ask further questions about the toolkit and strategies for its implementation.
Beyond covering the information stated in the toolkit, the webinar will provide a platform for open discussion, leaving attendees “with actionable ideas and resources that can be adapted to the unique needs of their communities,” said Thornton. The event “is about starting a statewide conversation on how Connecticut can better connect young people to purpose-driven careers while strengthening the future workforce of our municipalities and public institutions.”