Throughout the fall of 2011, we heard story after story about young people who were unemployed or underemployed. Young people who cannot support themselves or their families. Young people who need more training to get a decent job, but don’t know how to get it, can’t afford it, don’t have a way to get there, or don’t have child care to go back to school. One person said “I work 3 part-time jobs and I still can’t get by.”
We heard from India Sims, a member at Union Run Baptist Church in Keswick, who studied cosmetology and massage therapy. But since finishing school, she hasn’t been able to find a job and now, she has collection agencies calling her house because of her student debt. You can read the rest of her testimony here: http://impactcville.com/2011/10/27/6th-annual-assembly-indias-testimony-for-job-readiness-for-young-adults/
The IMPACT Youth Unemploment Reserach Committee identified a serious problem of youth and young adult unemployment. In fact, the unemployment rate of people under 30 in greater Charlottesville is three times higher than that of the rest of the community.
We also found out that it takes over a year for high school graduates to find a job.
The committee is now identifying solutions to address this problem, and will bring them to the Nehemiah Action. Please join us on March 26 at the John Paul Jones arena to stand up for better opportunities for the future leaders of our community!
