Essex County Executive Divincenzo and the Essex County Workforce Investment Board Host

ESSEX COUNTY EXECUTIVE DIVINCENZO AND THE ESSEX COUNTY WORKFORCE INVESTMENT BOARD HOST YOUTH SERVICES FORUM ADDRESSING ISSUES FACING TODAY’S AT-RISK YOUTH

Representatives from a Network of Community-Based Agencies and Other Government Offices Discuss Existing Services and Collaborative Efforts

West Caldwell, NJ – Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. joined a host of representatives from community-based, faith-based and other governmental agencies on Thursday, May 19th at a special forum exploring issues facing today’s youth. The forum, sponsored by the Essex County Workforce Investment Board’s Youth Investment Council, was held at Essex County College’s West Caldwell campus.

“The purpose of this forum is to establish a dialogue between community-based agencies, faith-based organizations and governmental agencies providing a variety of social services to our youth,” DiVincenzo said. “If our County is to succeed at addressing the needs of our youth, and especially our at-risk population, then we must take proactive steps to ensure our frontline service providers are in touch with one another and are able to make proper referrals,” he added.

The Essex County Workforce Investment Board, which is federally funded through the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, provides eligible County youth, adults and dislocated workers with a variety of employment, vocational and educational training programs. The WIB works in collaboration with the County’s One Stop Career Center, which is located at 50 South Clinton Street in East Orange.

During the forum, representatives from more than 70 organizations received a new directory compiled by the Essex County Workforce Investment Board. The directory is a resource guide aimed at providing the agencies with a map of available services, ranging from employment training, GED training, educational, housing and substance abuse counseling.

Commissioner James M. Davy of the New Jersey Department of Human Services encouraged the participants to take advantage of the new directory and create partnerships to improve the delivery of services for at-risk youth. “Right now, there is no referral system for our youth, so this resource guide is a positive start,” he added. Davy also provided participants with a brief overview of the New Jersey Department of Human Service’s $10 billion budget and noted that at least $26 million will be rolled into the State’s Child Welfare Reform proposal. He praised the County’s WIB for coordinating a youth forum to help providers network and share their concerns with each other.

“The Workforce Investment Board is taking the initiative by organizing groups that provide valuable services to youth throughout the County of Essex,” said Anibal Ramos, Director of the Essex County Department of Economic Development, Training and Employment. “This will result in a better coordinated service delivery system,” he added. “There is a compelling need to create a system of support and opportunity for those youth least likely to make a successful connection to the labor market, and the workforce system,” said Betty Brown, Executive Director of the Essex County Workforce Investment Board. “We want to enhance awareness of the various county-wide services for at-risk youth and provide them with the resources to become whole,” she added.

During the program’s luncheon, State Superior Court Judge Glenn A. Grant of the Essex County Family Court provided the keynote address and urged the social service organizations to work together. “If we are going to save our young people, it is crucial that we form partnerships to avoid any gaps in service,” Grant said. “We need a greater commitment from all of us,” he added.

Rochelle B. Preston, a school-based services coordinator at Barringer High School in Newark, called the youth forum a step in the right direction. “This is great because we are able to connect with other agencies and see what’s needed to better meet the needs of our youth,” she added.

“It is long overdue,” said Charles Dixon, Director of the Young Father’s Program at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in Newark. “Historically, many of our youth providers have been known to function autonomously and our kids are getting lost in the cracks. We have to learn to work together and share our resources,” he added.