ATLANTA, March 18, 2019 — Boys & Girls Clubs of America announced today that the SunTrust Foundation has committed $1 million to Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s Workforce Development Effectiveness Project to help put youth in up to 45 Clubs across the Southeast on the path toward financial well-being. Stan Little, SunTrust Foundation president, presented Jim Clark, president and CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of America, with the donation at a special event on Friday, March 15, at The Salvation Army Bellwood Boys & Girls Club in Atlanta.
Globally, employers are faced with a talent shortage. In particular, U.S. employers say that the inability to find qualified workers is their biggest obstacle to growth, with many indicating their greatest needs are in the area of soft skills (e.g., communication, customer service, creativity, collaboration and critical thinking). A new initiative from Boys & Girls Clubs of America, the Workforce Development Effectiveness Project, was created to provide youth with the knowledge, skills and experiences to better prepare them for the workforce, thus improving their socioeconomic potential over their lifetime.
“At Boys & Girls Clubs, we want to provide a safe space for kids and teens to not only have fun but also reach their full potential by providing opportunities to learn and gain new skills so that they are workforce ready,” said Clark. “We are so grateful to have the SunTrust Foundation as a new partner. With this grant, more Clubs will have a solid workforce development plan that will help them prepare our youth for life after graduation.”
To develop this plan, Clubs will go through a series of intense, project-based learning experiences. This includes assessing their current workforce programming, participating in training that focuses on strategic organizational planning, drafting goals, creating action plans, and presenting a story of their workforce program implementation and lessons learned to a panel of judges.
“The SunTrust Foundation is committed to partnering with nonprofit organizations that support innovative programs focused on workforce development,” said Little. “The Boys and Girls Clubs Workforce Development Effectiveness Project will empower youth to create a sustainable future for themselves.”
The first year of this program kicks off at Clubs in Georgia, Florida, South Carolina and Tennessee. To learn more about the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and the SunTrust Foundation partnership for the Workforce Development Effectiveness Project, visit www.bgca.org/SunTrust.