Speak for Those Who Cannot Programs, Inc. (302) 401-8333
Meeting Critical Needs..
Raising Awareness...
Raising Awareness...
Meeting Critical Needs..
SPEAK! Employment & Education Awareness Campaign
Opportunities for Youth:
In 2007 the unemployment rate for young people in Delaware ages 16 to 19 was 10.9% and rose to an astounding 25% in 2010.*
Female Unemployment
In 2007 overall women earned 80% of that of their male co-workers.*** With the vast majority of single parent homes headed by women, see below..
About 84% of all single parent households are headed by women*. Yet, stats show women make considerably less (about 80% today) than their male peers within the same age group and industry. Despite the statistics and the enormous challenges they face, many single mothers have beaten the odds and have succeeded in education, careers and family. Today there are many companies that will support struggling mothers (single or married) by providing: Mentors to help them chart a career path; child care or helping to pay for child care; flexible work days that will allow their employees to take classes leading towards a degree; and many other life enriching opportunities.
If you are someone who is doing something to help a single mom or if you know someone, a church or company that helps women achieve their goals, share the story or send us a link to the organization
Youth Unemployment
The US Department of Labor reported the following in an Economic News Release from August 2011:*The Youth Labor Force is defined as the teen and young adult demographic ages 16 to 24 who are employed or actively looking for work.
Although the employment rate for 16to 24 year olds increase from 2010 to 2011, there were 4.1 million still unemployed.
During the late spring and summer months the youth work force increases. Yet in 2011 the rate of unemployment among youth increased during April and July.
At SPEAK! we feel it is critical for this issue to be addressed by the church and other communities. If each individual, family, church or group reaches out to just one single parent family, many more success stories would be a reality and not a dream.
Here's what SPEAK! is doing to help:
The SPEAK! Urban Employment Initiative seeks to develop programs that will provide flexible part-time job opportunities for: at-risk young adults; single moms; the under-served;seniors; college students and teens.
National Unemployment Stats:
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics website, the unemployment rate has been on the decline since around 2010.* In February 2016 it was 4.9%,**
*://data.bls.gov/timeseries/LNS14000000
**http://www.bls.gov/
***http://www.career.vt.edu/COOP/Benefits.htm
***http://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2008/oct/wk4/art03.htm
Unemployment By Race
Although, the unemployment rates are decreasing overall, the numbers are grim for individuals age 16 and older who fall within groups. The following link give a breakdown of the unemployment rates by race the last quarter of 2014 and 2015.
In short, the unemployment rate for Blacks/African Americans, Hispanics/Latinos and Men are well above the national average for the same periods.
VS.
2014 2015
Latino Men 6.1 5.8
Black Men 11.4 9.5
Suggestions for College Students:
Co-ops and Interships Benefit College Students:
•Employers want to hire graduates with career related work experience.
•Internships and Co-ops help college students to mature socially and professionally,
•The job search skills that are learned in college will help in the students job search after graduation***
Suggestions for High School Students:
Be realistic. Stop dreaming and think about the future for a moment. Is attending the college of your dreams going to be the source of your future nightmares and many sleepless nights?
Ask yourself some simple questions, but we willing to accept the hard answers.
- How much will it cost me each year to attend this college and what will the total bill be?
- What type of will I be prepared to apply for after graduation?
- How much does someone in that position make each year?
- Are there other ways for me to realize my dreams without sacrificing my future by putting myself and others in debt?
SPEAK! is currently revamping its Project SERVE-it which encourages youth to volunteer in their communities and rewards students in grades 1 through 12 with prizes from a local business depending on the amount of hours they serve.
SPEAK! provides Volunteer Internships for traditional high school and college students to gain valuable experience that will help them build a stellar resume.
SPEAK! also provides Project BUILD for young people who may not have completed high school and are working on their GED.