PRESS RELEASE: National Guard Youth Foundation Launches Workforce Development Pilot Program with the National Black Chamber of Commerce in Louisiana

National Guard Youth Foundation Launches Workforce Development Pilot Program with the National Black Chamber of Commerce in Louisiana


Gulf Coast Chamber Members Pledge to Train, Hire Hundreds of Louisiana Youth ChalleNGe Graduates

Alexandria, VA – The National Guard Youth Foundation (NGYF) is launching a workforce development pilot program with the National Black Chamber of Commerce (NBCC) to provide additional skills training, access to technical programs and job placement opportunities to graduates of the Louisiana National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program, an alternative education program that provides mentorship, life skills and a pathway to graduation for youth who were previously disconnected from education and the workforce. NBCC has pledged to facilitate training and hiring for hundreds of Louisiana Youth ChalleNGe Program graduates through its Gulf Coast Chamber members.

“To help cadets, we are bridging the gap by engaging in partnerships that provide pathways to fulfilling careers and a lifetime of success,” said President of NGYF Louis A. Cabrera. “We are extremely pleased that the National Black Chamber of Commerce and its affiliates in the Gulf Coast region will be our first partner in our workforce development program to serve these young men and women as they continue their upward trajectory in life.”

NBCC has identified sectors in the Gulf Coast region with an increased need for new employees, such as the energy and construction sectors, and will work with its local chambers and corporate partners to provide apprenticeships, internships and jobs to program graduates.

The Louisiana Youth ChalleNGe Program is a 17-month program which consists of two phases. During the five-month residential phase, students live on site at one of the three locations: Camp Minden near Shreveport, Camp Beauregard in Central Louisiana and The Gillis W. Long Center near Baton Rouge. In addition to earning a high school equivalency diploma and learning life-coping skills, developing leadership skills and self- confidence, participants have the opportunity to earn college credits or become certified

“This is God's work helping our youth in need to identify a vocation and find a pathway to full time employment and quality of life for young families,” said NBCC President Harry C. Alford, Jr.

in basic construction technology. To date, more than 19,200 young men and women have graduated from the Louisiana program.

“This historic and important partnership with the NBCC will be invaluable in allowing the Louisiana National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Programs to continue fulfilling its mission of intervening in and reclaiming the lives of Louisiana’s At-Risk youths. For that, we are grateful,” said COL (Ret.) Michael Borrel, Director of Educational Programs, Louisiana National Guard.

The workforce development pilot program with NBCC is part of NGYF’s Career Development Program, which includes a network of supporting organizations and partners that provides skills training, workforce development, job placement, scholarship funding and access to technical programs directly to ChalleNGe graduates. The pilot in Louisiana will serve as a model for forthcoming workforce development programs and partnerships to be launched in the 29 states and territories where ChalleNGe programs are located. The goal of the Career Readiness Program is to support 2,500 of the more than 9,000 ChalleNGe graduates across the nation with skills training and jobs and improve their economic mobility.

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About the National Guard Youth Foundation

The National Guard Youth Foundation is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to addressing the nation’s school dropout crisis by giving youth a second chance through the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program. NGYF advocates for and supports ChalleNGe, run by the National Guard; raises awareness of the impact the school dropout crisis has on our society, economy and national security; and provides ChalleNGe graduates with scholarships and career support to help them continue on their path of success. For more information, visit www.ngyf.org.

About the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program
Conducted at 35 academies across the country, the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program is operated in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Defense, National Guard Bureau, state governments and local sites. The program consists of a 5 1/2- month residential phase framed around eight core components: academic excellence, responsible citizenship, physical fitness, leadership/followership, job skills, service to the community, health and hygiene and life coping skills, and a 12-month post residential phase during which mentors continue to provide guidance and support to graduates.

Helping more than 130,000 teens to date turn their lives around, ChalleNGe is recognized as among the most cost-effective, highly rated programs of its kind for youth who have dropped out of school. An independent, multi-year study of the program by MDRC shows that high school diploma/ GED attainment increased by 29%, college attendance increased by 86% and annual earnings increased by 20%. An independent cost-benefit analysis by the RAND Corporation shows a 166% return on investment in the program – every dollar spent yielded a return of $2.66 in benefits to society.

About the National Black Chamber of Commerce

The National Black Chamber of Commerce was incorporated in Washington, D.C. in March 1993 as a nonprofit, nonpartisan, nonsectarian organization. Its mission is to economically empower and sustain African American communities through entrepreneurship and capitalistic activity within the United States and via interaction with the Black Diaspora. For more information on the organization, visit NationalBCC.org.