Collective Blueprint gets $272,500 grant to expand its work with young people seeking jobs
A Memphis non-profit that works with young adults who are out of school to develop a career path with a livable wage has received a grant of $272,500 to expand its work.
The Collective Blueprint announced the grant from JP Morgan Chase in a Monday ceremony at the Community Foundation of Greater Memphis, where Blueprint is a local recipient of the foundation's 2024 FOREVER Funds.
Collective Blueprint's work is focused on Black and Hispanic youth who are at risk of falling behind if they don't receive skills training, career counseling and other services, said Sarah Lockridge-Steckel, co-founder and CEO of the Collective Blueprint.
"Economic opportunity is out of reach for too many young people who are disconnected from school and career opportunities," said David Howell, executive director and market director of banking at JP Morgan Chase. He called grant a piece of the overall puzzle to address the needs of so-called "opportunity youth," the term for young people from 16 to 24 who are not in school and do not have jobs. "We are proud to stand beside Mayor Young and Sarah Lockridge-Steckel" in calling for an expansion of such services, he added.
Mayor Paul Young spoke at the ceremony, emphasizing that offering career pathways to young people is critical to the success of Memphis.
The Greater Memphis area has more than 45,000 young adults, aged 16-24, who are out of school and out of work.
Nearly half of these young adults are in poverty, and only 1% will be on the path to a living wage by the time they are 28, according to data from the Collective Blueprint.
Other speakers described the hurdles young people face in trying to complete college and get their first job.
"We need comprehensive pathways to success for young people, especially in the tech space," said Meka Egwuekwe, executive director of CodeCrew, a Memphis non-profit that mentors underrepresented youth to be tech innovators and leaders.
In addition to Lockridge-Steckel and Egwuekwe, other panelists were Amber Covington, interim executive director of Greater Memphis Workforce Development Board; Andy Davis, vice president and general manager, Turner Construction Company; and Quinteria Taylor, an alumna of The Collective Blueprint. The panel was moderated by Jared Barnett, CEO of Slingshot Memphis.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Collective Blueprint gets grant to help young people
