Business, education and workforce leaders to champion disengaged youth at October summit

~Summit hosted by CareerSource Hillsborough Pinellas will address workforce trends affecting young people disconnected from employment and education~

TAMPA, FL – CareerSource Hillsborough Pinellas is convening the region’s first Opportunity Youth Workforce Summit on Tuesday, Oct. 1, bringing education, business, and nonprofit leaders together to focus on young adults in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties who are disconnected from employment and education. The summit will serve as a regional think tank, fostering discussions and developing solutions to reengage these young people in the local economy.

The event will be held at the Tampa Marriott Water Street in downtown Tampa from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Attendees are asked to register online for a day of programming that will focus on strategies to get “opportunity youth” back in school or the local workforce.

Gary Hartfield, an award-winning serial entrepreneur, leader, author, and philanthropist currently serving as CareerSource Hillsborough Pinellas board treasurer, will emcee the event.

“We can all look back on our experiences in our late teens and early twenties and recognize the valuable lessons we learned from teachers, classmates, bosses, and coworkers that prepared us for where we are today. Thousands of young people in our community are on track to lose out on those experiences, with enormous consequences for their futures, if we don’t intervene,” said Hartfield.

Federal agencies define “opportunity youth” as people between 16 and 24 who are disconnected from school and work. CareerSource Hillsborough Pinellas conducted research in 2023 and found 27,305 young people who meet this criteria, part of a nationwide trend recognized in Public Health Reports for the risk this societal disconnection poses to their emotional, behavioral, and physical health. Beyond the consequences for them individually, young people who are disconnected from employment and education “also represent a loss of human capital, with high social and economic costs.”

The Opportunity Youth Workforce Summit will provide attendees with valuable insights into Tampa Bay workforce trends centered around these young people. Experts will share research on population growth in the region, and businesses will have the opportunity to discuss target populations to meet their workforce needs.

“Tampa Electric is a proud sponsor of the Opportunity Youth Workforce Summit because we care deeply about the future of our local workforce. Research shows bringing disengaged young people back into school or work is a challenge nationwide, and we’re proud to see our community take decisive action on this issue,” said Stephanie Smith, vice president of State and Regional Affairs for Tampa Electric.

“After our two counties merged workforce development services earlier this summer, CareerSource Hillsborough Pinellas is taking our first bold leap to address a community challenge with our combined resources,” said Sean Butler, Chief People Officer at Titan Technologies and board chair of CareerSource Hillsborough Pinellas. “As someone who has spent my career in human resources, I know that opportunity youth are in a critical window to develop skills and receive training that will prepare them for successful, independent futures. We don’t have a moment to lose if we hope to make the most of their talent and potential.”

“SailFuture is a place where young people who have become disconnected from their high school experience can pursue education and career readiness beyond a traditional classroom setting,” said Michael Long, executive director of SailFuture, an innovative foster care agency and private school based in St. Petersburg and CareerSource Hillsborough Pinellas’ youth services program provider in Pinellas County. “We look forward to sharing our best practices for serving these students and their families with other attendees at the Opportunity Youth Summit.”

Sponsorship opportunities are still available to businesses and organizations interested in supporting this effort. Sponsorship packages are available online.

Michelle Zieziula, Chief Operating Officer of CareerSource Hillsborough Pinellas, emphasized the summit’s collaborative nature: “This conference is a unique opportunity to bring together business, education, and government leaders to find innovative solutions for re-engaging 26,100 youth in our community. By working together, we can create pathways that lead to meaningful employment and educational opportunities for our young adults.”

Additional details about the event will be posted online.

About CareerSource Hillsborough Pinellas

Effective July 1, 2024, CareerSource Hillsborough Pinellas is the designated local workforce development board serving Hillsborough County and Pinellas County. CareerSource Hillsborough Pinellas is governed by a board of directors whose members are appointed by a consortium of Chief Local Elected Officials (CLEOs) from each county commission.

CareerSource Hillsborough Pinellas is an equal-opportunity employer/program. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities. All voice telephone numbers listed may be reached by persons using TTY/TDD equipment via the Florida Relay Service at 711.

CareerSource Hillsborough Pinellas is the direct service provider for various workforce programs which are supported by the U.S. Department of Labor, Health and Human Services, Agriculture, and other agencies as part of awards totaling $39,085,000 with 96% federally funded (Updated annually, as of August 2024).

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