County Supes Hope Internships Will Help End Cycle of Poverty

The Board of Supervisors committed Tuesday to launch a jobs program that would fund the first 100 hours of internships for Los Angeles County residents 16 to 24 years old.

Supervisor Don Knabe proposed launching the county’s “First 100” initiative as a way to help break the cycle of poverty.

There are more than 200,000 Los Angeles area residents and 5.6 million Americans ages 16-24 who are out of school and cannot find jobs, he said.

“An opportunity is all these kids need -- a chance to show their skills and to work hard,” Knabe said.

Knabe also honored LeadersUp, a coalition of employers focused on creating career opportunities for youth through its 100,000 Opportunities Initiative, which aims to train and hire at least 100,000 young adults who are currently out of work and school by 2018. He declared February “LeadersUp Month.”

The coalition -- established by Starbucks and including Taco Bell, Alaska Airlines, Microsoft, Walgreens and other employers -- will hold an all- day youth jobs fair on Thursday at the Los Angeles Convention Center. The goal is to offer jobs to 2,000 “opportunity youth” who struggle to find jobs.

“Thank you to all businesses and organizations across the region for giving our kids a chance to prove themselves and start their paths to a successful career,” Knabe said.

“Creating on-ramps to career opportunities for our young adults is essential to alleviating the barriers to economic mobility that keep many families in poverty,” LeadersUp President Jeffery Wallace said.

More information on the jobs fair can be found at www.100kopportunities.org.

A report back on the county’s “First 100” initiative is expected in 90 days.

--City News Service, photo via Shutterstock