Hillside Work-Scholarship has been in the national spotlight a lot lately.
- April 29: The Harvard Business Review posted a blog, “Why – and How – to Hire Young People Without Diplomas”, where HW-SC is mentioned as part of Wegmans’ workforce strategy.
- April 24: Gerry Pierce, Sr. VP Human Resources at Wegmans, participated in a forum at the White House on “Upskilling”. During his State of the Union address earlier this year, President Obama launched a new Upskill Initiative, calling on businesses to help workers of all ages earn a shot at better, higher-paying jobs, even if they do not have a higher education. The summit included 150 employers, labor leaders, foundations, non-profits, educators and tech innovators from across America who are answering the President’s call to action and equipping works of all ages with the skills they need to advance into better-paying jobs. Gerry presented Wegmans’ Workforce Development strategy, a significant piece of which involves hiring youth workers. Gerry cited Wegmans’ partnership with Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection as an example of a working solution to the challenge of workforce development and breaking cycles of poverty. For more information about the Upskill Initiative read the White House Upskill Initiative Fact Sheet and follow the discussion on social media using #UpskillAmerica.
- February: HW-SC continues to be recognized as a solution to Workforce Development. The recent US Chamber of Commerce Foundation published a white paper titled “Making Youth Employment Work“. The white paper includes commentary by Gerry Pierce (Wegmans), Augie Melendez (President, HW-SC), and Suzanne M. Piotrowski, M.D (University of Rochester Medical Center), all describing the role that HW-SC plays in workforce development. Leading up to the white paper publication Dennis Richardson was published on the US Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s blog, “Investing in Young Adults to Create a 21st Century Talent Pipeline”.
It’s great recognition for a program that is achieving significant results.