Decade of Difference one-pager – white label version
CAREER READINESS
Decade of Difference
THE ISSUE
Young people are the workforce of tomorrow. With today’s competitive global economy, ensuring that
youth and young adults successfully make the transition to a productive adulthood has never been more
important. With changing demographics and rising economic disparities, growing numbers of lowincome and other disadvantaged young people face new challenges of being prepared for good jobs in
today’s high-growth industries.
WHY IT MATTERS
More than three in five jobs today require a college or career credential. Thus, educational attainment
continues to be the most promising gateway to economic mobility and is documented to help
disadvantaged youth move up past peers in their own generation.
THE OPPORTUNITY
Decade of Difference is United Way’s strategic initiative catalyzing community action to ensure young
adults are on a path to career success during the critical transition to adulthood – ages 16 to 26.
Particularly in this still challenging economy, United Way seeks to leverage partnerships, incubate
innovation and galvanize the community to work together in new ways to create and reinforce career
pathways for young adults. Whether creating learning communities, convening volunteers and
nontraditional partners, or assuming key roles in existing post-secondary education networks, United
Way works to advance approaches that can make a lasting difference in preparing all young people in
our community for a bright future.
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THE APPROACH
Action Underway: Decade of Difference is piloting multiple evidence-based approaches – seeking to
connect young people to the education, skills, career awareness and workplace experience that will
make a lasting difference. Components include:
Career-Readiness Savings Accounts
At-risk young people are encouraged to set the goal of, and to save for, a post-secondary degree or
credential by opening a matched savings account called Individual Development Accounts (IDAs).
Participants are at-risk young people who face daunting challenges, including poverty, homelessness,
unplanned pregnancy, “aging out” of foster care and coming from families where their parents (and
their parents’ parents) have not attended college. Young people save up to $500 and receive an 8-for-1
match. The funds can then be used for degree or credential expenses at an accredited college, university
or trade school. To date, 99 participants’ savings plus matching funds totaled more than $300,000.
Working in Partnership: United Way convenes multiple community-based organizations working to help
at-risk young people strengthen their college and career planning – thus contributing to their lifelong
financial stability. Partners include Catholic Charities of Kansas City- St. Joseph; Catholic Charities of
Northeast Kansas; El Centro, Inc.; Hispanic Economic Development Corporation; Missouri College
Advising Corps, Synergy Services; The Family Conservancy; reStart; WEB Dubois Learning Center; and
Whatsoever Community Center.
Other community partners include this region’s community college leaders: Johnson County Community
College and Metropolitan Community College, partnering to train our human service partners on how to
navigate their systems. Key relationships with banking partners, including UMB and Central Bank of
Kansas City, enable participants to develop early and positive connections with financial
institutions.
Financial Capability and Asset Building
Building a secure future also requires knowledge of financial systems and the ability to accumulate and
protect financial assets, such as savings for emergencies, transportation, home purchase, retirement,
and other investments. Consequently, embedding financial capability is both a key strategy and a
requirement for every Career Readiness Savings Account participant. United Way has also provided
more than $600,000 capacity building grants to Decade of Difference partner organizations to facilitate
the integration of financial capability into youth and young adult serving organizations.
Working in Partnership: UMKC’s Center for Economic Education is partnering with United Way to offer
Mad City Money, a hands-on, project-based learning experience for high school students on the financial
management skills they will need in real life.
FOCUS ON RESULTS
Performance is tracked in centralized software to monitor outcome achievement. Key results include:
• Career Readiness Savings Accounts opened with current savings plus match of more than
$300,000.
• Young people are exposed to financial capability skills building, that resulted in increased
outcomes on budgeting, setting savings goals, and using mainstream banking products.
• Disconnected young adults are reconnected to education pathways including high school
completion and postsecondary planning and workplace skills through internships.
We also provide funding for the following types of programs at our partner nonprofit agencies:
• Out-of-school-time programs
• Career and job readiness programs for high schoolers