McGraw-Hill Education College And Career Readiness Expert Confronts The Issue Of Youth Employment At Clinton Global Initiative America In Chicago

NEW YORK, June 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- At the second annual Clinton Global Initiative America (CGI America) Meeting held in Chicago June 7-8, McGraw-Hill Education's Jeff Livingston discussed the topic of youth employment, examining ways teens and young adults can maximize opportunities to enter the workforce successfully and ways the business and nonprofit communities can support this effort. Livingston, senior vice president of college and career readiness at McGraw-Hill Education, participated in a working group, "The Reconnecting Youth Group," which explored strategies to connect youth with educational and employment opportunities while building new sources of skilled and diverse talent for employers.

The two-day conference brings together the most influential leaders in education, philanthropy and politics to forge collaborations and share best practices that promote economic recovery and job creation in the United States.

"An estimated one in six Americans, ages 16-24, is not engaged in school or work, which presents a key opportunity to build skills and talent among this population," said Livingston. "In order to accomplish meaningful change, we must turn our attention to innovative solutions that provide youth - particularly at-risk youth - with clear expectations and pathways to gain the education and hands-on skills they need to be successful in the career of their choice. In today's global economy where the majority of jobs will increasingly require some form of postsecondary education, it is an economic imperative to ensure our young people are ready for the future."

The Reconnecting Youth Working Group focused on the following topics:

    --  Employer Led Pathways: Going beyond the traditional role of employers,
        some organizations are leading the way in efforts to invest in current
        and future talent, with proven results;
    --  Youth Entrepreneurship: Using entrepreneurship as a pathway to re-engage
        at-risk youth gets students invested in their work, while teaching
        business fundamentals, professionalism, effective communication, and
        other skills that can propel them beyond the classroom;
    --  Service: Pathways to employment through service not only provide youth
        with the valuable training and experience that is critical to future
        success in the labor market, but they also provide a way to increase
        community impact;
    --  Mentoring: Strong support from mentors has proven highly successful in
        linking education and jobs, raising expectations, and developing
        successful college and career-ready youth; and
    --  Wraparound Supports and Prevention: Re-engaging youth before they leave
        school through holistic support systems that address the root causes of
        their challenges--both in and out of the classroom--leads to greater
        educational attainment.

For additional information about the conference and panel, visit: http://www.cgiamerica.org/.

About McGraw-Hill Education
McGraw-Hill Education is a content, software and services-based education company that draws on its more than 100 years of educational expertise to offer solutions, which improve learning outcomes around the world. McGraw-Hill is the adaptive education technology leader with the vision for creating a highly personalized learning experience that prepares students of all ages for the world that awaits. The company has offices across North America, India, China, Europe, the Middle East and South America, and makes its learning solutions available in more than 65 languages. For additional information, visit http://www.mheducation.com/.

About CGI America
President Clinton established the Clinton Global Initiative America (CGI America) to address economic recovery in the United States. CGI America brings together leaders in business, government, and civil society to generate and implement commitments to create jobs, stimulate economic growth, foster innovation, and support workforce development in the United States. Since its first meeting in June 2011, CGI America participants have made more than 100 commitments valued at $11.8 billion. When fully funded and implemented, these commitments will improve the lives of three million people, create or fill more than 150,000 jobs, and invest and loan $354 million to small and medium enterprises in the United States. The 2012 CGI America meeting will take place June 7-8 in Chicago. To learn more, visit cgiamerica.org.

Contact:
Tom Stanton
McGraw-Hill Education
(212) 904-3214
Tom_Stanton@mcgraw-hill.com

SOURCE McGraw-Hill Education

SOURCE: McGraw-Hill Education

Web Site: http://www.mheducation.com