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LEWISTON — Tree Street Youth has launched the Community Connections Initiative, a regional approach that focuses on workforce development matching local youth and business partners.
Community Connections strives to engage the business community by facilitating opportunities for employers searching for talent, while fostering the civically engaged leaders of today and tomorrow — locally and statewide, the organization said in a news release.
The program has received promotional support from the L/A Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and launch partners Northeast Bank, Hebert Construction, and Androscoggin Bank. One element of the program is monthly workforce development dinners designed to engage attendees with topics facing employers such as workplace motivations across generations, diversity in the workplace and visions for the broader community’s future.
In addition, Tree Street Youth staff and Community Connections partners will support students and alumni through mentoring and workforce readiness training, ensuring local youth are connected with the local economy upon graduation, the organization said.
The initiative also focuses on drawing more young people and those living elsewhere to learn about Lewiston at Tree Street’s Geiger Center for Leadership and Learning through monthly Coffee House events at the Center.
“We are super excited to formally kick off this initiative,” said Julia Sleeper, Tree Street Youth executive director. “We have spent the last year really listening to both local employers and community youth about challenges everyone is feeling in regard to workforce and economic development. What we realized was there is rich knowledge about this issue to be learned by all if we are intentional about taking the time to share it, and if Tree Street can be a bridge to help facilitate these opportunities, than why not try to approach things a little bit differently.”
Businesses that would like to become a Community Connections business partner may visit treestreetyouth.org/communityconnections.
PHOTO: Chris Delamater of Northeast Bank and Tree Street Youth intern Chris Suazo at a recent L-A Metro Chamber of Commerce breakfast. Tree Street’s new Community Connections Initiative involves connecting local businesses with young leaders of the community to address Maine’s workforce challenges. (Submitted photo)
