INTRODUCTION

The food industries in Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania share similar challenges resulting from a downsized workforce and a declining pool of qualified workers. This situation has made those in the industry cognizant of the importance and benefit of working together. Preparing youth and young adults for employable futures is a critical issue that can only be addressed through collaboration and cooperation. This project focuses on systemic changes in the educational systems of the region for both in-school and out of school people in order to effectively address the workforce problems of the food industry. Key project components include: building extensive public and private partnerships; identifying and documenting multiple career pathways which enable youth and those searching for entry level careers to learn about and enter productive food system careers; and designing and delivering a comprehensive array of collaborative projects that recruit new workers, reduce industry turnover, and increase the skills of those currently involved in the food industry workforce. The effort will support and enhance the development of a world class workforce for the food industry.

MISSION

The mission of the program is to create a regional workforce development system for the food industry that works to enhance current efforts underway by the private and public sectors. The region includes Delaware, The District of Columbia, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. Some of the efforts will be available on a national and international basis. The system serves individuals who can been benefit from education and training for productive employment in the food industry. This system also serves the food industry and those industries which rely on portions of the food industry such as hospitality and tourism with a reliable workforce. It provides knowledge and access to career pathways through a system of catalytic collaborations among government, the business community, non-profit , and educational institutions.

PROJECT GOAL

The project will, by the year 2020, develop a comprehensive educational system that will provide the region’s food and associated industries with a reliable workforce and will serve individuals with a comprehensive “picture to their future in the food industry” removing the barriers for them to achieve a rewarding career in the industry.

PROJECT OBJECTIVES

The objectives of the program are to:

• Inform and connect students- to develop an educational system that informs students in elementary to high school about the potential of careers in the food system; to provide those in high school interested in the food industry with academic and work-based experiences; to connect these students to post-secondary education with eventual linkage to employment in the region’s food and associated industries.
• Create collaborations- to create on-going public/private collaborations between partners in education, business, labor organizations, and communities that will build, enhance, and sustain the effort into the next century.
• Train non students and those not in the system- to train and link individuals currently not in the education system or those that seeking new or different employment for entry into the labor force as qualified and reliable workers for the industry.
• Provide continual learning opportunities- to develop a system that links those currently employed in the industry to educational opportunities, providing the region with an environment of continual learning and skill enhancement.

PROGRAM GOVERNANCE AND ORGANIZATION

The Pathways Project has developed from a grant funded project to an on-going program by : (1) developing a new governance structure; (2) creating a new funding base; (3) offering selected program bundling and replication and partnership development.

Focus 1- A Governance Structure For Project Advancement and Sustainability

Clearly, after six years of specific project governance through the university system a new governance structure was required in order to expand the horizon of the project and to foster replication at the national, state, and local level. After many years of planning the project has formed its own not for profit foundation, called Pathways Foundation, Inc. Central to this change has been the project’s original initiators, the Land Grant Colleges to encourage and support such an effort and our original sponsors continue their involvement in the effort. The foundation will function with its own President, Director, and Board of Director’s. It is anticipated this new structure will facilitate a program at the national, state, and local level to enhance and coordinate fundraising, initiate new program and partnership development, act more independently, and initiate research and evaluation with an ever increasing group of participating universities, colleges, and business partners.

Focus II- Fund Development Structure

A critical role the foundation will play will be in the area of fund development. It was determined the best way to accomplish this for the project was to develop a 501c3 not for profit foundation which would separate from the competing interests of its university partners. It is a bold and exciting outcome of the Middle Atlantic Consortium hopes of being a catalyst that would develop long lasting and self sufficient programs. Upon receiving its IRS notification in 2003, the project has been actively seeking funds to support on-going programs, develop new programs, and research and evaluate its past efforts.

Focus III- Program replication and Partnership Development

Our original goal of developing an effective workforce program for the food and its associated industries continues on through all of the changes. Following evaluation of pilot programs, program replication has begun with new funding and implementation dollars at the national, state, and local level. It is important to note the long term commitment the partners in the program have made to creating an effective system by 2020. All that has happened in the past contributes to this long term goal. While those who have been stead fast friends are critical to our development new partners have added exciting new dimensions to the program.

Some exciting new partners include the New York State Office of Children and Family Services, New Jersey Juvenile Justice Commission, participating states’ workforce investment boards and one stop centers, Housing and Urban development sites, Urban League, Binghamton University, Bronx Community College, and Alfred Sate College, plus many new businesses. We view these new partners as important elements of sustaining and replicating the successful elements of ourproject into the the fabric of the region’s communities. Thses enduring partner institutions promote a sustainable element to the project tat would be hard to achieve on its own, and offer new revenue streams and vitality to the program.

Programs That Connect To Objectives

Elementary Programs:

Career development and choice starts early in the development of children. Understanding this the project has initiated very exciting multi-dimensional programs that connect to school learning standards while simultaneously teaching children good workforce skills and allowing for career exploration at an early age. Some examples of exciting programs are outlined below:

• Young Consumers- the young consumers program has been initiated thrugh a variety of partnerships. Conceived by one of our partners as an opportunity for young children 3 rd, 4 th, and 5 th grade children to learn school standards through high level connectivity to the food retailing industry it has now reached thousands of children in New Jersey and has become a signature program in many ShopRite stores around the state. The program is closely linked with the state learning standards. Recent evaluation data indicate test scores have improved, particularly in math and science, in almost every participating classroom.
• Food System Plus- NYS 4-H in Lewis County, NY built upon the Young Consumers Program by including the same program elements and expanding the dimensions of the program to include exploration of food system understanding by engaging in food production, processing, and food service through many classroom activities. Fourth grade students visited and interacted with food professionals in many sectors of the food industry, shopped at P&C markets, prepared food for the sheltered needy, studied nutrition.
• Wellness Learners Program- As a result of the successful Young Consumers Program and in cooperation with Cornell Universities Kids Growing Food Program funding was obtained from the District of Columbia’s Attorney General’s office to develop a new pilot program to address childhood nutrition health and wellness issues. This resulted in a Wellness Learner Program for fourth graders in the D.C. public school system, initiated in the spring of 2004. Giant Food Markets is the participating business partner in the District of Columbia, in collaboration with two elementary schools and the University of the District of Columbia Extension service Classrooms participate in both school and in-store learning experiences. The program not only touches the students but works closely with e families of the children in this low income area. Results to date are encouraging.
• Supermarket Experience- The supermarket experience initiated by our partnership with Junior Achievement has expanded in classrooms from New Jersey to Delaware and New York. The program allows the children to utilize Junior Achievement material and volunteers to study the business and economy of te region’s food economy further connecting young people to their food and understanding the business and career aspects of the food industry.
• Young Entrepreneurship- The Pathways Program has formed an exciting partnership with the E. Marion Kaufman Foundation to promote youth development in the area of Youth Entrepreneurship. The program called Mini Society allows young children to explore our country’s economic system by creating and marketing their own products and forming their own organizations. The program works with grades 3-6 in New Jersey and New York. One school in New York has incorporated the project into its curriculum and has hired teachers similar to sports coaches to expand the program through its system.
• Middle-School Science and Career Exploration- The use of plant science projects has been an effective tool to teach middles school students inquiry based science while simultaneously learning exploring careers in the food system and building sound work skills as they successfully complete their projects. Projects have been based on classroom hydroponics growing program and a unique program called The Growing Connection sponsored by the United Nations Food and Agriculture program. Throughout the region teachers are using these methods to enhance science learning and continuing the process of keeping students connected to the food system as they grow and mature.
• Food Retailing High School Internships- Based upon the concept of European apprenticeship, the Pathway’s project offers an intensive food retailing management program which connects an academic program taught in the schools to a paid internship in a food retailing environment. Students participate as high school juniors and seniors and receive advance placement credits to 2 and 4 year colleges. Most students enter college in business management programs with significant industry monetary support. Successful students are now entering the ranks of food industry management in a number of positions including store management, pharmacy, store security, and with various in-store department’s.
• Mapping Careers- as part of its mission to to paint a clear picture of careers in the food industry the project has identified and described over 300 careers which can help individuals obtain a accurate view of what the industry can offer as a long term career choice. These job overviews are currently available in hard copy but will soon be on the web for students, parents, teachers, and guidance professionals.
• Building Job Skills- the project has partnered with Public/Private Ventures to offer the most comprehensive job basic job skills curriculum in the nation. Throughout the region schools and out of school programs have been building critical job skill sets in young people using Workplus. No other curriculum combines job skill development in set an experiential methodology. The project has developed an experienced core of trainers that are currently training other instructors throughout the region. Several schools have developed special extra curricula programs for students to utilize the benefits of the curriculum.
• Enhancing School Infrastructure and Connecting To The Food System- The project currently is working with several high schools in southern New Jersey to expand student opportunity in the agri-sciences. It is hoped by next year students in Salem and Cumberland County will have new options to learn about the food system and follow a career in the industry.

Train and Engage Non-Students

• Job Skills Development and Job Connectivity- Young adults and young people who have struggled in school or dropped out of school present an enormous challenge to he country. The Pathway’s Project recognized that while this group offers a challenge to society it offers an opportunity for the food industry. Groups in dropout center’s, juvenile justice, and DSS program’s are using the Workplus program to build basic job skills, taking program’s to enhance technical skills and receiving job certification. The program connects young people to jobs through one-stop centers and special initiatives.