CONTACT: Mai Moua, Ph.D.
Chief Operating Officer
(651) 495-1517
maim@hmong.org
HAP RECEIVES $95,000 FROM AT&T FOUNDATION TO SUPPORT EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT FOR SOUTHEAST ASIAN YOUTH
Saint Paul, MN – Hmong American Partnership (HAP) has been awarded $95,000 from AT&T Foundation to help 125 low-income Southeast Asian youth to successfully gain employment skills and enter in-demand occupations through pre-apprenticeship and career exploration training in four tracks: Construction, Information Technology, Hospitality, and Health Care.
HAP’s Youth@Work focuses on youth, ages 14-24, and who face significant barriers to achieving a high school diploma or GED and getting employed. HAP works with youth and their parents to ensure they have the proper support services needed to stay in school, pursue post-secondary education and training, and explore careers and employment skills. HAP also provides opportunities to youth to tour college campuses, paid internships, and work experience.
Youth ages 16-24 comprise 10% of workers in Construction and Extraction jobs, and Asian Americans comprise 1.3% of these workers. Only 9.6% of Computer Specialists are Asian and 9.68% are young adults between 16 and 24. Asians comprise of 8.3% of registered nurses across the U.S.
“For the past three years, AT&T Foundation has supported HAP’s efforts in youth workforce development,” stated Bao Vang, President and CEO of HAP. Continued support will help us to train a new generation of youth workers that will help to diversify and enhance these growth industries. We?re pleased that AT&T Foundation invests in our work and ability to train the workforce of the future.
The AT&T Aspire Grants are investments in students at home, in the classroom, at work to prepare them for success tomorrow.
####
HAP is a community development organization whose mission is: to empower the community to embrace the strengths of our cultures while achieving our potential. HAP provides critical services and support to more than 15,000 community members annually. For more information about HAP and its programs, please visit http://www.hmong.org.