Case Study

YouthForce NOLA

Strategizing Growth for a Cutting-Edge, Equity-Focused Youth Talent Development Pipeline

YouthForce NOLA connects and energizes a network of education, community, and business partners to strengthen and reimagine high school for New Orleans public school students, so that they graduate ready for college, career, and the future they choose. The organization, which serves as an intermediary, is an industry leader nationally and delivers cutting edge programming – both directly and through its partners – to provide young people with career-connected learning opportunities at every stage of the youth talent development pipeline. Trepwise has partnered with YouthForce NOLA since 2018 on a variety of planning and implementation support initiatives.

Product:

Systems Coordination

Sector:

Non-Profit

Solution

Our team was first brought on board to advise around the strategic direction of the youth career and technical education (CTE) landscape in New Orleans and to work with a cohort of CTE training providers to strengthen their businesses and impact in support of New Orleans’ youth. We were reengaged by YouthForce in the early stages of the pandemic to build a strategic plan reflecting scenarios for hybrid and virtual learning environments coupled with a continued focus on long-term growth.

Results

The organization’s successful pivot through the pandemic resulted in huge impact in 2021, including 20,000 hours of student internships completed, 17,000 students impacted by educator soft-skills training, and $1.4M in outgoing subgrants to mission-oriented partner organizations. Since that time, YouthForce has reengaged Trepwise for organizational design and growth strategy in conjunction with its educational, business, and community partners, in order to expand their reach even further.

“Trepwise has provided consistently high quality project management and strategic planning services for YouthForce NOLA and our partners. Trepwise delivers great value and brings a team with a diverse set of skill sets to all of their projects.”

-Cate Swinburn, Co-Founder & CEO