Supporting Opportunity Youth Through High-Touch, High-Impact Strategies

Reflections from the Worker Empowerment Learning Lab

On Wednesday, April 9, 2025, the Worker Empowerment Cabinet Learning Lab hosted a virtual panel discussion featuring leaders from three WEC-funded programs that are making a meaningful impact in the lives of Opportunity Youth—young people who are disconnected from school and work. 

The conversation highlighted the work of PowerCorps Boston, X-Cel Education, and Youth Options Unlimited (YOU), three programs that engage youth at different points along their career and education journeys. Representing these organizations were:

• Davo Jefferson, Executive Director of PowerCorps Boston,
• Kelly Folsom, Director of Bridge-to-Training Programs at X-Cel Education, 
• and Tanisha Deleon, Deputy Director of YOU.

The event was moderated by Rashad Cope, Deputy Chief of Worker Empowerment for the City of Boston.

Each panelist shared insights into how their program supports youth in navigating barriers and building pathways toward meaningful employment and postsecondary education. While the models differ—from integrated WIOA job training to guided career exploration—several shared themes emerged from the discussion.

One of the strongest throughlines was the importance of wraparound services and intentional barrier removal. Programs are leveraging an asset-based approach to meet youth needs holistically, offering in-kind support like meals and transportation, stipends and financial incentives, and on-demand mental health services. These supports aren’t seen as supplemental but as central to keeping young people engaged in programming.

Panelists also emphasized the need for what they described as a “white glove” approach: individualized, high-touch engagement delivered by culturally responsive staff. Building trust and maintaining long-term relationships are at the heart of this work. Youth success often hinges on feeling seen, supported, and connected to someone who is consistently in their corner.

Sustained, values-aligned partnerships were another key theme. Panelists spoke about the importance of working with organizations that are mission-driven and genuinely invested in Opportunity Youth. They highlighted that staff retention and consistent follow-up after program completion are essential to maintaining strong partnerships and supporting lasting outcomes.

The panel closed with concrete recommendations for policymakers:

•  Davo Jefferson urged the City to embed training and hiring commitments into vendor contracts and address credentialism by reassessing job descriptions that unnecessarily require college degrees, which often exclude qualified young people.
•  Tanisha Deleon called for investment in shared, cross-agency data systems and encouraged leaders to create organizational cultures where staff can be “mayors of their own work.” She emphasized that this approach leads to more responsive, effective teams, which is especially critical in nonprofit environments where resources are limited. 
• Kelly Folsom praised the City for shifting its WIOA Youth funding strategy to support more meaningful outcomes, moving away from counting any job placement as a success and instead encouraging connections to postsecondary education or training. He also called for more sector-based consortia to align training with real job opportunities, and for guaranteed access to mental health counseling for youth coping with trauma.

Together, these reflections reinforced a central insight, as summarized by Rashad Cope: that engaging and supporting Opportunity Youth requires more than just technical training. It demands sustained care, coordinated infrastructure, and a collective belief in the potential of every young person.

You can find a recording of the event here. Enter passcode: zYV!Q8@*