Pass the Word: On-the-spot Job Offers for Dallas Young People Who Are Too Often Shut Out

Do you know someone between the ages of 16 and 24 who is neither working nor attending school?Even if you don't, folks on your Facebook feed, neighborhood email list or church roster probably do. With nearly 13 percent of local 16- to 24-year-olds neither in school nor in a job — an estimated 109,000 young men and women — Dallas has one of the highest youth unemployment rates in the nation.Now, a massive employer-led campaign is responding to those grim numbers. Think of the 100,000 Opportunities Initiative as a jobs fair on steroids, an effort to be sustained for at least several years in Dallas.Starting Friday with a gigantic Dallas Opportunity Fair at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, this partnership of major companies and organizations will send a powerful message to the 16-to-24 demographic: We value you. We need you. We want not only to offer you a job but a career path, too.About 2,000 young adults will get the chance to meet with dozens of local hiring managers for big-name brands. Already, more than 1,000 youth have registered, and organizers hope that number doubles before the event.  Continue reading...