The Charleston Metro Chamber, in partnership with Tri-County Cradle to Career Collaborative (TCCC), is honored to announce that we are one of six community organizations nationwide to receive a $20,000 grant from the YES Project—Young, Employed, Successful—a national youth employment initiative led by America’s Promise Alliance, to host Virtual Action Roundtable conversations in partnership with employers and young workers.

Based on the roundtable conversations, and ongoing collaboration, employers and young people will co-design meaningful strategies to improve belonging and inclusion in the workplace for employees of color. All employer partners have committed to implementing at least one co-designed strategy by the end of the year.

The Virtual Action Roundtable grants reflect a key finding identified in the YES Project’s youth-centered research: that young people view their work and their lives as deeply intertwined. This means that success in the workplace requires a multi-dimensional, whole-person approach that acknowledges and values all aspects of one’s identity. These Action Roundtable Conversations intentionally center on the perspectives of young people of color, who are often excluded from employers’ decision-making. Employer partners and dates for the Virtual Action Roundtable conversations will be announced later this month.

“We are honored to be one of the six community organizations chosen to support an initiative that centers on the voices of young people of color,” said Phyllis Martin, CEO of Tri-County Cradle to Career. “We hope these co-designed strategies, once implemented and tracked, will cause a chain reaction within other organizations and businesses in our community. TCCC’s mission is to build collective power to transform education by changing systems that allow Black and brown children to achieve their goals. This necessitates that voices of those most affected by current systems, policies, and resource flows be part of the conversation to ensure real change. This partnership with the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce will be the first of many to address issues around racial inequities in our community.”

“We are excited to partner with Tri-County Cradle to Career to create equitable work environments within our community,” said Bryan Derreberry, President and CEO of the Charleston Metro Chamber. “The YES Project is an exciting opportunity to give young people of color a voice with our region’s employers and create actionable solutions together.”

About the Charleston Metro Chamber: With approximately 1,600 member organizations representing 160,000 professionals, the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce serves as the collective voice of the business community,
and a catalyst for regional economic advancement and member success through Talent, Advocacy, Leadership and Business Development. Visit www.charlestonchamber.org.

About TCCC: Tri-County Cradle to Career is a community movement in Berkeley, Charleston, and Dorchester counties committed to building collective power to transform education by changing systems that allow Black and brown children to achieve their goals. Visit www.tricountycradletocareer.org.