Approach

The United States has the highest rate of incarcerated people in the world and for decades New York State was one of only two states to prosecute sixteen-year-olds as adults. Upon release, these young people face barriers to employment and aren’t prepared to succeed or grow professionally. Youth that have been incarcerated have a 70% chance of being rearrested within five years. Drive Change seeks to combat this by helping formerly incarcerated youth find employment pathways in the culinary industry. As part of this challenge, Drive Change is teaming up with corporate cafeterias, bakeries and other large-scale food production spaces to find and keep full-time jobs. Its training includes real on the job experiences, such as serving lunch through a food truck cafe, and shadowing employees in their real jobs, and provides wrap-around services for these youth to address the difficult circumstances they face.

Employer Partners