Amid Record-High Unemployment, NCLR’S Escalera Program Creates Pathways to College and Careers for Latino Youth

NCLR (National Council of La Raza), the largest national Latino civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States, today released Beyond the Classroom: Creating Pathways to College and Careers for Latino Youth, a report providing evidence that Latino youth have a greater potential to diversify and enhance America’s workforce when they have access to broader education and career networks. Funded by the PepsiCo Foundation and Shell Oil Company, the study identifies common challenges to education and career success that Latino youth face. The report documents the role that NCLR’s after-school initiative, the Escalera Program: Taking Steps to Success, plays in improving participants’ academic and career preparation, as compared to their non-Escalera peers. Conducted between 2007 and 2009, the study found a significant difference between students who participated in the program and those who did not.

“Unfortunately, Latino students have some of the highest dropout rates in the country, causing them to opt for low-wage jobs” said Janet Murguía, NCLR President and CEO. “However, working in close partnership with our community-based Affiliates, and with a strong commitment to the Latino community from our corporate partners, we have collaboratively designed an effective program that creates economic mobility for Latino students by introducing them to corporate internships, career networks, and expanded social support systems.”

“The findings of this report illustrate that opportunities for success are within reach for the students in the Escalera program,” said Ron Parker, senior vice president, human resources and chief diversity officer, PepsiCo. “The PepsiCo Foundation’s investment in Escalera is an investment in the next generation and is part of an ongoing effort to create opportunities for the future of Latino youth and communities nationwide.”

“At Shell, we understand the importance of investing in the youth of this country, particularly in the early education of science, technology, engineering, and math. We are proud to partner with NCLR and support the Escalera Program. Findings from this report reaffirm the need to provide youth with the right opportunities and support to ensure their success in 21st-century careers,” said John Esquivel, Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer and Associate General Counsel, Shell Oil Company. Latinos continue to represent the fastest-growing segment of the American workforce. Yet few Latinos are able to access the types of jobs that lead to greater economic mobility. The jobs in which they are concentrated rank low in wages, educational requirements, and other indicators of high socioeconomic status.

Over the two-year evaluation period, researchers found:

• Escalera students had more work experience, access to broader social networks, and were more knowledgeable about the academic requirements of future college enrollment and career pathways.
• Escalera students graduate from high school at a much higher rate than the national average for Latinos, which is 58%. In 2008, 86% of Escalera students graduated from high school or obtained a GED.
• In 2009, 95% of eligible Escalera students enrolled in college, a significantly higher rate than their Latino peers, of whom 61% enrolled in college.

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