We have a crisis in our midst. Less than 70% of California high school students are graduating. In Sacramento City, it’s even worse. In 2005, only 38% of Blacks graduated, 41% of Latinos and 55% of Whites – an overall graduation rate of only 53% (www.wested.org). Yet we all know that a high school diploma is the very minimum requirement for a decent job. And we have all heard the dire warnings that the United States is not going to have enough skilled workers to keep our businesses thriving. In fact, the Aspen Institute reports, “Overall skill-levels of American workers are on a collision course with the skills requirements of American employers."

When these young adults don’t graduate from high school, what are their options: low-paying dead end jobs, gangs, drugs, welfare, jail, and death? In Sacramento during 2006 there were 99 homicides and half of them have resulted in arrests. 32 of the victims were under 21 (11 were under 18) and 46 of the suspects in these killings were under 21. (www.sacbee.com). Many will spend the rest of their lives in jail where the average cost of keeping a prisoner in California is approximately $35,000 a year (www.recordnet.com). Ironically, this cost closely approximates the cost of sending a student to a top-notch college. Approximate lifetime imprisonment cost for each of these young adults -$1.75M?

It’s a personal tragedy for these young adults’ families, a gigantic burden on taxpayers and an economic disaster for our business community. What as a community can we do? I say lots.

Child psychologists have found by age 3, the average child of a middle-class professional has heard 500,000 words of encouragement and 80,000 words of discouragement. Among children in welfare families, the numbers were turned on their heads with 75,000 words of encouragement and 200,000 words of discouragement. Let’s just start by figuring out how we can reach out to one kid and provide an encouraging word. Volunteer with organizations such as Big Brothers or Big Sisters, Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA), or the closest Boys and Girls Club. Often you will find that your company will even give you some time off to participate in worthy volunteer programs. I have personally seen how reaching out to a young adult already caught up in the juvenile system and almost certainly headed to jail can have almost miraculous results. The cost of providing a word of encouragement can be priceless.
But maybe we should think bigger.

I read about a very interesting program in the UK that seems a wonderful way to tap the philanthropic and business strength of the Sacramento business community to tackle this crisis and stop it in its tracks. The program encourages enterprise in disadvantaged areas by providing flexible business support, training and eventually start-up funding. The program begins by ascertaining the individual participants’ education and training needs. Then the participants are provided with a part-time customized program to improve their business skills. Tools used can include group sessions, individual counseling, and workshops from successful entrepreneurs. At the end of this development phase, the participant will prepare a business plan for their area of interest. Participants may be provided with a small expense budget and the use of a loaned computer. As the businesses are founded and grow, the program provides ongoing support, usually in the form of mentoring. When the mentor and the participant decide the time is right, the program will provide a modest amount of start-up funds to cover initial costs. It reminds me of the highly successful Sacramento Entrepreneurship Academy program (www.sealink.org), currently targeted at young entrepreneurs, which runs on a shoestring with the incalculable hands-on support of the Sacramento business community.

Or maybe someone a lot smarter than me has a better idea. Just let’s do something about solving this crisis in our midst, once and for all. It’s not rocket science. Spend a little time and effort and money now to save lives and the cost of lifetimes of imprisonment and provide meaningful opportunities to fuel the Sacramento business engine.

Who’s willing to step up and get this thing rolling? I volunteer for fundraising and Sacramento Executive will write the first check.

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

I wrote this on January 31st and sent it to be published as part of a business related handout included in an edition of the Sacramento Bee. I heard back it was too strong a piece for that vehicle! I held on to it and watched more killings, more families suffering, more youth being locked up for life, and today I publish it, but with some more hope than I had six weeks ago. I think things are starting to happen (see my next blog), but I think the wholehearted support of the business community could make them happen a whole lot faster.