Homeless and Foster Youth SubCommittee
Interagency Advisory Committee on Apprenticeship created the Homeless & Foster Youth subcommittee with the passage of Assembly Bill 565 (2022) on September 22, 2021. The Homeless & Foster Youth subcommittee first convened on October 24, 2022, to study and report on issues related to the participation of homeless youth and foster youth in apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeships.
Korena Hazen
Manager, Apprenticeship Pathways Project
California Department of Social Services
We are a dedicated committee devoted to improving the outcomes for foster and homeless youth in California and we welcome you to join us at any of our upcoming meetings.
The Homeless & Foster Youth Subcommittee was initiated in July 2022 following the passage of Assembly Bill 565 (2021), which led to the formation of the Homeless & Foster Youth Subcommittee as a part of the Interagency Advisory Committee on Apprenticeships (IACA). This subcommittee works to identify and address barriers that foster and homeless youth face in accessing apprenticeships and will submit a report with its findings to the state Legislature.
The Apprenticeship Pathways Project at the California Department of Social Services is an initiative designed to create a clear pathway for foster youth, former foster youth, and homeless youth aged 16 to 26 in California to access and complete apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeships. The project collaborates with the Division of Apprenticeship Standards (DAS) and chairs the Interagency Advisory Committee on Apprenticeships Homeless & Foster Youth Subcommittee. Its goals include increasing the number of apprentices by providing paid apprenticeships for youth ages 16 to 26 who are foster youth, former foster youth, or homeless.
For any inquiries or to post event information, individuals can contact the project at ApprenticeshipPathways@dss.ca.gov.
Committee Members
Jeffrey Forrest
Executive Director, Older Youth Initiative
Conrad N. Hilton Foundation
Amos Nugent III. Ed. D.
Director, Career Pathways & Adult Learning
Pleasanton Unified School District
Rosalinda Rivas
Apprenticeship Director
Moreno Valley College
Syd Stewert
Founder/CEO
Better Youth, Inc.
Jevon Wilkes
Executive Director
California Coalition for Youth
Nicole Pacada
Committee Advisor
Division of Apprenticeship Standards
Committee Charter, Reports and Meeting Notes
Youth Frameworks
Events/What’s News
Contact Us
ApprenticeshipPathways@dss.ca.gov.
October 2025