What is E4?

Educators and Employers Engaged for Excellence (E4) seeks to improve career education by connecting employers and educators and youth.

E4 initiatives serve four stakeholders:

• Youth
• Educators
• Employers, and
• Youth-Serving Professionals

There are tremendous challenges associated with achieving educational standards and filling crucial workforce needs. Career education has become a nexus for strategic investment in the future. E4 provides a growing number of young people with quality-workplace experiences to enhance their education and help them discover the opportunities that exist in southwestern Pennsylvania. This initiative benefits many as it:

• Helps educators achieve curriculum requirements and enrich their lessons;
• Gives youth concrete educational experiences;
• Raises the profile of potential employers in the region; and
• Gives employers visibility and effectively positions them to the up and coming workforce.

Why now?

In southwestern Pennsylvania, we are experiencing unprecedented challenges in meeting workforce requirements and achieving educational proficiency. Compared to seven peer regions, our region has a "50/50"challenge — the region has 50,000 more older workers and 50,000 fewer younger workers than its average peer. This may translate into a significant workforce gap as baby-boomers begin to retire.

At the same time, many young people who could eventually fill these positions are not graduating from high school. Nationally, the dropout rate is close to 33%; in Pittsburgh, it is 35%.

According to the Gates Foundation report on dropouts across the country, 81% of those interviewed wished their education had more "real-world learning." E4 is giving youth those opportunities.