Article by:
Joseph C. Abraham | Unrelenting Media, Inc.
After 30 years of service with the Clark County School District, Dr. Tammy Malich began a new chapter of service in 2020. With a desire to improve the conditions that impact children, Dr. Malich joined the City of Las Vegas as the Director of Youth Development and Social Initiatives (YDSI). This chapter would be characterized by the need to deliver unparalleled responsive programming during the pandemic.
With an eye toward ensuring support, equity and academic success for children and families, Dr. Malich’s tenure has manifested untold investments and progress! In the span of four years and at the direction of the Las Vegas City Council, Dr. Malich has established a bilingual, dual immersion charter school in Downtown Las Vegas providing a rich quality education to over 140 children. This quality education is evident when one considers that the Strong Start Academy Elementary School has dramatically aided students in becoming proficient in Math and Reading. During the most recent assessment period, the number of students deficient in Math decreased to less than 1%, while the percentage of students proficient in Reading increased by 32 percentage points.
Addressing the full spectrum of education, the YDSI department, under Dr. Malich’s leadership, provides mobile Pre-K in 4 locations through a focus on high quality early education to close academic achievement gaps as early as age 3-5, by bringing preschool services to children in distressed communities. This effort is bolstered by the academic enrichment provided in more than 70 CCSD schools throughout the City of Las Vegas, during before- and after-school programming and innovative community school model occurring at CLV Reinvent Schools, 16 schools in the urban core.
Each year, the Reinvent Schools are supported by the City through AmeriCorps Service Members to provide academic enrichment, extended learning opportunities, integrated student supports, and family and community engagement. Services are provided to families at no cost, while working to improve outcomes and support for children, families and schools.
Believing an even deeper transformation could occur, she brought on board Dr. Tiffany Tyler-Garner in fall of 2022 to spearhead a historic expansion of workforce development in the City of Las Vegas. With a strong tradition of career exploration, youth development and community engagement, the City of Las Vegas’ YDSI Department has expanded its efforts to include a strong commitment to connecting residents to sustainable career pathways characterized by livable wage employment and advancement, while empowering micro entrepreneurs and other small businesses as the City’s economic engine.
Through this powerful partnership and vision, YDSI has forged new partnerships in workforce and economic development resulting in over $20 million in investment and services for local residents, especially in the Historic West Las Vegas and East Las Vegas communities. Partnering with the College of Southern Nevada, Workforce Connections, the City of Las Vegas Economic and Urban Development Department, Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance, Vegas Chamber, the Urban Chamber of Commerce, the Chef Jeff Project, Sumnu Marketing, iFoster and others, YDSI is building community to make life better one career holder and entrepreneur at a time.
The City’s historic workforce development programming includes Business Opportunity Success Sustainability (BOSS) Program, Youth Entrepreneurial Success (YES) Program, the Historic Westside School Employ NV Career Hub, the Strong Future Technology Center, the Strong Future Youth Employment Program, the Strong Future Adult Employment Program, Vegas PBS Training Partnership, the Advanced Connectivity for Community and Economic Development (ACCED), and the Disconnected Youth Initiative, while leveraging the signature programming of Batteries Included, Batteries Included NextGen, the Mayor’s Faith Initiative, Las Vegas My Brother’s Keeper Alliance, and Youth Neighborhood Association Partnership Program (YNAPP).
Readers will appreciate the rich array of resources offered by BOSS, YES, the Historic Westside Employ NV Career Hub, the Strong Future Technology Training Center, and the Vegas PBS Training Partnership. The BOSS Program provides an array of small business resources and supports to businesses seeking to provide services in the Historic Westside. In the last six months alone, over 150 local businesses have received free licensing assistance, business development services, or professional development training in the areas of operations, finance, marketing and human resources, all at no cost. Similarly, the YES Program has afforded youth entrepreneurs a comparable set of programming and services. This inaugural program concluded with a pitch contest, where two entrepreneurs were awarded investments in their small businesses.
Recognizing the critical role professional development and business development can play in economic success, the Department partnered with Workforce Connections and GoDaddy to host an inaugural Microbusiness Summit last month. The summit connected attendees to a network of small business resources while arming small business with training in marketing, financing and licensing. In this vein, the Department also offers an array of training at its Strong Future Technology Training Center and through its Vegas PBS Training Partnership.
The Strong Future Technology Training Center host a variety of in-person and live-streamed programs and events for all ages, including computer basics and artificial intelligence applications. Through the Department’s Vegas PBS training partnership, residents have access to the full Vegas PBS training catalog at no cost.
Other great resources for women-owned businesses, small businesses and micro entrepreneurs are the Department’s Strong Future Adult and Youth Employment Programs where the Department is cultivating a strong talent pipeline in multiple sectors. As a complement to the program, the Department routinely places interns in businesses, community-based organizations and governmental entities to aid in the development of job skills while providing an invaluable labor force to businesses.
When asked what most excites them about this new chapter, Dr. Malich replied, “The thing I appreciate and value the most about this chapter is this opportunity affords me the ability to serve and support the Las Vegas community from cradle to career.”
Dr. Tyler-Garner noted how the return to workforce development was a return to purpose. She sees the City’s efforts as an on ramp to opportunity and a pathway to independence for many. She remarked, “When we get it right, we support positive impact in every area of someone’s life. When you have the right job, a good paying job, you often have the things that make life better like stable housing, food, healthcare, transportation and the ability to send your children to college or training. This work allows us to partner with children and families towards a bright future!”
For more information on the City of Las Vegas’ Youth Development and Social Initiatives Department efforts and programs call (702) 229-5437 or visit:
https://www.lasvegasnevada.gov/YDS
