Introduction, Trends & Considerations
Involved outcomes promote positive engagement between children and their schools, their families, and their communities. From FY2016 to 2023, spending across Involved programs has increased from $8.2m to $12.3m, with the majority of FY2023 funding ($11.2m) allocated to the Department of Workforce Solutions (NMDWS).
NMDWS strives to be a leader in improving employment and poverty rates through workforce development, enhanced services for employers, and ensuring fair labor practices and workforce protections for New Mexicans. Four pillars guide the work of NMDWS to ensure families can secure a living wage — Educate, Empower, Employ, and Enforce.
The administration has prioritized developing academic and career pathways, focusing on cross-department programs. The NMDWS academic and career pathways are opportunities for youth to explore careers through a New Mexico specific lens, using online resources. This opportunity opens doors for youth involvement with friends, families, and community members, as they look at options for future careers. Further, the work of Involved departments automatically includes the building of mentors and strengthening of family support. Internships and apprenticeships not only build career-readiness, but provide direct mentorship, allowing youth to be meaningfully supported & taught by those already in the career.
A strong component of the Involved activities is the attention to culturally specific, positive youth development. Programs across state agencies provide for youth to engage in academic and career readiness that uses their passions and interests, centers their cultural strengths, and allows them to be leaders as well as learners.
