THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

"This toolkit supplements what case managers already know about working with young people, and provides knowledge and resources specific to working with transgender youth," said Los Angeles LGBT Center Director of Children, Youth, and Family Services Simon Costello. "Transgender youth have the same need for guidance and support as all youth. As a result of their diverse life experiences and transgender identity, many experience additional challenges and obstacles in entering the workforce and gaining meaningful employment."

The Transgender Youth Employment Toolkit was developed as a part of the Transitions to Work ( T2W ) project, a collaboration between the Los Angeles LGBT Center, University of California at Los Angeles' ( UCLA ) Community Based Learning Program, the City of Los Angeles Workforce Development Board, and the City of Los Angeles Economic and Workforce Development Department. The toolkit was funded by grants from the California Workforce Development Board and the City of Los Angeles Department on Disability, AIDS Coordinator's Office.

Started in September 2014, T2W is a pilot project to address the challenges and issues that transgender youth face when entering the workforce. In the first phase, 14 transgender youth were chosen to receive intensive wrap-around employment services over a period of nine months. The experiences and best practices learned and developed are contained in the toolkit.