The Commission on Health and Safety and Workers' Compensation Announces the 2024 Young Worker Leadership Academy on February 15-February 17

OAKLAND - The Commission on Health and Safety and Workers' Compensation (CHSWC) is pleased to announce that the annual California Young Worker Leadership Academy will be held at UC Berkeley, February 15 through 17, 2024.

The Young Worker Leadership Academy (YWLA) provides a three-day hands-on leadership training experience for high school students on the subjects of workplace safety, rights, and responsibilities. The YWLA goals are to:

• Teach youth about workplace health and safety.
• Provide participating youth an opportunity to develop specific action plans to promote young worker health and safety in their own communities, especially during Safe Jobs for Youth Month in May each year, as well as participate as alumni and youth mentors in future Academies and in developing a statewide network of young health and safety promoters.
• Help youth promote both workplace health and safety and injury prevention.

The 2024 Academy will include interactive workshops where participants will get to know each other, learn about workplace health and safety, and how to make positive change in their communities.

The Young Worker Leadership Academy has been jointly developed by the University at California, Berkeley's Labor Occupational Health Program (LOHP) and the University of California, Los Angeles' Labor Occupational Safety and Health (LOSH) Program. The Academy is part of the statewide Worker Occupational Safety and Health Training and Education Program (WOSHTEP), administered by CHSWC in the Department of Industrial Relations. This is the 20th consecutive year that the Academy has hosted young workers in this leadership activity.

The 2024 Academy has received additional sponsorship from the California School Employees Association (CSEA), State Compensation Insurance Fund (SCIF), Laborers International Union of North America (LIUNA), UCLA LOSH, and UC Berkeley LOHP.

CHSWC is charged with examining the health and safety and workers' compensation systems in California and recommending administrative or legislative modifications to improve their operation. The Commission was established to conduct a continuing examination of the workers' compensation system and of the state's activities to prevent industrial injuries and occupational illnesses and to examine those programs in other states.

 

Information about Young Worker Leadership Academy, WOSHTEP, and CHSWC is available online. Information may also be obtained by writing to the Commission on Health and Safety and Workers’ Compensation by email to chswc@dir.ca.gov.