“Has anyone sat down and taught you how to recover from failure?” asked Robert David Sr. outside of the Courthouse steps in Richmond County last year.
Matthew Sasser | Daily Journal
West Plains, Missouri — The National Association of Workforce Development Professionals (NAWDP) announced today that Robert T. David has been named the 2023 Youth Workforce Professional of the Year.
David, the Violence Prevention Manager for the city of Danville, Virginia, will be recognized at NAWDP’s 2023 Youth Symposium on November 6, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
David is the creator of the Project Imagine workforce model, which provides workforce training and employment for youth under 21 who are at a high risk of being involved in community violence and individuals who are gang-affiliated/associated. His impact on the overall growth and positive image of youth workforce development programs was celebrated as he was named to the 2022 Engaging Local Government Leaders (ELGL) Top 100 Influencers in Local Government.
In August of 2022, David spoke outside the old Courthouse to address a crowd of young people about ways to prevent violence. “You got to believe in your self,” David said to the Richmond County youth. “You’ve got potential and you’ve got greatness in something bigger than where you are right now. But you got to live to see it. You can’t talk about what you want to be if you’re in the street next year. It’s over then.”
“The Youth Workforce Professional of the Year award recognizes an individual for their exemplary efforts to impact the youth of their community,” said Melissa Robbins, NAWDP’s Chief Executive Officer. “Robert’s passion for his community and dedication to its youth, combined with his strength in collaboration have yielded amazing opportunities for youth who are at risk of involvement with gangs and the violence they involve.”
David is an Air Force veteran with over 25 years of strategic planning and community development experience. He is also an accomplished author and motivational speaker with a proven record of generating and building relationships, managing projects from concept to completion, designing collaborative strategies, and coaching individuals to success. David possesses a Masters in Professional Counseling and is currently a Doctoral candidate in Industrial/Organizational Psychology.
“This award is precious to me because not only does it highlight my efforts, but also the efforts of the city of Danville, Virginia’s collaborative partners who assisted in creating spaces of equity in systems where inequality created barriers for employment with youth. This award is a testament to the impact of community collaboration,” said David.
About NAWDP
NAWDP provides education, resources, and certification credibility to individuals seeking to thrive as thought leaders and innovators in the workforce development industry. As the leading advocate for workforce development professionals, NAWDP builds relationships and connections with other industry-leading organizations to challenge and collaborate for the advancement of the industry. NAWDP is the heartbeat of workforce development. For more information on NAWDP’s programs, CWDP Certification, and membership go to www.nawdp.org.