Leadership Institutions

San José focuses on leadership both out in the community and within City government itself. The City is committed to partnerships with non-profit organizations and neighborhood associations to increase organizational and leadership capacity community-wide. A variety of leadership programs and resources, including the Neighborhood Development Center Leadership Academy, San José Prepared! and the Mayor's Gang Prevention Task Force, serve to cultivate the diverse community leadership abilities needed in San José.

Youth leadership is a priority in San José as well. The City's Youth Commission provides leadership development for eleven youth representing neighborhoods throughout San José. Each Youth Commissioner provides direction and momentum for the Youth Advisory Council (YAC) within his or her district while cultivating members' leadership skills. Youth Commissioners and their respective YACs are established for the purpose of advising the City Council on youth-related issues and providing ongoing input into policies affecting the future of San José youth.

The City of San José also engages the community with leadership outreaches on a broad scale. For example, Project Diversity is a focused effort to encourage diverse citizen participation in City commissions and committees from residents throughout the community. Another example is the Strong Neighborhood Initiative, which builds leadership in residential areas by engaging residents in planning efforts to improve their own neighborhoods.

Within the City government organization itself, San José also strives to create leadership development opportunities. The City conducts a Leadership and Supervisory Academy for front-line supervisors. The 40-hour program is taught by senior city staff and addresses issues such as leadership and management, performance measures, and employee relations. The City is also proud of its Citywide Training Program open to all City employees and held during regular work hours. The mission of this program is to develop and maintain a high performing, committed workforce that meets the service delivery needs of the organization. Courses represent a myriad of topics ranging from project management to personal computing to specialized job enhancement skills.