"While many youth become disconnected from education and employment, we  believe that with the right interventions and supports, these young  people could begin to change the trajectory of their lives. Businesses  can play an important role in making this happen and can help these  youth get on a pathway to a better
future. And businesses benefit from  this work, too. Companies already involved in programs that serve this  group of youth describe a range of positive outcomes resulting from  these activities, including increases in employee engagement, customer  loyalty, and employee retention."
This toolkit, created in collaboration with the White House Council for Community Solutions, helps employers support young people with three "lanes" of employment programs. More information...

In a new KIDS COUNT policy report, the Casey Foundation finds that nearly 6.5 million U.S. teens and young adults are neither in school nor in the workforce. With employment among young people at its lowest levels since the 1950s, these youth are veering toward chronic unemployment as adults and failing to gain the skills employers need in the 21st century. In addition to new national and state data on the issue, the report offers recommendations to support youth in gaining a stronger foothold in the economy. Kids Count website...

The Department of Labor details the WIA Youth program in a new publication. WIA Youth services are designed for youth who are low-income, in- or out-of-school, aged 14-21 with one or more of the following barriers to employment: (1) deficient in basic literacy skills; (2) a school dropout; (3) homeless, a runaway, or in foster care; (4) pregnant, or parenting; (5) an offender; or (6) an individual (including a youth with a disability) who requires additional assistance to complete an educational program or to secure and hold employment. These youth are eligible to receive services to prepare them for post-secondary educational and employment opportunities, attain educational and/or skills training credentials, and secure employment.

This program is designed to improve the long-term job prospects of young people by providing basic skills, work readiness skills, occupational training, and citizenship skills. Local communities collaborate and establish partnerships, bringing together local workforce training providers, schools, community-based organizations, and other entities. WIA calls on local areas to create opportunities for youth that integrate key programmatic components such as preparation for post-secondary opportunities, linkages between academic and occupational learning, connections to the local job market, and appropriate follow-up services.

Social Impact Research, the research division of Root Cause, releases an issue brief outlining the potential positive impact of re-engaing out of school and work youth in education, training and the workforce. According to research, effective investments in "disengaged youth" could reverse staggering individual and societal costs:

           $ 306,906         Lifetime cost of one high school dropout to the government
           $ 65.8 billion     Potential earnings loss of disengaged youth

Preparing disengaged youth for and connecting them to meaningful work experience can, according to the brief:
1. Encourage youth to re-engage with school
2. Develop academic persistence and career aspirations
3. Enable youth to gain valuable transferable job skills 
4. Reduce risky and deviant behaviors such as criminal activity, drug use, pregnancy, and violence
5. Reduce isolation for youth
6. Increase their self-awareness, resilience, hopefulness, and ability to cope with traumatic experience

For more information on the costs of disengaged youth, the barriers experienced by at-risk youth, and the qualities of effective programs...

            Social Issue Report: Youth Career Development