As America's youth face an unprecedented unemployment crisis, only further exacerbated by the recession, what can lawmakers do to help this vulnerable population? Youth experts and advocates focused on the urgent need for Congress to intervene and aid disconnected youth at the "Working for Change" public policy forum on Capitol Hill this summer.
Time is running out for our nation's youth. In a last ditch effort to secure funding for summer and year-round youth employment, the National Youth Employment Coalition (NYEC) - a member of the Campaign for Youth steering committee - is coordinating a "Speak Out for Youth Employment" Day of Action on Tuesday, May 11.
Out of school youth are more likely to be unemployed or drop out of the workforce completely, and have increased involvement with the welfare and legal systems, a new Brookings Institute report confirms. The report also report recommends federal investment in youth development programs to reconnect out of school, out of work youth.
CFY actively submits comments, recommendations, and testimony to the Administration and Congress to improve outcomes for youth and increase investments in communities to support reconnecting youth. Read the Campaign's letter to the House and Senate Budget Committees.
Young workers have been especially hard hit by the recession, according to a report released last week by the Economic Policy Institute (EPI). As older workers delay retirement or reenter the workforce because of the bad economy, teenagers and young adults face an even greater unemployment crisis.
The Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration released a report last week detailing the immense success of the youth job program made possible in 2009 by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
In a disappointing move Tuesday, the Senate voted down the Youth Summer Jobs Amendment, proposed by Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) to provide $1.5 billion through the Workforce Investment Act for summer jobs programs and year-round employment, continuing education and support for young people.
A year ago, Congress passed and the President signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), providing much-needed money to help communities across the country, including investments in programs that serve disconnected youth - ages 16-24, out of school, and out of work.
To contend with our increasingly competitive global economy, our nation needs a highly-skilled workforce. This will not be possible if current realities aren't addressed. An estimated one third of high school students will not graduate. Minorities and those living in high-poverty areas are even less likely to complete their high school education.
We all know that putting people back to work will help the economy. What if, in the process, you could make your community a better place? A job that revitalizes your neighborhood could also provide on-the-job training for a youth or young adult who would otherwise struggle to find a job.
Youth in high poverty communities, those with disabilities and black teens – whose “official” unemployment rate rose nearly eight points this month to 49.4 percent – have been particularly hard hit. Unless their needs are addressed through recovery or other jobs legislation, youth and young adults – especially those with limited education and job skills – will be left behind when the economy recovers and jobs become available.
The Campaign for Youth focuses attention on the needs of young people who are out of work, out of school and out of the mainstream. Campaign for Youth advocates for the expansion of those opportunities and supports that prepare youth for their future roles as workers, parents, civic leaders and engaged members of caring communities.
More than 5.4 million youth (ages 16 – 24) are not in school and do not have a job! According to the March 2010 BLS report, only 38 percent of high school dropouts ages 16 to 24 are employed.
The Campaign for Youth brings together national and local youth policy leaders to create a strong collective voice that transcends individual organizational agendas to promote actionable solutions for youth.
Read about youth employment and education in the news!
