Spotlight
Linking Youth to Our Economic Recovery
Labor Force Participation By Age 1980-2010
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. As the economy recovers, millions of young people with no work experience are finding it even more difficult to compete in the labor market. Youth unemployment has reached astonishing highs in the United States, particularly among black teens and those in high poverty areas or with disabilities.
The Campaign for Youth has proposed a jobs strategy that would link youth to our economic recovery. With the proper investment, already existing programs could create jobs and provide paid work experience as part of a community revitalization effort - infrastructure repair and improvement, construction of affordable housing and public facilities, provision of human services including health care services, and more. In addition to skills that will be transferable to other jobs, programs would provide education, training and community-based support to disconnected youth populations.
