Youth Employment

Nearly all young people—96.9 percent—hold at least one job between the ages of 18 and 22 (U.S. Department of Labor, 2010). Some work part-time or summers only, while others see full-time permanent employment as their path to economic independence. Employment can be beneficial for youth by teaching responsibility, organization, and time management and helping to establish good work habits, experience, and financial stability (Child Trends, 2010). Knowing how to find and keep a job is not only critical for admission to the adult world, but is an important survival skill for which there is little in the way of formal, structured preparation.

View References References

Child Trends. (2010). Youth employment. Retrieved from http://www.childtrendsdatabank.org/?q=node/373

U.S. Department of Labor. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2010). America’s youth at 22: School enrollment, training, and employment transitions between ages 21 and 22 [News release]. USDL-10-0099. Retrieved from http://stats.bls.gov/news.release/archives/nlsyth_01282010.pdf (pdf, 11 pages)

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	Developing Programs for Youth in Allied Health Careers The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) at the Department of Labor (DOL) is making considerable investments in projects that focus on preparing participants for employment in the health care sector.
	Training Young Adults How To Save At Work The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and America Saves are collaborating nationally to promote saving at work for young adults.
	Add Us In Add Us In is a new initiative sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP). The initiative is designed to increase the ability of companies to employ both adults and youth with disabilities...
	Supporting Summer Youth Employment Programs With the arrival of summer, communities are looking for ways to engage youth in supportive, pro-social activities. Summer youth employment programs are a popular strategy in many communities to ensure that youth gain valuable workforce experience and have a safe, productive way to spend their time.
	Pilot Project Helps YouthBuild Address Youth Substance Abuse One of the biggest challenges at most YouthBuild employment and training programs funded by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) is how to identify and address alcohol and drug use among students.
	The CITY Project Using a broad-based community collaboration approach, the CITY Project is working in Broome County and New York City to empower at-risk youth to become community change agents.
	The Youth Career Café - Empowering Youth to Succeed in the Real World The Department of Labor funds youth training and employment programs under the Workforce Investment Act; funds are provided to states and then to local areas to deliver services.
	A Hand and Paw Partnership Benefits Homeless Youth Dogs, and people, learn new tricks at the Virginia Woof Dog Daycare Center in Portland, OR. Owned and operated by Outside In, a social service agency that serves homeless youth and low-income adults, the doggie daycare provides job training for 25 formerly homeless young people every year.