Eduployment – An Opportunity for America’s Youth

Eduployment. It may be a funny word but it is certainly not a funny topic.

Youth unemployment is at the highest levels since World War II. Without a way to learn to navigate the workplace, build skills, and earn income, young people are unable to make the transition to adulthood. In Generation Jobless, the Economist explains that “...people who begin their careers without work are likely to have lower wages and greater odds of future joblessness than those who don’t. A wage penalty of up to 20%, lasting for around 20 years, is common. The scarring seems to worsen fast with the length of joblessness and is handed down to the next generation, too.” This generation of young adults is bearing the burden, as will their children and our nation as a whole

The Youth Transition Funders Group is releasing a new paper Eduployment: Creating Opportunity Policies for America’s Youth today. (Disclaimer: I am the author). It calls for an overhaul of youth policy based on eduployment -- to ensure that young people successfully navigate our education systems AND the labor market. The United States needs a coherent policy based on today’s economic and social dynamics in which students balance education and work rather than those of the 1970’s. Given the size of the crisis, piecemeal policies and fragmented funding is inappropriate. Powerful investments are needed to get youth unemployment under control.

Did you just have a thought of "not possible" flash through your mind. The first step towards a new opportunity policy for youth is about believing -- believing we can do it.  After decades of having funds chipped away, far too many of us no longer believe we can get our federal or state governments to make significant investment in youth. Or perhaps we don’t just don't know how to do it. Thus, the first steps are to overcome our own belief systems and admit that we don't know how.  That's our biggest battle -- from there we can work together to figure out what needs to be done. And do it.

It is possible to generate public investment and redeployment of resources in this economic environment. The airline industry just did it last week. If they did it, so can we. 

This crisis is hurting the bottom line, our nation’s bottom line. Now we just need to make so much noise that our national, state and local leaders have no other option than to respond.