Conversations with Young People: Employment during COVID-19
COVID-19 has wreaked havoc on the nation’s employment landscape, and young people are at particular risk. They’re often the first to be let go, the last to be hired, and major employers of young people—including the food service and hospitality industries—are significantly impacted by the pandemic. The YES Project has been speaking with young people representing various stages of education and employment to learn firsthand about their job experiences during COVID-19 and their advice for how decision makers can support them at this unprecedented time.
The current state of youth (un)employment speaks for itself: 1.8 million young Americans (ages 16-24) want to work, are actively searching, yet still can’t find a job.
Beyond these alarming numbers, youth employment matters:
- It strengthens young people’s confidence and ties to the labor market;
- Sets young individuals on a secure and fulfilling career pathway; and
- Adds a broader pool of talent to the workforce and boosts the economy.
That’s why the YES (Young, Employed, Successful) Project, a national initiative launched by America’s Promise Alliance, was created to support and grow our youth workforce so that every young person seeking a job can find a job.
To tackle this ambitious goal, the YES Project teamed up with nonprofits, researchers, and employers and landed on three conditions for success: ready, connected, and supported (RCS). The RCS framework is the backbone of the YES Project and serves as a consensus point for everyone– from public officials, community leaders and young people themselves – to drive action towards increasing youth employment.
The YES project is driven by these three activities:
Ready, Connected, Supported Framework
Ready, Connected, and Supported is the guiding force behind the YES Project, uniting all stakeholders behind this shared vision to help young people achieve workplace success and career development.
Finding a Way Forward
How do young people become ready for, connected to, and supported in the world of work? New qualitative research yields important and timely insights from young people themselves.
Action Round Table
Communities across the country are putting the ready, connected, and supported framework into action. Check out what’s happening in these four communities to help young people gain meaningful employment
#PledgeYES
Commit today to help young people access career opportunities by expanding their network, giving advice on the job search and interview process, and providing support before, during, and after employment.
Finding a Way Forward
Is our new qualitative study that explores specific questions about work and careers from the perspectives of 65 young adult participants in five career pathways programs across the country.
Grounded in the key components of the YES Project Ready, Connected, Supported framework, this report provides a glimpse into young people’s perceptions of their career journeys amidst today’s changing employment landscape—specifically those young people who represent groups often excluded from policy conversations: young people of color, those whose families have immigrated to the United States in search of new opportunities, and those from economically disadvantaged and working-class backgrounds. By elevating young people’s perspectives, this report aims to expand understanding of the most important components of early career development in ways that can inform youth-centered research, policy, and practice.
Four Opportunity Youth Forum Communities were selected to join the YES Project’s Action Roundtable cohort. Action Roundtables consist of communities working to improve youth employment outcomes by convening diverse stakeholders and moving them towards action. Cohort members contribute to existing youth employment systems, assist with youth job placement, and/or create pathways for youth employment.
To learn more about the Action Roundtables, check as out our key takeaways document below that touches on key themes of the gatherings to enhance collective understanding about what it takes for communities to work together to connect young people to employment opportunities. Below, you'll also find APA's own Fito Akinrade's blog about her experience with each of the communities. These lessons will inform the YES Project’s ongoing work, including its second series of Action Roundtables with new grantees.
The Los Angeles Opportunity Youth Collaborative
Thrive Chicago
Capital Workforce Partners
Ancestral Lands Hopi Program
#PledgeYES and stay connected with the campaign
I #PledgeYES to do my part to ensure young people — outside of my network — are ready to enter the workforce with confidence; connected to the networks, relationships, and resources needed to access new opportunities; and supported with the training, coaching, and skills needed to excel.
I am committing to:
- Connect young people with employment opportunities and valuable contacts;
- Give advice on the job search and interview process; and
- Provide support to young people after employment.
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Latest Resources
Finding A Way Forward: Young People's Experiences Navigating the World of Work
Ready, Connected, Supported: A Framework for Youth Workforce Development and the YES Project
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I Pour Life
I Pour Life is a non-profit working to eradicate extreme poverty and social isolation by developing people. For over 10 years, they have championed the Development Theory as an effective solution for breaking the poverty cycle and building future focused mindsets in at-risk youth. Their LifeStrengths program and LifeCoaching Model specifically addresses the gap in developing the most at-risk youth in the U.S. foster care system, our schools, and homeless shelters and has provided 1-on-1 services for over 350 youth in the State of Missouri.
The statistics surrounding the most at-risk youth, older foster youth ages 14 to 21, is staggering and costly (Cost Of Doing Nothing Executive Summary). Social isolation is a statistical given concerning older foster kids with most youth reporting one or none for positive adult relationships in their lives. COVID-19 has compounded this by limiting their opportunities to build Social Capital both in and outside of schools, group homes, and shelters. The 1-on-1 personalized approach each LifeCoach takes with program participants is more important than ever as the effects of COVID-19 have taken a particularly difficult toll on these youth.
It takes a specialized approach to truly advance an at-risk youth out of the poverty mindset and despite the current social distancing barriers, I Pour Life adapted its LifeCoaching Model to build a genuine coaching relationship even in the virtual environment. Throughout the pandemic, I Pour Life’s Certified LifeCoaches have asked the question, “How do we engage youth more effectively and reduce barriers to making a meaningful connection?” As more and more community partners communicate the need for additional support for at-risk youth, I Pour Life has begun to work with organizations to help transition their services to adapt to the unique needs of youth in a COVID-19 world.
The YES Project is possible thanks to the generous support of AT&T, Carnegie Corporation of New York and State Farm.
The Steering Committee for the YES Project can be found here.