by Mackenzie Dupre
Article One
I was fifteen years old when I applied for my first job. My resume was sparse, listing only my involvement in my church, some volunteer experience, babysitting, and my GPA. Fortunately, my employer saw potential in me and hired me as a seasonal employee working for the local town beach. This job was the start of my professional work experience, to be followed by five part time jobs at Lasell University and a few other internships and part-time positions. I was fortunate as most organizations require at least some previous work experience to gain employment. This makes it challenging for youth to find their first job. According to the Commonwealth Corporation (2016), “About half of today’s high school students have no job experience, leaving these young people at a distinct disadvantage for the future.”
YouthWorks is working to change the barrier to professional development that most teens face. YouthWorks is a youth employment program, funded by the state, that trains teens and young adults in the skills necessary to find and keep jobs.
The program places teens in summer or year-long jobs at public, private, and nonprofit organizations. The program is integral in promoting positive career outcomes such as increased earnings, higher chances of earning a bachelor’s degree, and an increased likelihood of obtaining higher level employment. Research demonstrates that: “students with early work experience also tend to find work later in higher-level occupations and have access to employer provided health insurance and pension plans." Work experience is an essential factor in promoting youth development and long-term success for teens and their communities.
In addition to providing a pipeline of skilled workers for employers, YouthWorks promotes academic development while decreasing criminal activity among participants. Research demonstrates that the Boston Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP), “raises the likelihood of graduating from high school on time by 5.3 percentage points (8% improvement) and of graduating at any point after participating in the program by 4.1 percentage points (6% improvement)." A similar SYEP in Chicago was found to have a significant effect in decreasing violent crime for the youth treatment group (43% decrease over 16 months). The YouthWorks program also provides economic relief as youth jobs provide direct income support for teens and their families. From 2010 – 2015, “more than 26,000 teens and young adults from low-income communities in 31 cities have taken a part in YouthWorks,” and the program has been growing ever since.
If you are looking for more information on YouthWorks, check out I Have a Future’s Campaign for Full Youth Employment and the Massachusetts Communities Action Network.
Works Cited
Mass Benchmarks. “Saving Summer Jobs: How Summer Youth Employment Programs Improve Youth Outcomes during COVID-19.” The Journal of Massachusetts Economy, vol. 22, no. 1, 2020, p. 34.
“YouthWorks: Putting Teens and Young Adults on the Path to Employment.” Commonwealth Corporation. 2016.
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