Research about the effectiveness of sponsored work experiences for youths with visual impairments is scarce, and the only research conducted on this topic has indicated that school-sponsored work experiences were not associated with future employment. In contrast, youths who found their own jobs had better future employment outcomes. Building on…

GPS Education Partners (GPSEd) is a community-based nonprofit organization and work-based learning intermediary offering a statewide manufacturing youth apprenticeship in Wisconsin. During their one to two years in the program, students meet high school graduation requirements, receive industry-specific and job-specific training, technical…

A decade after the Great Recession, millions of job seekers in their late teens and twenties--especially young people of color and youth from low-income families--are still struggling to land and keep meaningful work, even as the economy improves. Traditional education and training models are failing to equip them with the skills and credentials…

Australia entered the COVID-19 pandemic with a youth (15 to 24-year-old) unemployment rate of 11.6% in December 2019, three times higher than the 25 to 64-year-old unemployment rate of 3.6%. The strategies taken by governments to minimise the spread of COVID-19 have had widespread economic impacts. By July 2020, youth unemployment had risen to…

Classroom and laboratory instruction, FFA, and SAE have long represented the complete agricultural education program via the three-component model. While the model depicts three circles of equal size to represent these components, the focus and level of emphasis of each component within the agriculture program is the decision of the agriculture…

This report looks at strategies for sustaining and expanding Registered Apprenticeship pathways for opportunity youth amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. The report draws on promising practices from workforce boards and community-based organizations, and addresses topics including the digital divide, occupational mobility, and the provision of services…

The purpose of this publication is to provide guidance to Minnesota CareerForce youth development professionals on how to intentionally integrate the Guideposts for Success framework into the Individualized Learning Plan (ILP) model. Developed by PACER Center for Minnesota's Partners for Youth Disability Employment Initiative (DEI), this guide…

Work experiences are a critical component of preparing youth for transition to adulthood. Potential benefits for youth who participate in work experiences include: 1) gaining career readiness skills including the "soft skills" that employers look for in entry level workers; 2) increasing one's knowledge of specific occupational skills…

WorkReady programs offer young Philadelphians not only their first job, but skills for success. Young people who work during high school often master valuable skills that can help them do better in high school and college; learn new things that open their eyes to career possibilities; and earn more money later in life. When young people learn how…

This study, being conducted through the Center for Improving Research Evidence (CIRE) at Mathematica Policy Research for the venture philanthropy organization REDF (formerly The Roberts Enterprise Development Fund), presents the evidence on the effectiveness of interventions that include work experience as a strategy to improve employment outcomes…

All of today's young people need a rigorous academic program that prepares them for college and career success. But a growing body of research also suggests that low-income, high-risk teens who have opportunities to gain work experience and to connect education and work during high school are likely to do better in school and earn more throughout…

In the 21st century, the idea of preparing youth for the workforce has taken on new meaning. The shift to a knowledge economy has brought widespread concern that young people are entering the workforce without the skills employers value most, such as communication, critical thinking, leadership, and teamwork skills. As youth programs evaluate how…

This paper reports on an experiment to test youth employment as a tactic for delinquency prevention. Features of jobs that should cause young people to develop a stake in doing well are described. Three elements of the bond to work that enable the work experience to reduce delinquency are identified: commitment, attachment, and belief. Various…

A study examined the process of awarding credit to youth participating in a special group of employment and training programs. Using a student questionnaire, field researchers collected data concerning 21 Youthwork, Inc., Exemplary In-School Demonstration Projects with one of the following four program focus areas: academic credit for work…

The Young Adults Employment Supports Project (YES) of Matrix Research Institute (MRI) has been identified as an exemplary school-to-work program that includes students with disabilities. The program serves young persons with serious emotional disorders between the ages of 17-22 throughout Philadelphia who are preparing to exit special education…