1. Best Practices to Enhance the Employability of Young Adults
A Synthesis of the Available Literature

2. #1: Have a Clear Target Population
Effective programs don’t serve everyone
Clearly defined mission and goals
Goals and initiatives will vary greatly depending on target population
There needs to be a logical relationship between the initiative's mission, activities, and the youth it serves

3. #2: Focus on Employability Skills
77% of employers seek “soft skills” for entry-level employment
Two resources for employability skills:
Secretary’s Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS)
Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG)
Not exhaustive
No “best model” for teaching employability skills

4. #3: Provide Comprehensive Services
Effective programs take a holistic approach
E.g. Vocational training / GED and academic programs, mental health, substance abuse, logistical services, paid work experience, etc.
Services offered must meet the individual needs of participants

5. #4: Promote Positive Youth Development
Youth are developing physically and emotionally
Vary in their growth and maturity
Environment should be simultaneously safe, fun, and challenging
Three basic tenets effective programs employ:
Youth are resources and not simply recipients of service
Youth should be included in program decision making and viewed as partners
The program should focus on relationships and processes

6. #5: Recruit and Retain Quality Staff
Staff should be:
Qualified professionals
Able to effectively work with opportunity youth and provide them with the tools necessary to increase their employability
Staff with strong connections to community and employers are valuable
Employ a wide range of professionals
Support staff, teachers, counselors, vocational professionals, etc.
Model programs have minimal turnover
Cost prohibitive?

7. #6: Provide Follow-Up Services
Youth rotate through various jobs before settling into the labor market
Jobs often do not connect in obvious ways, however, when guided, young people can use each job as a bridge to the next and build an ever-broadening set of skills and competencies that contributes to their career preparation.
1+ years of follow-up services

8. #7: Intervene Early
Majority of national youth employment programs target youth between the ages of 16-24
Research findings
Earlier interventions = increased likelihood of effectiveness
“Cradle to Career” models

9. #8: Financial Incentives and Capability
Many programs incentivize participation with paid work opportunities, allowances, money for college, etc.
Allows for teachable moments and opportunities to increase youth financial capabilities
MyPath Savings Initiative
Banking & Savings model that integrates key financial capability components into workforce programs
Evaluations:
Significant increases in financial knowledge and self-efficacy
Youth made positive financial decisions more frequently

10. #9: Document Evidence of Success
Funding sources want data
Good data are necessary to measure outcomes, identify what works and what needs improvement
Simply measuring job placement rate is not adequate; need to measure all the initiative's objectives
Descriptive data, outcome data, comparative data
Data, analysis, and evaluation should be conducted by an independent research center or university
Credible results
Funders prefer this and may even fund evaluation studies

11. #10: Embrace Continuous Improvement
Use your data!
Good data can provide an initiative with actionable insights that can be used for planning, managing, and improving operations
Change and improvements should be welcomed
Identify areas in need of improvement, try something different, re-evaluate…cyclical process
Identify “bright spots”

12. Questions
Sarah Rain- Tyler Bellick-