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SPOTLIGHT ON EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUTH
demonstrate success, collecting credible data or other evidence to measure operational effectiveness
and the achievement ofdesired outcomes.
The 32 programs identified by PEPNet as exemplary demonstrate that varied approaches
are effective in preparing young people, even those most at risk, for work that leads to
self-sufficiency. One recent PEPNet awardee is the Milwaukee Community Service Corps,
which promotes the virtues of work and social responsibility through community service.
Participants engage in projects ranging from home renovations and graffiti removal to antihunger
campaigns and urban gardening. Some ofthe assignments are designed to give enrollees
experience that can improve their chances of winning formal union apprenticeships and
permanent, full-time jobs. The program also provides academic instruction to help participants
obtain a high school general equivalency degree (GED) or pursue higher education.
Another award winner is the Academy for Career Excellence, a program ofJobs for Youth
in New York City. The academy provides comprehensive educational and job training services
to prepare out-of-school youths for career-track employment. Several corporations and government
agencies participate by offering internships that may lead to full-time paid positions. In
1996,65 percent of the young people in the program were placed in career-trackjobs.
PEPNet has also recognized the Gulf Coast Trade Center in New Waverly, Texas. This
residential training facility provides basic and vocational education, GED preparation, community
service and work experience, and counseling and social services to more than 400 young
people referred by the courts each year. A majority have been placed in jobs at an average wage
of $7.50 per hour, 60 percent have attained a GED, and the recidivism rate has been less than
10 percent. (Additional information about the PEPNet program can be found on the Web at
www.nyec.org.)
What needs to be done. The Census Bureau projects that in the next 15 years the number of
young adults ages 18 to 24 will increase by almost 22 percent, from slightly under 25 million to
more than 30 million. At the same time, fewer and fewer job opportunities will be available to
those without the skills needed in the 21st century. A high school diploma is the miuimum
requirement, but it is only the first step. The Bureau ofLabor Statistics predicts that job growth
in the coming decade will take place generally in fields that require at least an associate's degree.
Unless we improve employment prospects for young people through job traiuing, vocational
classes, and postsecondary education, a sizable number will be trapped in low-wage jobs and
poverty.
We must invest in youth training, youth development, and youth employment programs,
both summer and year-round, to help young people become productive members of the work
force and society. We need national leadership to support and expand the innovative and
creative efforts in many local communities. The federal government should design a comprehensive
and coherent strategy to equip young people for careers in an increasingly competitive
work environment. Without solid avenues to jobs that offer adequate economic rewards, at-risk
youths are left with little hope for a better future. Moreover, the nation will keep paying a high
price in terms ofviolence, drug abuse, teen pregnancy, and the impoverishment ofvast numbers
ofyoung Americans.
CHILDREN'S DEFENSE FUND 91