Making youth employment work: essential elements for a successful strategy

Youth employment is a hot topic not only in the nonprofit world; savvy business leaders also know that training young workers holds the key to US competitiveness and their own business success. Young workers help businesses boost revenue, drive innovation, add workforce diversity, fill critical skills gaps, and create a robust talent pipeline. Yet while many companies are interested in unlocking the promise young people hold, most don’t know how to create a successful youth employment strategy. In fact, while 40 per cent of US employers struggle to fill more than five million open jobs,...  [+] Show more

Youth employment is a hot topic not only in the nonprofit world; savvy business leaders also know that training young workers holds the key to US competitiveness and their own business success. Young workers help businesses boost revenue, drive innovation, add workforce diversity, fill critical skills gaps, and create a robust talent pipeline. Yet while many companies are interested in unlocking the promise young people hold, most don’t know how to create a successful youth employment strategy. In fact, while 40 per cent of US employers struggle to fill more than five million open jobs, six million young adults are neither working nor in school. Through in-depth interviews and research common barriers that block many employers from developing a business-focused youth talent pipeline have been identified in this white paper. Practical strategies that successful companies are using to overcome such barriers are also included.

Edited excerpts from publication.