[April 1, 2021] The American Jobs Plan presents more than an opportunity to rebuild America’s economy; it offers an opportunity to redress deep seated racial inequities and invest in our nation’s infrastructure, community development, and care economy. By targeting and prioritizing historically oppressed communities in publicly-funded employment opportunities, we can create pathways to opportunity to those whom this nation has systemically excluded. NYEC along with other national partners are advocating for an expansive subsidized jobs program that prioritizes youth. Stay up-to-date on our efforts by signing up for our newsletter below and joining the NYEC network. 

The National Youth Employment Coalition (NYEC) invites you to join hundreds of young leaders, practitioners, policymakers and experts like yourself for a virtual four-day convening in June! This conference will feature a pre-conference, ample opportunities to connect with attendees, youth-led and designed workshops, happy/social networking hours, and dynamic and engaging sessions. Session proposals can be submitted here. Register today!

[Feb. 24, 2021] Congress must prioritize well-being and expanded educational and economic opportunities for young people in the American Rescue Plan. Even before the pandemic, all young people, and especially young people of color and those who live in under-resourced communities, were facing declining economic prospects and worsening mental health. In the last year, things have gotten worse. We have seen the unemployment rate, poverty rate, and disconnection rate for youth and young adults across the country skyrocket. 

The National Youth Employment Coalition, with support from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, has released Job Training for Youth with Justice Involvement: A Toolkit. The toolkit will help leaders and practitioners in both the juvenile justice system and workforce development system collaborate to effectively serve youth with justice involvement. This toolkit, directed at practitioners and leaders in the juvenile-justice system and others with limited familiarity with the workforce development system:

• Outlines evidence-based practices in youth workforce development,
• Provides an overview of the workforce system funded under the federal Workforce
  Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA),
• Makes recommendations for how to make WIOA-funded services work better for
  youth with justice involvement at the local level, and
• Lays out some key steps to forming effective interagency partnerships. 

Now more than ever our communities, workforce systems, and youth need bold solutions in the face of an unprecedented downturn caused by the outbreak of COVID-19. NYEC along with several national organizations that advocate on behalf of and with Opportunity Youth have come together to craft shared recommendations for the next phase of federal action to respond to COVID-19.

NYEC is convening several national partners to craft a set of principles and model policies for how to engage opportunity youth in the growing green economy. We are working to launch a coalition throughout the country that will build on existing dialogues around green jobs, environmental awareness, and workforce development. Visit our website here.