Evidence-based Practice: Youth workforce development programs Breadcrumb Home Evidence-based Practices Youth Workforce Development Programs Definition Workforce development programs for disconnected youth can have positive effects on their education, employment, and earnings outcomes, although the evidence is mixed on which types of programs are most effective.1, 2 Examples of effective programs include the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe program, which offers a six-month residential program for youth who have dropped out of high school, followed by placement in employment, education, or the military and a year of structured mentoring. Experimental research found that the program increased educational attainment, employment, and earnings three years after enrollment.3 Another example is Youth Corps, which offers youth a stipend along with educational supports, employment and training, and community service activities, and led to higher earnings (a more than $1,200 per year increase) for youth 18 months after enrollment; however, it had no impacts on employment or education, and the program was not equally effective in all participating sites.4, 5 Internship programs for youth and young adults also have shown encouraging findings. A study of the Young Adult Internship Program (now known as Intern & Earn), which offers disconnected youth a 10- to 12-week paid internship, along with job readiness workshops and individualized supports, found that the program increased earnings for participants a year after completing their internship.6 YearUp—which offers six months of intensive training followed by paid six-month internships in the fields of information technology and financial operations to youth from low-income households—improved earnings measured three years after participation (though not after four years).7, 8 There are also examples of programs that have not yielded consistent benefits for participants; for example, evidence on summer job programs for youth is mixed.9, 10, 11 The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) recommends that youth programs include multiple elements, including education and other supportive services, work experience, occupational skills training, mentoring, leadership development opportunities, and follow-up support.12 Related indicators Outcomes & Milestones Successful career transition after high school Participation in work-based learning Minimum economic return Employment in a quality job E-W System Conditions Expenditures on workforce development programs Access to ongoing career skills development Access to jobs paying a living wage Related essential questions Are students graduating from high school on time and successfully transitioning into further education, training, or employment? Are there quality pathways for students who pursue career training that lead to employment in quality jobs? Are students completing credentials of value after high school that set them up for success in the workforce? Are students gaining access to quality jobs that offer economic mobility and security after high school or postsecondary training and education? References 1Deutsch, J., Allison-Clark, K., & Yanez, A. (2021). A research evidence scan of key strategies related to WIOA. Mathematica. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED614830 2Clearinghouse for Labor Evaluation and Research (CLEAR). (2017). Apprenticeship and work-based training. U.S. Department of Labor, CLEAR. https://www.apprenticeship.gov/employers/registered-apprenticeship-program3Clearinghouse for Labor Evaluation and Research (CLEAR). (n.d.). Evidence on the effectiveness of the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program. U.S. Department of Labor, CLEAR. https://clear.dol.gov/synthesis-report/evidence-effectiveness-national-guard-youth-challenge-program 4Clearinghouse for Labor Evaluation and Research (CLEAR). (2013b). National evaluation of Youth Corps: Findings at follow-up (Price et al. 2011). U.S. Department of Labor, CLEAR. https://clear.dol.gov/study/national-evaluation-youth-corps-findings-follow-price-et-al-2011 5New York City, Department of Youth & Community Development. (n.d.). Jobs and internships: Intern & Earn Program. https://www1.nyc.gov/site/dycd/services/jobs-internships/intern-and-earn.page 6Skemer, M., Sherman, A., Williams, S., & Cummings, D. (2017). Reengaging New York City’s disconnected youth through work: Implementation and early impacts of the young adult internship program. OPRE Report 2017-22. Administration for Children & Families. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED574349 7Clearinghouse for Labor Evaluation and Research (CLEAR). (2014b). Sustained gains: Year Up’s continued impacts on young adults’ earnings (Roder & Elliot 2014). U.S. Department of Labor, CLEAR. https://clear.dol.gov/study/sustained-gains-year-%E2%80%99s-continued-impacts-young-adults%E2%80%99-earnings-roder-elliot-20148What Works Clearinghouse (WWC). (2021d). Year Up. U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences. https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/InterventionReport/722 9Clearinghouse for Labor Evaluation and Research (CLEAR). (2014c). Enriching summer work: An evaluation of the Summer Career Exploration Program (McClanahan et.al. 2004). U.S. Department of Labor, CLEAR. https://clear.dol.gov/study/enriching-summer-work-evaluation-summer-career-exploration-program-mcclanahan-etal-200410Carter, E. W., Trainor, A. A., Ditchman, N., & Owens, L. (2011). A pilot study connecting youth with emotional or behavioral difficulties to summer work experiences. Career Development for Exceptional Individuals, 34(2), 95–106. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ930942 11Heller, S. (2014). Summer jobs reduce violence among disadvantaged youth. Science, 346(6214), 1219–1223. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1257809 12State of California Employment Development Department (EDD). (2018). WIOA youth program requirements. EDD. https://www.edd.ca.gov/jobs_and_training/pubs/wsd17-07.pdf