Reauthorize WIOA for youth employment

Lack of employment opportunities for youth in low-income and other marginalized communities contributes to negative outcomes such as lower adult earnings and increased risk of criminal legal system involvement and early mortality. Among teenagers 16 to 19 years old, the unemployment rates were highest for Black youth, Hispanic/Latino youth, and Asian youth.[1] Similarly, American Indian/Alaska Native youth were less likely to be employed than other youth.[2]

Youth employment programs provide employment for youth who work at selected employers during the summer, and often include job readiness training and other supports. These programs have been shown to reduce youth violence by providing opportunities to learn interpersonal skills from positive role models and mentors and to improve confidence and self-control through work experience. Researchers found that summer employment offered to youth through the One Summer Plus (OSP) in Chicago resulted in 43 percent fewer youth violent crime arrests.[3] Another study of a youth employment program in New York City found increased earnings for youth and decreased incarceration and mortality.[4]

While youth employment programs drive positive outcomes, they unfortunately often lack the resources to address the oftentimes significant mental health needs of the youth they serve. A recent survey of youth programs found that 90 percent or more reported observing anxiety or depression among youth, and 60 percent of programs believed more than half of their youth needed mental health services. Yet 64 percent did not have a process for screening or monitoring youth’s mental health needs, and 89 percent were unable to provide quality mental health training to staff.[5] Youth employment programs face challenges related to limited and unstable funding, insufficient capacity and quality (including related to helping address youth’s mental health needs), and lack of coordination and evaluation.

Congress has contributed to these challenges by allowing WIOA, the primary federal funding source for youth employment, to expire in fiscal year 2020. As a result, WIOA programs have relied on short-term extensions through annual appropriations bills. Congress should reauthorize WIOA and increase investment levels, particularly given the unprecedented mental health challenges youth are facing in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.[6] Furthermore, Congress should dedicate funding to increase the availability of mental health services and supports among youth employment programs.[5]