laborradio on January 25, 2013
This report was made possible in part by a grant from the Berger-Marks Foundation.
THE NUMBER OF WORKING YOUTH AGES 16 TO 24 PLUNGED TO 16 PERCENT, WHICH IS TWICE THE NATIONAL AVERAGE.
THE DROP IN YOUTH EMPLOYMENT IS EXACERBATED BY THE FACT THAT MANY DO NOT ATTEND SCHOOL.
UNLESS SOMETHING IS DONE TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM, YOUTH ADVOCATES SAY THE RISING NUMBER OF YOUNG PEOPLE WHO DON’T WORK OR ATTEND SCHOOL WILL HAVE FAR-REACHING IMPLICATIONS.
FSRN’S LEILANI ALBANO REPORTS.
Nancy Ruiz didn’t think that landing a job out of high school would be so difficult.
After all, she was an “all-around student” who participated in sports, leadership activities and outside events.
But without work experience, no one would hire her.
(4 seconds)(Ruiz) So I was unemployed for nearly three years, maybe more.
Her problems were compounded by the fact that she often lacked the funds to pay for community college.
(Ruiz)(11 seconds) It was kinda’ like a reality check. People expect you to hit 21 and be out of the house, but they don’t want to hire you? So it kinda’ doesn’t make sense.
Her experiences are not uncommon.
According to the Annie E. Casey Foundation, a children’s advocacy group, the number of so-called “disconnected youth”, who are neither working nor attending school, has ballooned to 6.5 million teens and young adults.
Experts say the upswing has serious social and economic implications, with many youth likely joining the ranks of the chronically unemployed.
(3 seconds)(Guadroan) The situation is very dire.
That was Jose Guadron, program supervisor with the
Archdiocese Youth Employment Program, in South LA.
(20 seconds)(Guadron) We have a lot of young people that just don’t have employment opportunities available to them. And with the recent decline of school offering in college classes, it’s going to make it even more challenging.
According to a recent Foundation study, 2.2 million youth ages 16-19 and 4.3 million young adults ages 20 to 24 are neither in school or are working.
Among them, youth of color are the hardest hit.
Fewer than 1 in 6 black and Asian teenagers and 1 in 5 Latino teen agers held jobs in 2011.
Page 3 and 5 of Foundation report. www.aecf.org/Newsroom/NewsRelea…ploymentSoars.aspx
Rory O’Sullivan, policy director for the youth advocacy group, the Young Invincibles, expects major problems ahead unless more is done to address the problem.
(O’Sullivan)(20 seconds) So there’s going to be a huge economic cost. Not just to young people who miss out on career opportunities but to all of us by not ensuring that everyone could be a productive member of society.
Decades ago, young people could more easily find entry-level work at manufacturing companies, fast-food restaurants and clothing shops.
But with joblessness rates among adults remaining stubbornly high, those positions are harder to come by.
Arianna Moore recalls having to compete with older, more experienced applicants for sales positions at an apparel store.
(8 seconds)(Moore) So I was with those who had 9 years in retail and I didn’t have any, although I had a job before.
Experts see this happening at workplaces across the board.
Laura Speer is an associate director with the Casey Foundation.
(Speer)(11 seconds) They oftentimes choose the older people that have that work experience because they know how to show up to work on time. They know how to potentially work with their co-workers.
Page 6
www.aecf.org/~/media/Pubs/Initi…ntyouthandwork.pdf
Changing technology is also putting a squeeze on available jobs for young people.
Speer says the number of positions that don’t require a lot of work experience, such as grocery jobs, are dwindling now that the work is becoming automated.
(5 seconds)(Speer)There are a lot of those kinds of jobs that are no longer available anymore in the current economy.
Teens and young adults who are unable to secure work will sometimes turn to crime.
A young Angeleno who goes by the name “John” says that he participated in a robbery when he was 16.
(7 seconds)(John) One of my friends wanted to rob a store. And so I didn’t have money at the time so I agreed. He got six years, since I was under 18, I only got nine months.
Archdiocese Youth Employment centers are among the several organizations throughout the nation that are working to address youth joblessness.
** (#118) Raise amby of AYE office
It’s where Nancy, Arianna and John have taken part in a program that provides resume and interview skills training as well as job placement opportunities.
** lower amby
Nancy was promoted to case manager at the center…
(15 seconds)(Nancy) It’s been great. I transitioned from being a volunteer and pretty much being an all-around helper to getting a stable job as a receptionist and I moved up to being a case manager.
Meanwhile, Arianna took a position at a nursery school.
(13 seconds)(Arianna)-(If you didn’t land this job, where’d you think you’d be right now?) I think I would honestly still be in front of a computer still searching for more jobs online.
And John also started working at a local warehouse, where he once served as an intern.
(John)(9 seconds) So I didn’t even have to finish the internship. They had offered me a job. So I was like wow, this program actually helped me. Now I know I could be successful.
All three are also working towards their college degrees.
While they benefited from the program, Guadron, says that such opportunities are far and few.
(15 seconds)(Guadron) Well definitely we’d like to see more investment in youth people. Opportunities are getting scarce. Funding such as ours is becoming more difficult to come by and are being reduced.
The Casey Foundation is working on solutions.
They include: developing national strategies to streamline systems and make financial aid more accessible; aligning resources; developing new ways to create jobs, as well as increasing employer-sponsored job programs for youth.