(972) 510-3395 | [email protected] (Washington, DC) – Today, Young Invincibles released Reimagining Federal Pell Grants: Reshaping the Talent Pipeline for Young Adults, examining how access to financial aid for short-term credentials could assist young adults aspiring to gain new skills or reskill for the workforce. In this brief, we find that providing the young adult workforce with access to career training or reskilling opportunities, specifically among young adults from historically marginalized communities, creates opportunity for them to enter new workforce sectors and gain economic mobility. Below are a few key figures and data on the national landscape:
- Publicly available data from the American Community Survey, shows that young adults of all education levels are most frequently occupying jobs that do not require formal credentials (i.g. Cashiers, retail salespersons, customer service representatives, cooks, or laborers).
- Average pay ($27,379) for young adults in these careers was significantly lower than the national median.
- For young adults from historically marginalized communities, the percentage of their total labor force working these jobs was significantly higher than white young adult workers.
- Women of color occupied these jobs at the high percentages:
- Black young adult women above 20%
- Indigenous young adult women at 19%
- Young adult women who identified with more than race at 20%
“Access to high-paying jobs and necessary resources to support young adult workers is essential, however it is not the reality. In truth, many young adults are working multiple jobs to stay afloat due to rising inflation and stagnant wages. More and more are seeking alternative paths for continuing education after high school, yet many of them do not have the ability to take advantage of these programs. Short-term credentials and certificate training lack federal student aid and are a benefit left to those who have the time and money to afford them. Short-Term Pell Grants can be one important policy to invest in our workforce and provide unique opportunities for young adults to explore career options while bridging gaps in industries where skilled workers are limited. Any expansion of Federal Pell Grants must include quality guardrails, which are data-informed, designed with a racial equity lens to protect students and taxpayers. Short-Term Pell Grants will help remove barriers to those interested but burdened by the cost and let many young adults explore new careers or re-skill in an entirely new industry. Furthermore, alongside credit articulation agreements, this acts as an on-ramp back into higher education for young adults who never started or finished college. Access to affordable credentials, certificates, and postsecondary education is essential to the economic well-being of young adults, Short-Term Pell Grants can be an important way to expand educational opportunities for more students.”
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Emma Bittner