Executive Summary
Young adult career paths demand new investments from policy makers and employers, but determining what that investment should look like is a critical question. Young Invincibles, a national nonprofit amplifying the voices of young adults in the political process, developed this policy research report, Voices from Young Adult Workers: Policy Recommendations Informed by Labor Market Experiences, using young adult perspectives to inform policy solutions aimed at expanding career pathways.
Technological advancements, such as automation and artificial intelligence, are reshaping the labor market landscape for young adults, requiring them to reskill or upskill to stay competitive. Additionally, modern education challenges like credential inflation—where entry-level jobs demand more experience or education than ever before—further exacerbate barriers to meaningful employment. While some may overcome these obstacles, it’s often due to privilege, leaving economic inequality to turn these challenges into insurmountable barriers for young adults from historically marginalized communities. These emerging problems demand immediate policy intervention to help young adults build stackable credentials, gain career experience and exposure earlier, and remain adaptable in a rapidly evolving labor market.
We also gathered insights from stakeholders implementing workforce programs, such as the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) and the Registered Apprenticeship program, to ensure that our recommendations reflect the realities of both participants and program implementers.
The U.S. is on the verge of a labor market crisis unless we proactively realign educational and training to provide new pathways for disconnected and displaced young adult workers. Historically, the U.S. has had success in this, like in the Tennessee Valley Authority, where we put disconnected workers into careers building hydroelectric dams for an area of the nation lacking electrical power. Today is no different. We need to identify high-growth sectors and create accessible and equitable career pathways into them for all young adults.
