NCJ Number
121007
Journal
Future Choices: Toward a National Youth Policy Dated: Premier Edition (Spring 1989) Pages: 40-52
Date Published
1989
Length
13 pages
Annotation
The employment and training needs of disadvantaged youth are examined in terms of the extent of the problem, Federal policies and funding, and proposals for action.
Abstract
Data on unemployment show that many poor and minority youths growing up in depressed communities lack the support systems needed to convince them to finish school and compete for jobs. The Federal government provides extensive aid for students enrolled in higher education, but it makes no comparable commitment to ensure help for teenagers who try to make the transition directly from high school to work. In fact, Federal funds for youth employment have been cut during the 1980's. As a result, unemployment among teenage youths is substantially higher than that for older persons. Future options include expanding the Job Training Partnership Act, establishment of a youth service corps, establishment of a training wage below the minimum wage, more effective targeting of Federal job training funds, expansion of locally based community learning centers, and development of programs to prepare youth for apprenticeships or the military. Reference notes.