Career Exploration

This report presents a study by the Center for Promise that examines how relationships help keep young people in school and on the path to adult success. In this study, the research team explores how relationships nurture employment and economic success for the young people at four career development and workforce readiness programs across the country. The four programs--located in Dallas, the Bronx, Washington, DC, and the San Francisco Bay Area--are part of a group of Youth Opportunity Fund community partners supported by the Citi Foundation’s Pathways to Progress initiative, a three-year, $50 million investment to give 100,000 low-income youth in the US the opportunity to develop the workplace skills and leadership experience needed to compete in today’s economy. Research findings include the following: 1) Relationships, including supportive relationships with program leaders, potential employers, volunteers, and program participants, come first; 2) Webs of support are integral to the program design; 3) Relationships endure and extend beyond the program; and 4) Relationship-building approaches differ depending on who the program serves.  

This report is the third in a series from the Center for Promise (CfP) about how society can better support young people in graduating from high school and transitioning to college and careers. The author synthesizes the research conducted by CfP over the past five years that has delved into the lives of young people in the US who have left school without graduating or who are disconnected from the workforce. Through its research, CfP has sought to combine systematic, social science methodologies and analysis with the authentic voices of young people to provide a more accurate depiction of who “those” young people are and what they can achieve. (author abstract modified)

This white paper from the American Youth Policy Forum looks at how the workforce sector’s goal of developing a well prepared and highly skilled workforce aligns with the youth development field’s mission to help young people succeed. The authors discuss the need and benefits of aligning afterschool programs with workforce systems to improve employability outcomes for youth. The report includes case studies and considerations for community leaders who are interested in aligning youth and workforce development efforts. (author abstract modified)