News

Large disparities exist in education and economic outcomes persist for youth from high-poverty areas both here in Michigan and across the nation. Summer jobs programs for at-risk-youth is a primary strategy for closing these gaps.

In partnership with the University of Michigan’s Ginsberg Center, the Youth Policy Lab, University Human Resources and Washtenaw County community partners, Poverty Solutions will launch an innovative effort to expand on the county’s Summer Youth Employment Program, offering placements for youth aged 16 and older on the Ann Arbor campus. Youth will be placed in a variety of jobs across the scope of the U-M enterprise, to allow understanding of the impact of the nature of the work on outcomes.

U-M associate professor of Social Work Trina Shanks, and co-authors Christine Robinson and Patrick Meehan, examine hallmarks of effective youth employment programs in a new report that spans several U.S. Cities, including Boston, Philadelphia, New York City, Chicago, Detroit, and Hartford, CT.

The report examines  public sector system alignment; educational outcomes; and collaborative models predictive of success. It also looks at implications for Detroit, specifically, and highlights Detroit’s program (Grow Detroit’s Young Talent).

 

Full Report: Hallmarks of Effective Youth Employment Programs from Research and Programs Across the United States (PDF)