Youth Employment Programming that Works:
A Discussion with the PEPNet 2001 Awardees
A Forum — December 13, 2001
Six years ago, the National Youth Employment Coalition, assisted by a diverse group of youth employment development experts from around the country, developed PEPNet -- Promising and Effective Practices Network -- to improve programming provided to youth; to encourage policy that supports effective programs; and to increase support for investments in effective youth programs. PEPNet’s set of effective practice criteria and the programs that it recognizes each year as meeting these criteria, form the basis for a range of materials, tools and information that PEPNet, with support from the U.S. Department of Labor, provides the field. Programs recognized as exemplifying PEPNet’s criteria have engaged in a rigorous selection process that includes a comprehensive application and review by a volunteer board of peers with expertise in the youth employment and development field.
Today’s forum allowed policymakers to hear from youth and practitioners from PEPNet programs recognized in 2001. Paul Masiarchin, Project Manager for PEPNet described the PEPNet program as both a window and a mirror. PEPNet’s self assessment and application process, 22 criteria, and a culture of continuous improvement serve as a tool, or mirror for youth development and employment programs to examine themselves, and a window into effective practice for others. “PEPNet can help [policymakers] write policy to support the development or oversight of strong youth development and employment legislation,” said Masiarchin.
Policymakers learned that one of the major findings about effective youth programs is that there is no single model. Among the awardees present, three are school-based initiatives, two are neighborhood centers, and one is a residential corrections program. While most PEPNet-award winning programs serve young people in the city or county, one program operates in two states and another serves youth from across the state. Four of the initiatives target out-of-school youth, three serve students still in school and one serves both populations. Two awardees enroll primarily juvenile offenders.
When asked what constitutes quality youth programming, practitioners replied that it is important not to classify the program into silos. For example, youth development and employment should be grouped together because the programs aim to serve the whole youth. Practitioners expressed to the audience that they believe they are “treating” the whole individual, providing for their security and health. In many cases, this includes both mental and physical health. One practitioner added that it is important to identify and eliminate barriers for individuals with disabilities that prevent them from moving on to higher levels of development and employment.
Howard Knoll, former director of a PEPNet award-winning program, and currently serving at the U.S. Department of Labor asked the panel of youth how they got involved with their program. Knoll stated that this topic is rarely discussed in public forums, yet becoming more savvy about what attracts young people to programs is critically important and should be explored further. The young panelists responded, answering that peer, family relation, parole officer or counselor recommendations are the most popular introductions to their programs. Advertising with a flyer is helpful, but not as successful. Peer endorsement of a program, “A friend said this place is okay,” is the most powerful marketing tool, according to the young panelists.
In addition to preparing youth for life ahead, the programs, according to youth, serve as a supportive family unit. “I used to put myself down. They let me know that I wasn’t alone. I learned to trust them,” said one youth. “They supported me in bettering myself,” said a second youth. “It’s not just a program, they are a family,” said another.
Knoll asked the young panelists what advice they wished to share with policymakers. Some suggestions included:
- “Out-of-school and after school programs do work. They need funding.”
- “They didn’t just give me work to do, they stuck by me.”
- “Everything isn’t for everybody. You’ve got to find a place that works for you.”
- “You’ve got to put your mind to being successful. The program won’t do it without your participation and dedication.”
- “I think we should all volunteer to help in our agencies. I think we need equal access for the hearing impaired to the programs.”
- “Young people need to know programs are there - a place where people care - a place to go when you have no alternative.”
Practitioners offered insights into the needs of their programs and how to better reach and serve more young people. Qualified staff and professional development are needed. “It is a challenge to keep good people,” said one practitioner. “It’s really hard to find good, motivated staff from the community or from colleges,” said a second practitioner. A third agreed that they also were challenged to find qualified staff to meet the needs of the young people in their program, and added that some of the young people in the program are included in the interviewing process. “Students are a far better judge of the chemistry of a new staff person,” said one panel member. “We always involve our young people in the interview process. We watch to see if the candidate speaks only to the adults in the room, or looks and speaks to the young person too,” said another.
Practitioners unanimously agreed that there is a great need for more funding. “We turn away three young people for every one we help,” said one panelist. A practitioner from Los Angeles added, “We handle 3,000 young people per year, but you could have many more like us and still not reach all of the youth who need help.” These programs have become astute in their fundraising abilities and have found ways to expand to a wide variety of funding streams, develop entrepreneurial solutions to raising funds, provide opportunities for expanding job skills for their young people, and package and position themselves creatively to fit into a variety of funding profiles. “We fight every year to fund this program; we know it works.”
These award-winning programs serve young people as well as the communities they live in. “Our employment program was started based on community need. We run a job bank, job placement and career workshop,” said a practitioner. Youth learn skills that will be useful to them throughout their lives - whether they go on to higher education or move into employment. Job skills learned include carpentry, boat building, banking, cashier, teacher’s aide, animal caretaker, human resources staff at a medical center, porter at a hotel, home health aide, inventory clerk, environmental health, and others. Youth development and soft skills are also covered by the programs and can include: driver education, changing a tire, negotiating to purchase items needed for a vehicle, punctuality, reliability, conflict management and more.
A description of all PEPNet awardees and specific contact information can be found in the NYEC publication, PEPNet ’01 Profiles: Ten Effective Youth Initiatives, available on-line at www.nyec.org. The NYEC site also has a full description of the PEPNet criteria, a self-assessment for youth programs, funding strategies and an application for next year’s PEPNet awards.
This brief is from an American Youth Policy Forum held on December 13, 2001 in Washington, DC as reported by Sarah S. Pearson.
AYPF’s events and policy reports are made possible by the support of a consortium of philanthropic foundations: Carnegie Corporation of New York, Ford Foundation, Ford Motor Company Fund, General Electric Fund, William T. Grant Foundation, George Gund Foundation, Walter S. Johnson Foundation, W. K. Kellogg Foundation, McKnight Foundation, Charles S. Mott Foundation, NEC Foundation of America, Wallace-Reader’s Digest Funds and others.