Youth Opportunities Unlimited (Y.O.U.) – Cleveland, OH
Youth Opportunities Unlimited (Y.O.U.) is a nonprofit workforce development collaborative organization that serves under-resourced teens and young adults through preparation for the workforce in order to become economically self-sufficient. Y.O.U.’s workforce development services focus on supporting teens and young adults through career development, high school graduation and post-high school success, career exploration internships, youth employment, and young adult job placement and credential training. Resources include a young adult resource center that provides employment and career-planning assistance, support, and case management services.
Y.O.U. applied to the Fund for Workforce Equity on behalf of Generation Work-Cleveland/Cuyahoga County (GWCC), a collective partnership that aims to support the development of a coordinated and accessible workforce system for young people. The Fund supported Y.O.U. and GWCC’s efforts to understand young adults’ experiences and perspectives about job quality, such as what they look for in a job, the types of supports they need at work, and job design strategies that could be most impactful for employers who want to hire and retain young adult talent, especially Black and brown workers. To that end, the project team developed a survey instrument and interview protocol and began data collection in Fall 2023.
Early survey and interview findings show that some youth have been at their jobs for at least one or two years. At the same time, a significant number of respondents left their last place of employment, which prompted Y.O.U. to wonder whether that was because they were temporary or “gig” jobs or if employers had retention issues. Findings also suggest that youth who go through training programs for different sectors end up working in retail and hospitality. Y.O.U. wants to understand why this is, and how programs that train for different pathways can ensure youth find meaningful employment there. Youth also mentioned encountering several barriers to employment, including childcare, housing, and mental health. Once the analysis is complete, Y.O.U. and GWCC intend to share these learnings widely with partners and the community.
Y.O.U. and GWCC also identified areas that need additional attention and support. For example, how workforce programs can target and recruit working young adults, which make up a significant portion of the labor force, and how career pathways could be strengthened to entice and retain young workers and learners. Looking ahead, they are curious about how their findings compare to other cities and regions across the country, and look forward to engaging in conversations with other organizations both within and outside of the Fund.