Young adults (aged 16-24)

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Population in focus: what works for young adults?

For more information about the interventions covered in this profile, use the hyperlinks in Exhibit 1 below.

Overview

Are you looking for the best ways to support the young adults you serve? Young adults between the ages of 16 and 24 can face unique challenges and opportunities as they transition into the labor market. This Population in Focus page summarizes what we know about how labor market outcomes for young adults experiencing economic hardship are affected by interventions that aim to improve their education, employment, and economic self-sufficiency.

What works?

As of April 2023, the Pathways Clearinghouse identified 14 interventions that served young adults and had at least one study with evidence rated high or moderate. These 14 interventions were described in 14 studies. Across all interventions measuring impacts on a given outcome domainearnings, employment, public benefit receipt, and education and trainingthe interventions with the largest long-term effects and a supported rating were the following:

Earnings

Earnings

Year Up had the largest effects on long-term annual earnings (an average of $7,154 per year). Year Up offered training and work experience in the information technology and investment operations fields to young adults to help them access careers with good pay and advancement opportunities.

Employment

Employment

National Guard Youth ChalleNGe had the largest effects on long-term employment (an average of 6 percentage points). The ChalleNGe Program aimed to improve the lives of youth who were out of school and under- or unemployed by providing education, positive youth development, and mentorship.

Public benefit receipt

Public benefit receipt

Job Corps had the largest effects on long-term benefit receipt (decreasing the amount of public benefits received by $47 per year). Job Corps provided individualized education, vocational training, residential support, comprehensive health services, counseling, and job placement assistance to economically disadvantaged youth. These services were typically provided in a residential setting with the goal of helping participants become more responsible and obtain employment.

Effects on long-term benefit receipt

$47

Increase long-term benefit receipt

Education and training

Education and training

Transition WORKS had the largest effects on education and training (increasing the attainment of a degree or credential by an average of 28 percentage points). Transition WORKS aimed to empower youth receiving disability benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA) and improve their economic self-sufficiency through a series of workshops focused on self-determination, education and employment services, case management, financial incentives, work-based experience, and job development.



Interventions serving young adults: implementation and outcomes

Understanding the way an intervention is implemented can help practitioners decide whether it is likely to have similar effects if implemented in a new setting. Exhibit 1 lists 14 interventions for young adults including their primary services, settings, populations, and their effectiveness by outcome domain.

Exhibit 1. Interventions serving young adults: characteristics and effectiveness.

Intervention Services Settings Populations and employment barriers State(s) where implemented Term Increase earnings Increase employment Decrease public benefit receipt Increase education and training
Bridges to Pathways (Bridges) Education, Case management, Job search assistance, Soft skills training, Work readiness activities, Work and work-based learning, Health services, Subsidized employment, Supportive services Urban only Young adults (aged 16-24), Former incarceration, Male, Justice system involvement, Less than high school diploma or GED East North Central, Illinois Short-term
Little evidence to assess support
$21
Supported
16%
Little evidence to assess support
4%
Long-term
Not supported
$-1,527
Little evidence to assess support
-1%
Broadened Horizons, Brighter Futures (BHBF) Case management, Work experience, Unpaid work experience, Apprenticeships, Work and work-based learning, Training, Supportive services, Soft skills training, Financial incentives, Financial education, Employment retention services, Job development/job placement, Job search assistance, Work readiness activities, Employment coaching Urban only Disability(ies), Young adults (aged 16-24) South Atlantic, Florida Short-term
Little evidence to assess support
$2,196
Supported
3%
Little evidence to assess support
$-80
Little evidence to assess support
1%
Long-term
Supported
$2,238
Little evidence to assess support
3%
Not supported
$558
Job Corps Training, Supportive services, Soft skills training, Substance use disorder treatment and mental health services, Physical health services, Health services, Education, Job search assistance, Work readiness activities, Occupational or sectoral training Tested in multiple settings Young adults (aged 16-24) Short-term
Not supported
$-795
Mixed support
4%
Supported
$-85
Mixed support
9%
Long-term
Supported
$711
Supported
1%
Supported
$-47
JOBSTART Training, Job search assistance, Work readiness activities, Work experience, Unpaid work experience, Occupational or sectoral training, Supportive services, Soft skills training, Financial incentives, Education, Job development/job placement Urban only Young adults (aged 16-24), Less than high school diploma or GED Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Georgia, Texas, Arizona, Colorado, California Short-term
Little evidence to assess support
$0
Little evidence to assess support
-1%
Little evidence to assess support
$50
Supported
6%
Long-term
Little evidence to assess support
$1,213
Little evidence to assess support
-1%
Little evidence to assess support
$19
Los Angeles Reconnections Career Academy (LARCA) Program Education, Job development/job placement, Job search assistance, Work readiness activities, Work experience, Work and work-based learning, Occupational or sectoral training, Training, Supportive services, Soft skills training, Financial education, Case management Urban only Less than high school diploma or GED, Young adults (aged 16-24) Pacific, California Short-term
Little evidence to assess support
$-1,067
Supported
-1%
Not supported
$272
Supported
3%
Long-term
Not supported
$-2,740
Not supported
-4%
Little evidence to assess support
$-28
National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Education, Work readiness activities, Soft skills training, Case management, Job search assistance Tested in multiple settings Less than high school diploma or GED, Young adults (aged 16-24) East North Central, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, South Atlantic, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, East South Central, Mississippi, West South Central, Texas, Mountain, New Mexico, Pacific, California Short-term
Supported
11%
Long-term
Supported
$2,991
Supported
6%
Transition WORKS Work readiness activities, Employment coaching, Work experience, Unpaid work experience, Apprenticeships, Work and work-based learning, Soft skills training, Financial incentives, Financial education, Employment retention services, Case management, Job development/job placement, Job search assistance Tested in multiple settings Young adults (aged 16-24), Disability(ies) Middle Atlantic, New York Short-term
Little evidence to assess support
$188
Little evidence to assess support
3%
Little evidence to assess support
$-58
Little evidence to assess support
28%
Long-term
Supported
$1,673
Little evidence to assess support
1%
Not supported
$173
Urban Alliance’s High School Internship Program Work experience, Supportive services, Soft skills training, Financial incentives, Financial education, Case management, Work readiness activities, Subsidized employment, Work and work-based learning, Job search assistance, Training Urban only Young adults (aged 16-24), Less than high school diploma or GED East North Central, Illinois, Michigan, South Atlantic, District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia Short-term
Little evidence to assess support
1%
Long-term
Vocational Coaches to Enhance Multisystemic Therapy for Emerging Adults (MST-EA) Employment coaching, Work readiness activities Tested in multiple settings Young adults (aged 16-24), Mental illness, Former incarceration East North Central Short-term
Little evidence to assess support
12%
Long-term
Year Up Job development/job placement, Job search assistance, Soft skills training, Work readiness activities, Sanctions, Work experience, Financial education, Work and work-based learning, Education, Occupational or sectoral training, Training, Supportive services Tested in multiple settings, Urban only Young adults (aged 16-24) New England, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Middle Atlantic, New York, East North Central, Illinois, South Atlantic, District of Columbia, Georgia, Pacific, California, Washington Short-term
Not supported
$-16,859
Supported
4%
Supported
5%
Long-term
Supported
$7,154
Little evidence to assess support
0%
Year Up Professional Training Corps (PTC) Supportive services, Job development/job placement, Job search assistance, Education, Work readiness activities, Work experience, Work and work-based learning, Occupational or sectoral training, Training, Soft skills training Tested in multiple settings High school diploma or GED, Young adults (aged 16-24) New England, Massachusetts, Middle Atlantic, New York, Pennsylvania, East North Central, Illinois, South Atlantic, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Virginia, West South Central, Texas, Mountain, Arizona, Pacific, California, Washington Short-term
Not supported
$-9,496
Little evidence to assess support
0%
Long-term
Young Adult Internship Program (YAIP) Work experience, Work and work-based learning, Supportive services, Soft skills training, Financial education, Employment retention services, Case management, Job development/job placement, Job search assistance, Work readiness activities, Subsidized employment Urban only Young adults (aged 16-24) Middle Atlantic, New York Short-term
Supported
$1,464
Supported
8%
Little evidence to assess support
1%
Long-term
Little evidence to assess support
$523
Supported
2%
YouthBuild Training, Job search assistance, Work readiness activities, Work experience, On-the-job training, Work and work-based learning, Occupational or sectoral training, Supportive services, Soft skills training, Health services, Financial incentives, Employment retention services, Education, Case management Tested in multiple settings Young adults (aged 16-24) New England, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, Middle Atlantic, New Jersey, New York, East North Central, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, West North Central, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, South Atlantic, District of Columbia, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, West Virginia, East South Central, Mississippi, Tennessee, West South Central, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas, Arizona, Colorado, Pacific, California, Oregon, Washington, Puerto Rico and Island Areas, U.S. Virgin Islands Short-term
Not supported
$-126
Little evidence to assess support
1%
Little evidence to assess support
$105
Supported
2%
Long-term
Supported
$1,360
Supported
4%
Little evidence to assess support
$33
YVLifeSet Case management, Supportive services, Soft skills training Tested in multiple settings Young adults (aged 16-24) East South Central, Tennessee Short-term
Supported
$1,569
Little evidence to assess support
4%
Not supported
$138
Little evidence to assess support
3%
Long-term
Little evidence to assess support
$544
Little evidence to assess support
3%