Young adults (aged 16-24)

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 domain—earnings, employment, public benefit receipt, and education and training—the interventions with the largest long-term effects and a supported rating were the following:
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
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
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
Increase long-term benefit receipt
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 | $21 | 16% | 4% | |
Long-term | $-1,527 | -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 | $2,196 | 3% | $-80 | 1% |
Long-term | $2,238 | 3% | $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 | $-795 | 4% | $-85 | 9% | |
Long-term | $711 | 1% | $-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 | $0 | -1% | $50 | 6% |
Long-term | $1,213 | -1% | $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 | $-1,067 | -1% | $272 | 3% |
Long-term | $-2,740 | -4% | $-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 | 11% | |||
Long-term | $2,991 | 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 | $188 | 3% | $-58 | 28% |
Long-term | $1,673 | 1% | $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 | 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 | 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 | $-16,859 | 4% | 5% | |
Long-term | $7,154 | 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 | $-9,496 | 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 | $1,464 | 8% | 1% | |
Long-term | $523 | 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 | $-126 | 1% | $105 | 2% |
Long-term | $1,360 | 4% | $33 | ||||||
YVLifeSet | Case management, Supportive services, Soft skills training | Tested in multiple settings | Young adults (aged 16-24) | East South Central, Tennessee | Short-term | $1,569 | 4% | $138 | 3% |
Long-term | $544 | 3% |