Los Angeles, CA — The Los Angeles County Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) released its Youth@Work Program Review and Redesign Report, a comprehensive assessment of the County’s flagship youth workforce program and a roadmap for strengthening pathways to education, quality employment, and long-term economic mobility for young people across Los Angeles County.

The Youth@Work program has long provided LA County’s future workforce with up to 160 hours of first-time, paid work experience and personal enrichment training through the County’s America’s Job Centers of California (AJCCs), the six other regional Workforce Development Boards including the City of Los Angeles, and employer partners. With approximately 144,000 young people in LA County who are disconnected from both school and work, representing 12.9% of the County’s youth population, the Youth@Work program is a critical resource to support youth with reconnecting or staying connected to school or work.

This report was led by Dalberg Advisors as commissioned by DEO and supported by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. The report examines Youth@Work’s current program design and performance and offers recommendations for a new design that better acknowledges current needs and drives education and employment results for LA County’s opportunity youth. The review included extensive data analysis, more than 50 stakeholder interviews, five focus groups with 44 Youth@Work participants, and a review of more than 80 reports and peer programs to identify leading youth workforce development practices from across the country.

The report found that there is a high demand for employment services among youth, highlighting 12,000 youth expressing interest in the program in Fiscal Year 2023-24 with a capacity to enroll thousands less. Most enrolled youth reported positive experiences in the program with 80% of participants surveyed noting that the program provided them with meaningful opportunities to gain exposure to the workforce, learn new skills, gain employer connections, and grow professionally. At the same time, the program as designed did not maximize resources to achieve County priorities to reduce the opportunity youth gap while also building skills and experiences that meet the region’s talent needs now and in the future.

Key recommendations and features of the program redesign include the following:

• Adopt a dual customer approach that addresses the needs of both young jobseekers and employers in need of skilled talent.
• Continue to provide opportunities for in-school youth, while also strengthening outreach and engagement efforts to increase enrollment of out-of-school and out-of-work youth.
• Instead of a one-size fits all model, provide four tailored pathways based on participants’ ages spanning from 14 to 24, educational status, and education and employment goals.
• Enhance the program experience and quality through the integration of appropriate work hours, education and mentorship, financial literacy, strengthened worksite standards, and structured work experiences at scale.
• Shift from a focus on career exposure and early earnings as the primary goals to centering goals on educational and skills achievement and quality jobs, economic mobility, and closing the youth opportunity gap.
• Expand Equity in County Contracting by opening opportunities for youth-serving organizations in addition to AJCC providers and Workforce Development Boards to apply to deliver the program.

“Youth@Work was created on a simple belief: Every young person deserves a meaningful first opportunity to work, learn, and build a future,” said Los Angeles County Board Chair and First District Supervisor Hilda L. Solis. “I have fought to protect this program, secure the funding to keep it strong and expand its reach because I know firsthand how important that first opportunity can be. As our economy changes, we must make sure Youth@Work changes with it, connecting more young people to the skills, experience and opportunities they need to succeed. This redesign is about making that promise stronger and ensuring no young person is left without a pathway forward.”

“We believe all young adults in LA County should have access to a great first job and that a great first job is just the start – together, we will better prepare youth for careers and futures they image for themselves and their families,” said Kelly LoBianco, Director of DEO. “Youth@Work has provided thousands of young people with an opportunity to earn, learn, and gain valuable workplace experience. This review gives us a roadmap to build on those strengths while creating a more individualized, connected, and outcomes-driven program that helps opportunity youth take the next step toward a degree or credential, a quality job, and lasting economic mobility.”

The report estimates that with current funding levels, the redesigned model could serve approximately 6,000 to 7,000 opportunity youth annually. The report estimates that to achieve a countywide goal of serving 10,000 opportunity youth annually under the redesigned model, the program would require approximately $50 million in total annual funding.

DEO will use the report as a roadmap for implementing the next phase of Youth@Work, working with young people, employers, workforce and community partners, education partners, County departments, and other stakeholders to implement a model that better meets the needs of opportunity youth and employers and builds a more equitable and resilient regional economy for the next generation. DEO will also pursue resources that help close the opportunity gap.

Read the full Youth@Work Program Review and Redesign HERE.