punctuality and how to communicate
with coworkers.
Employers have noticed. They’re
becoming “much more aware of the
problem than they have been in the past,”
says Brandon. As a result, teen employment
is becoming a higher priority for corporations,
nonprofits, and government at all levels.
Earlier this year, for instance, MCCOY
and TeenWorks contributed data to,
and helped draft, a grant proposal that
secured nearly $2 million from the federal
government to expand YouthWorks Indy, a
program designed to help young people get
job training and employment as they get
their high school diploma. It launched this
past summer.
Brandon says that the data supplied
by SAVI is critical to building the case for
programs like YouthWorks and TeenWorks
and to fostering more opportunities for
young people in general.
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“We have to be able to look at
populations that are underserved and
disadvantaged in the job market and
ask: Where do the programs need to be
located?” he says.
The stakes are high. Using resources
wisely might mean the difference between
teens like Monica and Monique Hardy
having a summer job—or not. And for many
young people, working is about more than
just work.
“Our students need meaningful things
to do,” says Tammie Barnie, executive
director of TeenWorks. “Having a job gives
you hope, something to look forward to, and
sometimes a reason for being. When we’re
able to align students with career pathways
and give them some early skills and a clear
pathway for how to achieve, then we can
transform our community and nation.”