Connecting Young Adults to Skills and Jobs: Lessons Learned from the National Fund’s Sectoral Strategies

This report by the National Fund for Workforce Solutions documents emerging practices from the National Fund’s Young Adult (YA) work and identifies an ongoing need for technical assistance in designing and implementing YA models. Specifically, this report looks at the history of YA sectoral work and highlights replicable lessons learned and recommended practices that can be used by organizations to address unemployment and underemployment. The report outlines both challenges and opportunities in the YA sectoral field, including a critical need for dedicated funding to: cover planning and implementation, ensure that YA programs include proven approaches to move lower-skilled young adults along supportive pathways to successful employment, address raising the floor for young adults already working in entry- and low-level jobs, and continue the role of the Federal Government in WIOA rollout.