Connecting At-Risk Youth to Promising Occupations.

Promising occupations for at-risk youth provide sufficient compensation and could put them on a path to becoming independent adults. To identify promising occupations, this brief examined four key features: 1) median earnings level, 2) education and training pre-requisites, 3) projected growth in labor-market demand, and 4) potential for individual advancement. Based on these criteria, opportunities in two fields are highlighted -- health care and construction. A number of work-based learning and career pathway programs are also discussed, including ACF's Health Profession Opportunity Grants program. This brief was written as part of ACF's Youth Demonstration Development project being conducted by Mathematica Policy Research and the Chapin Hall Center for Children. (Author abstract)