White House Launches Summer Jobs+ Initiative and Provides a Jobs Toolkit for Communities

Earlier this month, the White House announcedSummer Jobs+, an initiative challenging businesses, nonprofits and the Federal government to create more than 250,000 jobs for disconnected and low-income youth.  Recognizing that our nation’s youth face significant rates of unemployment, this initiative is intended to help create pathways to employment, job training and support as youth gain the skills necessary to succeed in the labor market.  According to the announcement, the government and the private sector have already committed to creating180,000 jobs and/or training opportunities for the summer of 2012.

This announcement came as the White House Council for Community Solutions released a report highlighting the economic impact of failing to help disconnected youth.  The report suggests that roughly 17% of individuals between the ages of 16-24 are “disconnected,” which is defined as youth who are neither enrolled in school nor participating in the labor market.  Without opportunities to gain job skills, disconnected youth are more likely to have lower earnings, be incarcerated as adults, have poor health outcomes and rely on government support.  The report suggests that, in 2011, taxpayers sustained $93 billion in costs and lost revenue as a result of supporting youth disconnected from school and jobs.  In an effort to support economic growth and the well-being of youth, the White House is relying on support from businesses, nonprofits and the government as they have the power to create meaningful opportunities for youth.

In the next two months, the White House plans to launch the Summer Jobs+ Bank, an online search tool that will allow youth to search for job opportunities posted by participating employers.

In an effort to promote youth employment, the White House Council for Community Solutions also released a Connecting Youth& Business Toolkit for Employers.  Specifically designed for businesses, this toolkit guides businesses through a process of supporting, training and employing disconnected youth in their communities.

For more information about Summer Jobs+, including a list of committed partners, please click here.