Originally published here in Crain’s Cleveland - Letters to the Editor from January 10, 2021

This past year has been an awakening for our community. COVID-19 has brought problems we knew were present into the forefront. We have all felt the impact, but it is undeniable that those who were already most at risk were disproportionately impacted. Disengaged youth (ages 16 to 24) were among the hardest hit with unemployment jumping to nearly 30% in April 2020 for this group versus 13% among older adults.

Research recently completed for Youth Opportunities Unlimited (Y.O.U.) by the Case Western Reserve University Center on Urban Poverty and Community Development confirms what we knew — a job provides the best path forward and is the best predictor of future success for youth. At a critical point in their lives, teens miss the opportunity to build their human capital and self-esteem, and gain the experience and skills that can change the trajectory of their lives. This research focused on two areas that bring that problem into clear focus: educational outcomes and the criminal justice system. Specifically, Y.O.U. wanted to understand the impact of its Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP), which has been a highly valued public-private partnership for the past 37 years.

This research found that youth who participated in SYEP were less likely to have delinquency filings and to be incarcerated in the adult jail system after placement than were individuals in a matched comparison group. SYEP participants also had better school attendance rates in the academic years following their summer employment and were more likely to graduate from high school than those in the comparison group. (For a copy of the research results, visit www.youthopportunities.org/SYEPReport.)

Many of us establish a stable attachment to the workforce during our late teens and early 20s. We finish our studies, obtain employment and begin to live independently. Unfortunately, some youth do not make this transition from student to employee. The SYEP program can bend this trajectory to help students, families and our entire community. Our work is far from over.

As encouraging as the results of the CWRU study are, we have only touched the tip of the iceberg. We need the continued (and expanded) financial support of state, local and national government agencies, as well as our community partners that provide important ancillary services. We also need more employers offering more summer jobs. Even during this COVID pandemic, Y.O.U. has been able to provide virtual job experiences when traditional work environments are not possible.

The term "win-win" is often overused these days, but SYEP is a true case in point. Participating youth win, but so do employers who give these young people one of the most important opportunities of their lives.

As we continue to work toward solutions that will bring our community out of this life-altering pandemic, a summer job for historically underserved youth can be one of the most effective and long lasting of all. It is important we all step up now and make funding summer jobs for teens a priority. We urge you to support Y.O.U. summer jobs program by employing youth in 2021 and beyond and advocating for more funding.

Dale Robinson Anglin, program director, Youth, Health & Human Services, The Cleveland Foundation
Blaine A. Griffith, Ward 6 councilman, City of Cleveland
Charles Keenan, superintendent, Maple Heights City Schools
Sean Richardson, Greater Cleveland region president, Huntington