FY24 EOY: The same challenges identified in the FY23 EOY report are still impacting our ability to reconnect disconnected youth. While our navigators are doing a great job supporting families and the disconnected youth that are part of those families, getting youth reconnected is challenging in a whole new set of ways. College feels unaffordable (and not worth a mountain of debt) to many of our youth - and who can blame them? The industries and businesses that have the most openings are the kind of work you would expect for someone relatively new/young in the workforce, however because these jobs don't pay a living wage, many youth aren't interested.

As a member of the Workforce Development Alignment Committee, we've been collaborating with other partners in the group (AACC, Libraries, DORS, DSS, etc.) to find other ways to get disconnected youth connected to opportunities they can be excited about and that truly provide a path forward either to being able to afford some kind of post-secondary training or education, or training and apprenticeship in a career that will pay a living wage. While we've made some headway there, transportation to the available training programs, apprenticeships and jobs are few and far between. A lack of reliable public transportation continues to plague these youth, most of whom live in one of our four Communities of Hope (which are areas where the poverty rate is highest, social determinants are trending in the wrong direction, and which are often disconnected in all measurable ways from the areas around them). It's a complex situation without any easy solutions.

As a side note, we are also considering whether this measure makes sense for our program. While our navigators can help families and their disconnected youth connect to programs and services, we do not have the kind of relationship or the duration in relationship that would be required to mentor these youth and help them connect and make better choices. That's not really the focus or purpose of navigation or information & referral despite the fact that we "touch" these populations and their issues in our work. 

• Communities of Hope
• AACPS
• AACC
• AAWDC (workforce development)
• AA Co Public Library
• DORS
• DDA
• DSS
• AAWDC Alignment Committee members
• Youth
• Parents
• Business community
• Unions/trade organizations
•  Dept of Transportation
• Dept of Planning & Zoning (built environment)

• Creative transportation options that help connect youth to work and educational opportunities (call & ride, rideshare vouchers, etc.)
• Virtual programs
• Partnerships with unions and trade associations willing to fund programs and provide supportive items like transportation, tools, uniforms, stipends, etc. to help fill a significant workforce gap
• Changing the measures with GOC to remove this metric from our CPA and Scorecard in FY25

We are exploring all options identified in the "what works" discussion.