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## Other Youth Topics

## Breadcrumb

            -  Youth Topics 
            -  American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) Youth 
            -           Workforce Development/Employment      

# Workforce Development/Employment

Native Americans have a higher poverty and unemployment rate, compared with the national average.1 In 2007, 12 percent of AI/ANs aged 16 and older were unemployed, a rate much higher than other population groups in the U.S.2 More than one in three AI/AN children live in poverty.3

The U.S. Department of Labor administers the Division of Indian and Native American Programs to maximize the federal commitment to support the growth and development of Native American people and communities as determined by representatives of these communities. The funding from the Workforce Investment Act, reauthorized in 2014 as the Workforce and Innovation Opportunity Act, improves the academic, occupational, and literacy skills of Indian, Alaska Native, and Hawaiian adults and youth, making them more competitive in the workforce.4

The Indian and Native American Supplemental Youth Services Program (PDF, 1 page) provides summer and year-round employment and training activities for AI/AN youth between the ages of 14 and 21. Program resources are targeted to at-risk youth who face substantial barriers to education and employment success, including youth who have dropped out of high school and youth who lack basic skills.5

## Resources

**Division of Indian and Native American Programs**This website has been designed primarily to provide general information and assistance to Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Section 166 Indian and Native American (INA) grantees and others interested in economic self-sufficiency through employment and job training for Native Americans.

***Indian and Native American Summer Youth Employment Initiatives and the 2009 Recovery Act* (PDF, 66 pages)**This report describes funding granted to Indian and Native American (INA) youth from the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and how funds were used to serve INA youth.

**The Center for Native American Youth at the Aspen Institute**This website provides an in-depth list of resources around fellowships and internships for youth.

**The National Congress of American Indians**The National Congress of American Indians provides several channels to support Native youth, including internships and fellowships, the NCAI Youth Commission, the National Native Youth Cabinet, and NDN Spark.

## References

1 One-in-four Native Americans and Alaska Natives are living in poverty; whereas the national poverty rate is 16 percent; United States Census Bureau, 20142 U.S. Census Bureau, 20083 2014 Native Youth Report, 20144 U.S. Department of Labor, 20145 U.S. Department of Labor, 2013

## Other Resources on this Topic

### Agencies 

                          - Children's Bureau

### Announcements 

                          - Department of Justice Awards More Than $136 Million to Support Youth and Reform the Juvenile Justice System
                          - Free to Learn Initiative
                          - November is American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) Heritage Month
                          - OJJDP’s Fiscal Year 2021 Discretionary Awards Total Nearly $344 Million
                          - Report: Child Exploitation in Special Areas and Populations
                          - Report: Federal Policy to Advance Racial, Ethnic, and Tribal Health Equity
                          - Report: Healing Indigenous Lives: Native Youth Town Halls
                          - Report: Missing or Murdered Indigenous Women: New Efforts Are Underway Exist to Improve the Federal Response
                          - Report: Not One More: Findings and Recommendations of the Not Invisible Act Commission
                          - Report: Supporting Tribal Youth Attendance Achievement
                          - Resource: 2019 National Indian Education Study (NIES) Data Companion
                          - Resource: Advances in Supporting Kinship Caregivers – Part 3
                          - Resource: American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) Heritage Month Fun Facts
                          - Resource: AmeriCorps Equity Action Plan
                          - Resource: Choose AmeriCorps Public Service Announcement
                          - Resource: Core Youth Outcomes in Youth of Color
                          - Resource: Culturally Responsive Pathways to Peer Programming in Tribal Communities
                          - Resource: Engaging American Indian Children and Families
                          - Resource: Guide for Drafting or Revising Tribal Juvenile Delinquency and Status Offense Laws
                          - Resource: Healthy Native Youth
                          - Resource: Healthy Native Youth Community of Practice Sessions
                          - Resource: Healthy Native Youth Implementation Toolbox
                          - Resource: Healthy Native Youth Stand-Alone Lessons
                          - Resource: MyPlate Recipes for National Native American Heritage Month
                          - Resource: NCFY
                          - Resource: Preventing Suicide Requires a Comprehensive Approach
                          - Resource: Project Red Talent National Network At-Home HIV Tests
                          - Resource: Recruiting and Supporting Resource Families in Tribal Communities
                          - Resource: Seed Sisters 4 Part “Strong Roots” Series, Part 1
                          - Resource: Stories from the Field: The White Earth Nation
                          - Resource: Suicide Provisional Estimates
                          - Resource: Supporting Native Youth into Adulthood
                          - Resource: Talking is Power: Tools for Parents
                          - Resource: The Indian Child Welfare Act: A Primer for Child Welfare Professionals
                          - Resource: Toolkit for Implementing Authentic Youth Engagement Strategies Within State Advisory Groups
                          - Resource: Trauma-Informed Practice Strategies (TIPS) for Supporting Caregivers of Native Youth in Out-of-Home Care
                          - Resource: Trauma-Informed Practice Strategies to Support Indigenous Transition-Aged Youth
                          - Resource: Tribal Customary Adoption
                          - Resource: Vaccines for Children (VFC) Program
                          - Resource: What Does it Mean to be Two-Spirit?
                          - Resource: Working with American Indian Children and Families in Adoption
                          - Resources for American Indian and Alaska Natives (AI/AN)
                          - Share with Youth: Indian Boarding School Oral History Project
                          - Share with Youth: Next Legends
                          - Share with Youth: Public Health Associate Program (PHAP)
                          - Share with Youth: We Need You Here
                          - Toolkit: Celebrating our Magic: Resources for American Indian/Alaska Native Transgender and TwoSpirit Youth, Their Relatives and Families, and their Healthcare Providers
                          - Webinar Series: Community of Practice with Healthy Native Youth Part 2
                          - Webinar Series: Supporting Gender Diverse Indigenous Youth
                          - Webinar: Tribal Technical Advisory Committee Meeting
                          - Youth Voices Have Moved to YE4C

### Feature Articles 

                          - Just Launched! Redesigned YE4C
                          - Minnesota's Support Systems for Rural Homeless Youth Program
                          - National American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month
                          - We R Native. Who R U?  Submit Your Story!

### Programs 

                          - Family and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB)
                          - John H. Chafee Foster Care Program for Successful Transition to Adulthood

### Publications 

                          - Native American Traditional Justice Practices

### Resources 

                          - Resource: Healthy Native Youth

### Youth Topics 

                          - American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) Youth

## Youth Briefs

How Individualized Education Program (IEP) Transition Planning Makes a Difference for Youth with Disabilities
Youth who receive special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA 2004) and especially young adults of transition age, should be involved in planning for life after high school as early as possible and no later than age 16. Transition services should stem from the individual youth’s needs and strengths, ensuring that planning takes into account his or her interests, preferences, and desires for the future.

Youth Transitioning to Adulthood: How Holding Early Leadership Positions Can Make a Difference
Research links early leadership with increased self-efficacy and suggests that leadership can help youth to develop decision making and interpersonal skills that support successes in the workforce and adulthood. In addition, young leaders tend to be more involved in their communities, and have lower dropout rates than their peers. Youth leaders also show considerable benefits for their communities, providing valuable insight into the needs and interests of young people

How Trained Service Professionals and Self-Advocacy Makes a Difference for Youth with Mental Health, Substance Abuse, or Co-occurring Issues
Statistics reflecting the number of youth suffering from mental health, substance abuse, and co-occurring disorders highlight the necessity for schools, families, support staff, and communities to work together to develop targeted, coordinated, and comprehensive transition plans for young people with a history of mental health needs and/or substance abuse.

Young Adults Formerly in Foster Care: Challenges and Solutions
Nearly 30,000 youth aged out of foster care in Fiscal Year 2009, which represents nine percent of the young people involved in the foster care system that year. This transition can be challenging for youth, especially youth who have grown up in the child welfare system.

Coordinating Systems to Support Transition Age Youth with Mental Health Needs
Research has demonstrated that as many as one in five children/youth have a diagnosable mental health disorder. Read about how coordination between public service agencies can improve treatment for these youth.

Civic Engagement Strategies for Transition Age Youth
Civic engagement has the potential to empower young adults, increase their self-determination, and give them the skills and self-confidence they need to enter the workforce. Read about one youth’s experience in AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC).

## Main navigation

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- Cultural Considerations
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- Education/Higher Education
- Workforce Development/Employment
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- Physical and Mental Health
- References

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## Latest Resources

### Announcements

Webinar Series: Community of Practice with Healthy Native Youth Part 2

Webinar: Tribal Technical Advisory Committee Meeting

Resource: Supporting Native Youth into Adulthood

### Feature Articles

Just Launched! Redesigned YE4C

National American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month

Minnesota's Support Systems for Rural Homeless Youth Program

### Publications

Native American Traditional Justice Practices

### Resources

Resource: Healthy Native Youth

### Youth Topics

American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) Youth