Overcoming Barriers to Employment for Youth in the Juvenile Justice System: A Practical Guide

• NCJ Number: 210158
• Date Published: 2005
• Length: 5 pages
• Grant Number(s): 2001-JI-BX-K001
• Sponsoring Agency: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP)
• Corporate Author: National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges
• Sale Source: National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges; NCJRS Photocopy Services
• Publication Format: News/Media
• Publication Type: Report (Technical Assistance)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Juvenile Sanctions Center Training and Technical Assistance Program Bulletin, V 2, N 5, 2005.

Annotation

This technical assistance bulletin provides practical guidance for overcoming barriers to employment for juvenile offenders.

Abstract

The guidance stems from interviews with five nationally recognized programs that work with court-involved youth, including assistance in helping juvenile offenders overcome employment barriers. The programs surveyed had program completion rates of 85 percent or more; recidivism rates as low as 6.2 percent; average starting wages of $7.76 per hour; and employment retention rates for graduates of 86 percent 1 year after graduation. The underlying philosophical approach for addressing employment barriers for juvenile offenders is to assess the needs of employers generally and specifically and then counsel juvenile offenders in how they can develop the skills and traits that employers desire in their employees. The first step toward success is having an employment specialist who is devoted to his/her work and who believes in the ability of the juveniles served to provide valuable services for employers. Qualifications for an effective employment specialist are outlined. Key strategies for engaging employers and meeting their needs are to identify high-demand occupations for which there are more opportunities in the labor market than there are skilled workers. Court-involved youth should be trained for these jobs; however, youths' interests and strengths must be matched to the job. High retention rates depend on job satisfaction. Employment specialists should research and approach receptive industries, which typically include construction, landscaping, mechanical/bicycle shops, filmmaking, music, and computers/technology. Other advice is to involve employers in all aspects of the program; teach youth social skills and anger management as well as job skills; help employers overcome false stigmas about juvenile offenders by emphasizing their strengths and value for the employer; and offer quality customer service to employers. 10 resources