Sunday, February 12, 2012

Are You Experienced?

Why don't we ever hear about this program? 54% of American kids are unemployed. Employment Rate For Young Adults Lowest In 60 Years, Study Says They are facing an economic catastrophe and it doesn't seem like there is any help for them. I went on a search to find out if there were any programs for young adults, who have been so affected by this "Great Recession". I found Job Corps. It began in 1964 under the Department Of Labor, with a mission to help young people 16-24 years old. Every state seems to have a center. What I can figure out the requirements are; you have to be from a family that is on TANF (Temporary Assistance For Needy Families) or can qualify for it. You also have to be a legal resident of the U.S. They also have a Solo Parent Program for single parents. It seems to me that this program is undervalued (because it's for poor people, right?)
It's also underutilized. I am sure this program could be helping many more of  our nations kids, who through no fault of their own are caught up in this economic mess. I am sure that this program is underfunded. So, of course it would need more money and heaven knows we need austerity more than helping these kids. So why don't we just wait until they start rioting in the streets like they did in England under Margaret Thatcher's reign.
Double Deck Bus Burning in London 1981
 A result of this was an establishment of the YTS or Youth Training Scheme. Youth Training Scheme - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia A program like Job Corps which helped with apprenticeships and other training with a small stipend paid to students. They also got valuable experience, which is something employers want in this country, making it very difficult for a young adult with no experience to get hired. Here is a program that we already have, but I have not heard one word about it, and very little about the job situation for our young people. Until the Occupy movement. Thankfully, they have been peaceful. But I wouldn't count on it staying that way. We can make a choice to help. Or we can have something like the riots in England, or worse.

1 comment:

  1. I'm sure the GOP is agin it. Austerity is the word these days. Portugal, Greece, Ireland, the U.S.A. The rich get richer, and the rest of us can go pound sand. Burning buses, indeed. It's coming to a city near you.

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