A group recently took to the road on a 50-day bus tour, visiting 20 states and 42 cities, to better understand the impact of the economic recession on young people and the supports that individuals aged 16 to 34 need to be successful.
Young Invincibles, a national organization that represents the interests of young people, started their bus tour in March of 2012. Along the way, the group’s staff facilitated open conversations with young people on topics including job prospects, skills training, entrepreneurship, and mentoring and guidance.
Read more in a report about these conversations.
Participants in the bus tour conversations are anxious about landing jobs that match their interests and education, especially given that nearly half of recent college graduates report being unemployed or underemployed. Training in specific skill sets is desirable, participants said, because it improves job prospects.
Conversations about guidance and mentoring, though not prompted by Young Invincibles staff, often began during roundtables led by the group. Participants across the country suggest that guidance and mentoring begin at an early age and extend through postsecondary education to benefit students as they make choices about future education and training.
Another common theme was entrepreneurship. In a previous survey given by the Young Invincibles to a similar group, more than half of respondents report a strong interest in entrepreneurship. However, barriers such as finding start-up funds and business partners hamper young people from starting new businesses.
Read more about findings from the Young Invincibles bus tour in their report, What We Found: A Summary of the Key Findings from the Young Invincibles National Youth Bus Tour.
Kara Herbertson, Education Policy Analyst