COVID-19 impacts on youth and young adult workforce development programs: A local perspective

In the United States in 2020, an estimated 12.6% of individuals ages 16 to 24 were disconnected from education and employment - up from 10.7% in 2019. While the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014 authorizes several youth-focused workforce development programs that target services toward disconnected youth, COVID-19 and ensuing mitigation measures exposed structural inequities in access to educational systems, workplace environments, and employment opportunities. This qualitative study examines the impact of COVID19 on five local youth and young adult (YYA) workforce development programs, providers, and YYA participants in an urban county in Texas. Study participants included 12 youth-serving staff representing 5 programs, and 7 YYA representing 1 program. Semi-structured interview protocols guided three focus groups and four individual interviews. Data were analyzed in Dedoose by three researchers using thematic analysis. Impacts on programs included amplified recruitment and retention challenges related to safety protocols, disrupted interagency connections, access to technology, and YYAs competing priorities. Impacts on providers included changes in work-life balance and perceived organizational support, self-efficacy, and job satisfaction. Impacts on YYA included disruptions to education and employment, increases in (a) the need for mental health services, (b) unstable and/or unsafe living situations, (c) availability of resources like food and housing assistance, and a decrease in access to critical resources like transportation and government IDs. Recommendations include planning for flexibility in performance requirements for future crises, building a community coalition to target barriers to participation in these programs, and providing access to YYA mental health services within programs.