Help youth develop employment skills

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Dec 06, 2012

~~<p>As Hawaii tourism and other industries rebound from the recession, unemployment has begun to drop, but that doesn't necessarily help young people who want to start careers. Teens and young adults find they are the last to be considered for jobs, a plight that is likely to extend over a long term. Public and private employers must be motivated to develop talent and skill pipelines by finding spots for the next generation of workers, our future.</p>
<p>Forty-eight percent of Hawaii youth ages 16 to 24 were employed last year — less than half — down 6 percent from 2000, when the state's jobless rate hovered around 4 percent, according to a new "Youth and Work" study by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Among Hawaii's 16- to 19-year-olds, only 22 percent had jobs in 2011, down from 34 percent in 2000, while 65 percent of 20- to 24-year-olds had jobs in 2011, down 3 percent from 2000.</p>
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As Hawaii tourism and other industries rebound from the recession, unemployment has begun to drop, but that doesn't necessarily help young people who want to start careers. Teens and young adults find they are the last to be considered for jobs, a plight that is likely to extend over a long term. Public and private employers must be motivated to develop talent and skill pipelines by finding spots for the next generation of workers, our future.

Forty-eight percent of Hawaii youth ages 16 to 24 were employed last year — less than half — down 6 percent from 2000, when the state's jobless rate hovered around 4 percent, according to a new "Youth and Work" study by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Among Hawaii's 16- to 19-year-olds, only 22 percent had jobs in 2011, down from 34 percent in 2000, while 65 percent of 20- to 24-year-olds had jobs in 2011, down 3 percent from 2000. Login for more...