Opportunity Road: The Promise and Challenge of America’s Forgotten Youth

This report shares a perspective not often heard – the voices of young people who struggle to finish school and enter the workforce. The President and Congress, governors and mayors, and employers and nonprofit leaders have increasingly focused attention on this population for good reason. The upward churn of social mobility has slowed, the educational attainment of this generation has slipped below that of their parents for the first time in history, and the costs of inaction are high. America has a skills gap that can be closed if our nation will do a better job educating and training its young people, including those who struggle on the path to productive work. This report highlights effective strategies that are currently working to give opportunity youth the right combination of training, support, and experiences to make successful transitions to meaningful careers. The central message of this report is that while these youth face significant life challenges, most start out with big dreams and remain confident or hopeful that they can achieve their goals; most accept responsibility for their futures; and most are looking to reconnect to school, work, and service.