Workforce Development Opportunities for Vulnerable Youth

About this grant

Vulnerable youth transitioning out of foster care often are unable to access and participate in traditional education and employment programs. In addition, these young people have considerable difficulty in acquiring and maintaining good jobs that lead to independent lives. In 2004, First Jobs Maine was launched to focus on the issue of employment for youth coming out of the foster care system. The concept behind the program is that early labor-market success will result in long-term success for at-risk youth.Funding will enable the University of Southern Maine to conduct a qualitative study of youth in the First Jobs Maine program, including a comprehensive literature review of issues related to employment and workforce development for youth in foster care and other vulnerable youth; an analysis of the outcomes for up to 35 youth participating in the program; an in-depth qualitative study with seven of the 35 youth; and a report and analysis for public entities in Maine and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Labor.The University of Southern Maine, founded in 1878, is the largest of seven campuses of the University of Maine system.