There are 20,688 youth between the ages of 16 and 24 years old in Hartford.
Of these youth, more than 6,000 either:
- Do not have a high school diploma
- Have a high school diploma but are not in school and not working
Also known as “Opportunity Youth”, these youth are more likely to be unemployed, rely on government supports, be involved in criminal activity, have poor health, and face multiple hurdles including:
- Parenting
- Disabilities
- Mental and physical health problems
- Incarceration or criminal record
- Homelessness
- Food insecurity
- Domestic violence
The decisions they make today have far-reaching consequences. They can either be a potential lifetime fiscal and social burden of almost 1 million dollars or a contributing member of society as a solution to our future workforce needs.
RESOURCES
Opportunity Youth Data (August 2014)
Out-of-School and Out-of-Work Youth (August 2014)