College & Workforce Readiness

New Toolkit for Young People on State-by-State Job Prospects

By Caralee J. Adams — January 26, 2012 1 min read
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In today’s tight job market, young people especially need all the help they can get.

A free online toolkit launched Tuesday by the Young Invincibles and the American School Counselor Association has detailed job-market information, including college majors with the lowest unemployment rates by state.

Rory O’Sullivan, policy director for Young Invincibles, a Washington-based nonprofit advocating for 18- to 34-year olds, said young people are looking for more career guidance. This fall, the organization released results of a survey that showed eight in 10 young people know that higher education is more important to their generation than their parents’, but that they feel college is becoming increasingly out of financial reach.

With young people facing a higher unemployment rate than the rest of the population, O’Sullivan says the “Skills That Work Toolkit” is an attempt to connect students with fields that are hiring so they can maximize their education dollars. While the job information is available elsewhere, the website organizes it in an easily accessible format for users, he said.

The toolkit can be used by high school counselors working with students transitioning to college and careers.

The information on the website will be updated and the resource section expanded throughout the spring, added O’Sullivan. The toolkit release is part of the Campaign for Young America, a project and bus tour led by Young Invincibles and dozens of partner organizations to reach out and engage young people in solving the nation’s economic challenges.

A version of this news article first appeared in the College Bound blog.