When COVID-19 hit, the number of young people out of school and full-time work increased drastically.
Since the pandemic ended, the disconnection has continued. An Indianapolis program is working to connect them to services and give them the training they need to get a job.
Jada Garrison, 19, is a participant in the Youth Employment Services, or YES, program. She is working toward her GED, and learned about the program through Outreach, an Indy nonprofit that supports young people experiencing homelessness.
She hopes to eventually get training to be a nursing assistant, and provide a better life for her two-year-old son.
“I want a better career instead of working at McDonald’s and Burger King,” Garrison said. “And I know that I am good enough for it.”
Garrison and the others in the program are what social scientists deem “opportunity youth” — 16-24 year olds who are neither working full-time nor in school. In 2022, about 24,300 young people in the Indianapolis metro area were in this category, according to the Social Science Research Council.
The number of opportunity youth steadily declined in the mid-2000s, until 2020, when virtual school and a global recession left millions of youth in the lurch. Black, Latino and Native American youth are far more likely to be unemployed or not enrolled in school than their white peers, according to the Social Science Research Council.
Since 2003, the YES program — a partnership between EmployIndy and community centers across Indianapolis — has been working to engage these young people.
The YMCA of Greater Indianapolis is running an eight-week program at the Avondale Meadows YMCA that offers them training, education and counseling. The goal of the program is to provide the tools, resources and support to get on a better path.
“They don’t look like children, but these are kids,” said Shalmon Radford, a YMCA career coach who works with the students. “They’re over 18 years old, but they are kids in the sense that they still need to be mentored and raised and taught.”
Supporting students
At Avondale Meadows YMCA, counselors aim to support students without judging or punishing them.
When students arrive late, for example, Radford will congratulate them for showing up rather than scolding them. Many of them, he said, are dealing with circumstances outside their control, like the buses running late.
Plus, many of the students in the program at Avondale Meadows are experiencing homelessness. While many people their age are thinking about college, they’re thinking about how to survive.
Over the eight-week course, students will learn about resumes and interview skills, and take lessons on time management and organization. While some students learn these habits from their parents, Radford said, many of his students come from foster care or unstable home environments, where that’s not a priority.
“They did not come up with what is supposed to be normal to a child’s life,” Radford said. “They came out of something that was very broken into society. So they just need help.”
Program participants get bus passes, counseling and free meals. They also get help finding free professional clothing and counseling. The training is also paid — students receive a $960 stipend to make up for time they could have spent working.
After the eight-week course is over, counselors work with the students for at least a year to help them with employment, housing or whatever else they might need. While Radford acknowledges that lots of students don’t make it through the program, for the ones who do, it can make a huge difference.
“We just let them know that they’re not invisible,” Radford said, “that people do see them.”
That recognition pays off.
When Brandon Romero went to jail, he lost his construction job. Upon reentry, he wasn’t sure what to do next.
So when his friend signed up for the job-readiness classes, Romero tagged along because he had some free time. He’s working as a bouncer at clubs and bars, and hopes the program will help connect him to a better-paying job in construction.
“I feel like it’s something better on the other end,” Romero said. “I just feel like I’m supposed to be here.”
How to get involved
YES programs are open to Indianapolis residents between the ages of 16 and 24 who are not working full-time or in school.
If you’re interested in learning more, come play basketball at the Finish Line Boys & Girls Club weekdays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and at the Watkins Recreation Center on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Thursdays from 1-4 p.m. Career coaches and mentors will be there to help connect people with training and resources.
You can also get connected at one of EmployIndy’s partner community centers. Find the closest one to you here.
The YMCA is offering a free certification in personal training at Avondale Meadows starting in April. Registration is open now. The city’s also offering a park ranger training program in partnership at Edna Martin Christian Center. The registration deadline is March 5 and you can sign up online.
To find out about more upcoming industry trainings across the city, visit the program website.
Claire Rafford covers higher education for Mirror Indy in partnership with Open Campus. Contact Claire by email claire.rafford@mirrorindy.org, on most social media @clairerafford or on Signal 317-759-0429.
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