As young people navigate the transition to adulthood, obtaining employment is a major milestone. But connecting to any job, much less a meaningful career, can be particularly challenging for opportunity youth—young people ages 16 to 24 who are not engaged in work, school, or training—who have experienced educational or broader life disrup­tions. Community-based workforce development programs aim to support opportunity youth and other young people by offering career-readiness preparation and structured work experience as well as support for transi­tioning to independent employment or further training

To understand how community-based programs can best use employment training, work-based learning, and supportive services to help young people find jobs and begin careers, MDRC con­ducted case studies of two Los Angeles-based programs: Brotherhood Crusade’s Movin’ on Up ini­tiative and the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Youth Services Workforce Development Program. Both are well-established entities with extensive experience serving young people in Los Angeles. This research is part of a broader partnership between MDRC and the Hilton Foundation’s Opportunity Youth Initiative.

Based on analysis of interviews with program leadership, frontline staff, program participants, and employer partners, this brief shows how these organizations have tailored their services to best support their distinct populations of young people. This brief will identify considerations to help practitioners, policymakers, advocacy organizations, and funders develop and support employment programs for specific populations.