Approximately one in seven young people in New York City between the ages of 16 and 24 are not in school or not working. Launched in 2020, Advance & Earn helps these young people reconnect to education and employment through comprehensive services and support, offering opportunities to build skills, earn credentials, and gain work experience. The program is implemented by community-based service providers across seven program locations in the city. The New York City Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) oversees the program, supported by the New York City Young Men’s Initiative (YMI) and the Mayor’s Office for Economic Opportunity (NYC Opportunity).

This brief shares findings from a descriptive study of Advance & Earn conducted by MDRC in partnership with the city agencies overseeing the program, with the goal of identifying what was working well and where improvements were needed. The study analyzed administrative data from 10 cohorts from 2020 to 2024, and conducted interviews with staff members and participants between October 2024 and January 2025. A separate advisory group of program participants and alumni helped shape the study design, providing input on data collection, analysis, and interpretation of findings.

The study finds that Advance & Earn engages young people with substantial education and employment needs, most of whom entered the program without prior work experience and while facing challenges related to poverty, such as food and housing insecurity, financial strain, and mental health concerns. Participants described Advance & Earn as a supportive, nonjudgmental environment and valued strong relationships with staff members, individualized academic support, and financial and material assistance that helped sustain engagement. Internships provided many participants with their first work experience, though alignment with career goals varied; placements for participants in one of the three program tracks—the Advanced Training track—more often matched participants’ aspirations than placements for participants in an alternate track, the HSE Prep track. Program providers emphasized the importance of flexibility and adaptation in meeting young people’s complex needs, alongside a need for more centralized guidance and coordination to strengthen implementation.

Findings highlight both strengths and areas for improvement. In response, city agencies and providers are exploring changes to strengthen the full continuum of services—such as merging academic tracks and refining Advanced Training—to better align pathways with young people’s goals and the providers’ needs.