After the Hurricane: Youth Employment in Puerto Rico

Diverse group of people in conversation
How should policymakers address the long-standing youth unemployment problem in Puerto Rico, which only worsened in the wake of Hurricanes Irma and Maria? After natural disasters, the government tends to focus its recovery efforts on infrastructure repairs and mental health services. But employment and economic security are equally important. With support from the W. T. Grant Foundation, MDRC partnered with Instituto del Desarrollo de la Juventud, or the Youth Development Institute, to develop recommendations that can create pathways into the workforce for young people and that are supported by evidence-based and promising practices relevant to the current situation in Puerto Rico. 
 
Join Katie Beal as she talks to John Martinez, Director of Program Development at MDRC, about the recommendations we made to facilitate and support training and employment opportunities for young people in Puerto Rico, and the challenges of implementing those recommendations. 

About Evidence First

Policymakers talk about solutions, but which ones really work? MDRC’s Evidence First podcast features experts—program administrators, policymakers, and researchers—talking about the best evidence available on education and social programs that serve people with low incomes.

About Leigh Parise

Leigh PariseEvidence First host Leigh Parise plays a lead role in MDRC’s education-focused program-development efforts and conducts mixed-methods education research. More