Young adults who have dropped out of high school could have fewer opportunities to earn a diploma and prepare for a career if proposed federal funding cuts to the YouthBuild program are carried out.
Funded through the U.S. Department of Labor, the program serves people ages 16-24 through education, job training and leadership development.
Jerrell Morton, senior director of the YouthBuild program for the Job Point employment center in Columbia, said the consequences of program cuts could be "very frightening."
"You have individuals that were disengaged from the traditional education model, and we see that the pipeline to prison sort of feeds off of those that have been disconnected to traditional education," Morton observed.
Research shows YouthBuild participants are 47% more likely to earn a GED and 24% more likely to enroll in college than similar young adults receiving other services. Federal officials said the proposed cuts are part of a broader effort to reduce federal spending and give states and local communities more control over job training programs.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, about 2 million students leave high school each year without earning a diploma.
Morton stressed the statistics only tell part of the story. Morton pointed to one former participant who overcame addiction, earned a high school equivalency, and eventually traveled to Washington, D.C., to advocate for YouthBuild funding.
"He found his voice, and that's probably the bigger part in the things that we really seek is can we find that light switch to where the young person figures out their full potential?" Morton emphasized.
Studies show about half of YouthBuild participants move directly into employment or postsecondary education after completing the program.
Morton added that Job Point and its community partners will continue advocating for YouthBuild funding by highlighting their success stories.
Missouri News Service originally published this story and is a news partner with KRCU Public Radio.
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