An estimated 5.5 million young Americans between the ages of 16 and 24 are neither enrolled in school nor serving as active participants in the workforce, according to a new report from the American Enterprise Institute.
Often called “opportunity youth,” this population of young people are full of potential but disconnected from the two institutions that typically launch a successful life: education and work. According to the report, these individuals are the clearest signal that our systems don’t just have leaks. In too many communities, the on-ramp to good jobs is missing altogether. The response can’t be another scatter of short-term programs or one more credential with an unclear payoff.
Instead, the report calls for clearer routes from learning to earning: training tied to real demand, paid work-based opportunities that build experience, and practical supports—such as coaching, transportation, childcare, and trusted adults—that keep young people connected long enough to build momentum. In short, preventing disconnection requires rebuilding the pathway itself, so the next step is visible, affordable, and worth taking, the report concludes.