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For the first two years of high school, I was disengaged and disconnected. I considered dropping out, had no thoughts of going to college, and my transcript was peppered with Cs and Ds due to missed assignments, failed exams, and general neglect. My frustrated parents were at a loss, trying to figure out what was going on with their kid who had tested as “highly gifted.”

Admittedly, I was on the fast track toward becoming one of the 42,000 “disconnected” or “opportunity” youth or NEETs – youth between the ages 16 to 24 who are “not in education, employment, or training” – who live here in southern Nevada. I was on the verge of becoming a statistic.

Across the country, 12% of youth, just under 5 million individualswere considered NEETs. Alarmingly, this propensity to disconnect seems to afflict boys more than girls. Between 1990 and 2024the share of young men aged 18 to 24 who were NEETs increased from 4% to 8%. In my home state of Nevada, the percentage is 19%, the second highest in the country. over, as a male in Nevada, I was 15% more likely to drop out than my sisters.

Not surprisingly, outcomes for NEETS are troubling. About 14% of men aged 18-24 without a high school diploma are either incarcerated or on parole at any given time. Among African American males, the proportion is closer to 30%. Lower educational attainment is associated with isolation, loneliness, and addiction.

The trajectory that I had been moving along for those first two years pivoted sharply after I landed my first job. The summer following my sophomore year, I told my parents that I wanted to work. Knowing that I was on the verge of dropping out or failing out of school, my parents were desperate. A grand bargain was struck: I could work as long as I stayed on top of my schoolwork.

Not only did I stay on top of my schoolwork – I outperformed. Throughout my junior year and beyond, I worked at least 20 hours a week while maintaining a 4.0 grade point average and an above average course load.

Having a job was rewarding and valuable on several fronts. First, my job helped me connect what I was learning in the classroom to the real world. I am applying my health science knowledge to my work as a lifeguard. Additionally, I have invested most of my wages, which has helped me understand the importance of mathematical concepts, such as compounded interest, that previously seemed so irrelevant. Second, my work — both as a lifeguard and an internship with the county government — is teaching me important durable skills: like showing up on time (even when I’m tired), being responsible, and working with people with whom I have nothing in common.

Finally, my employment has given me confidence and purpose and helped me realize that “I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul” — taken from “Invictus,” a poem by William Ernest Henley that I memorized in fifth grade.

My experience is not unique. Research indicates that students who work and participate in internships, apprenticeships, and employment have better outcomes. One study reported that the “evidence to date indicates that summer youth employment programs have the potential to reduce delinquent behavior, enhance academic aspirations and performance, and improve social and emotional development.”

Youth employment programs are associated with “observed behavioral shifts in the youthwho saw improvements in their sense of belonging, ability to contribute to their communities, and conflict resolution skills.” A 2022 study found that “private sector job experience significantly increases attendance, reduces course failures, and raises proficiency on statewide exams. Participants are more likely to take the SAT and enroll in college with a shift from two-year to four-year institutions.”

According to the Joint Economic Committee“Expanding employment opportunities for opportunity youth — including through proven year-round and summer job training programs — can help improve work readiness, expand professional networks, boost earnings, and reduce interaction with the criminal justice system.” The potential cost of not helping a disconnected youth has been estimated at $13,900 annually.

While I have meaningful employment, my experience feels like an outlier, especially among my African American peers. Many friends have been looking for jobs and internships for months without success. Workforce development experts have confirmed my observation—noting that internships and jobs are rare.

As The 74 has reportedat most 5% of students have the chance for the gold standard of work experiences: apprenticeships or internships. As of Augustthe U.S. unemployment rate among youth ages 16 to 24 was 10.5%, significantly higher than the national rate of 4.3%. Among African American youth, the rate was over 14%.

Given the benefits of youth employment and the association with lower crime rates, governments and political leaders should do more to offer incentives to businesses to provide internships and job opportunities. Currently, only a handful of states provide programs to encourage businesses to hire young people.

In Floridathe state provides an “Experiential Learning Tax Credit Program,” which offers a $2,000 tax credit for every apprentice, pre-apprentice, or student intern that a business employs. Louisiana has a Work-Based Learning Tax Credit that offers businesses a $2,500 credit if they hire a youth. Earlier this year, there was a bill to provide $15 million to support NEETs in Nevada. Sadly, the bill didn’t even get a hearing.

While barriers remain, such as transportation or student schedules, some states are getting creative to address these. For example, Indiana has Career Scholarship Accounts that grant students funds to cover the cost of getting to wor, and have rolled out more flexible school schedules in some schools so that students can work at an apprenticeship, job, or internship.

There are millions of young people — especially young boys like me — who are wandering, feeling disconnected, and facing significant barriers. College is expensive. Jobs are hard to come by. There are fewer organized ways to engage.

As such, opportunities to work and learn – in the form of internships, apprenticeships, and employment opportunities – are the best vehicles to help youth learn about and connect to their interests, and from that, build confidence to explore and connect to their community. Increasing job opportunities for young people is a proposition that will benefit the entire community.

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