Hearing of the Income Security and Family Support Subcommittee - Disconnected Youth

Statement

Hearing of the Income Security and Family Support Subcommittee - Disconnected Youth

"My generation, now described as "The Greatest Generation", was the beneficiary of an American society that bore opportunities for all - no matter what your station in life.

"I am a personal testament to the possibilities that this nation presented for young men and women, college graduate or not, to live the American Dream and become productive citizens.

"Today, we seem to have lost our way in making sure that all of our young people have a chance to succeed. And that disturbs me greatly. So, as colleges and universities held commencement exercises over the last several weeks, I could not help but think about the millions of young people in our country who don't have a college education in their future, and by no fault of their own are out-of-school and out-of-work. Are we now going to tell these young people that they are "out-of-luck?"

"The consequences of doing nothing are frightening: research shows that individuals who have not engaged in productive employment by age 25, have a vastly lower chance of ever being economically successful for the rest of their lives.

"The case for a comprehensive policy response to the challenge of disconnected youth also has a clear moral dimension: our values compel us to pursue every option to help these young men and women have rewarding and worthwhile lives.

"But there are two powerful economic rationales for action as well. The first is simple math: it's a lot cheaper—and more effective--to address the problems of young people not connected to the economic mainstream when they're young, than it is to attempt doing the same when they have more responsibility, less time, more immediate need for money and more difficulty learning. The second is that, to the extent that disconnected youth remain outside the world of work and community, they represent a squandered resource. In an increasingly competitive global economy, the United States needs all hands on deck.

"I am hopeful that this hearing will jumpstart our efforts to develop a comprehensive policy initiative to support disconnected youth in our nation. I am confident that given the number of talented individuals and groups that are currently serving this population, we can come up with a plan of action that will meet the needs of these young people and serve our national interest."

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