According to “Measure of America” a project of the Social Science Research Council, the
vulnerable group identified as disconnected youth is comprised of adolescents and younger
adults between 16 and 24 years of age that are neither in school nor part of the workforce. The
national average is estimated to be about 1 in 9 (11.2 percent) or a total of 4,353,300. The
Blount County average is half the national average at approximately 5 percent or 1 in 20 (County
Health Rankings & Roadmaps, 2020). This policy brief is to support the Social Determinant of
Health under access to educational, economic, and job opportunities for at risk youth within
Blount County, Tennessee by building on to existing policies and programs (Healthy People
2020, 2020).
The policy proposal would create a summer paid internship program that would make available
entry level positions within the municipality to this specific vulnerable population. Creating
these entry level paid internships to at risk and disconnected youth will provide the opportunity
to develop social, behavioral, and job skills required to be successful in the current work
environment.
This policy brief is to raise awareness and propose solutions on behalf of the at risk and
disconnected youth of Blount County. This most vulnerable group of dependent children and
young adults requires the assistance of our local lawmakers and educational
system to overcome adversities created by their circumstances and through no fault of their
own. As leaders in our communities, it is our obligation to attend to the needs of our children
by providing resources to aid them as they grow to become contributing members of our
society. I am proposing action by policy makers to develop a summer paid internship that
offers entry level employment within the many branches of the local municipality. It is also
imperative that school administration and educators work more closely with the current youth
programs for early identification of adolescents with the potential to be at risk or disconnected
to provide proactive assistance.
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