This guide outlines five key standards for organizations looking to develop or improve leadership opportunities for young workers. The standards are designed to foster leadership skills, career development, and self-determination.
This guide, developed by Jobs for the Future’s Young Adult Leaders Council (YALC) in partnership with JFF’s Young Adult Talent team, outlines five essential standards for organizations that are designing or enhancing leadership opportunities for young adults:
1. Invest in a Mentorship Culture
2. Facilitate Thoughtful Planning for What Comes Next
3. Offer Fair Compensation and (Wide) Access to Support Services and Resources
4. Cultivate Reflective Leadership
5. Center Youth Voice, Experience, and Potential
These standards are designed to foster the development of experiences in which young workers build leadership skills, take steps toward career advancement, and gain a sense of self-determination. They’re also crafted to ensure that these opportunities are meaningful and align with the values and needs of the next generation of leaders.
The YALC believes that investing in young adults as leaders is crucial. Leadership opportunities can help young people begin building professional networks and acquiring in-demand skills in ways that create a lasting impact on their careers.
However, organizations often need guidance on designing experiences that truly reflect and address the needs and concerns of emerging leaders. These standards, and the promising practices we identify for each of them, provide a road map that employers and organizations that work with young people can follow to create valuable professional development opportunities for young workers.
Learn More, and Take Action
If your organization values youth leadership, these standards can help you create opportunities that empower young adults and foster belonging, reflection, and growth. And if you’re a young leader, this guidance can support your journey and inspire growth within your network.
Share this guide with your colleagues at other organizations to continue to amplify the recommendations and values of these young leaders.
This report was made possible by support from the Taco Bell Foundation. We thank the foundation for its support.
The Young Adult Leaders Council would like to thank the team at Jobs for the Future—specifically Marie Davis, Aundrea Gregg, Mamadou Ndiaye, and Nia Yisrael—for their ideas, feedback, and advice throughout this experience. We would also like to thank the organizations that comprise the Young Adult Talent Development Network. Thank you for your commitment to centering young people as leaders.
The Young Adult Talent Development Network is comprised of leaders of 50+ national and local organizations that are leaders in young adult talent development and employer engagement. The Young Adult Talent Development Network is comprised…
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