Generation Work, an initiative launched by the Annie E. Casey Foundation in 2016, aims to connect more of America’s young adults with meaningful employment by changing the way public and private systems prepare them for jobs. Five Generation Work partner sites—Cleveland, Hartford, Indianapolis, Philadelphia, and Seattle—align education, employment, and support services to help young people develop skills to succeed in professional settings; link them with employers; and increase their advancement and earning opportunities. By focusing on its keystone principles—demand-driven work, positive youth development, and racial equity and inclusion—Generation Work has helped each local partnership create specific strategies that work for their context, programs, and key stakeholders. Because positive youth development is a set of practices, not a rigid program, it can be used among various populations and in different types of programs. The initiative focuses on young people of color from low-income families who have been disconnected from the labor market and face the greatest barriers to employment.

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