Youth employment programs provide youth with access to job skills training, workforce credentials, and paid work experiences that provide youth with the increased knowledge, abilities and productivity to earn family-sustaining wages and contribute to the future workforce. Youth and Young Adult Pathways, in particular, focuses on youth with multiple barriers who have been placed at risk within our educational and workforce development systems. Commonwealth Corporation brokers funding for programs that support youth assets, connect youth to quality employers, address foundational workplace skills as well as workplace learning connected to relevant academic expectations and to industry-specific skill demands so that youth can participate in a 21^stcentury, knowledge-based economy. 

Employment programming for youth differs from adult workforce development. Youth workforce development can happen in a range of settings including secondary schools, community-based organizations, and post-secondary institutions.  A variety of integrated programming and experiences make up the youth workforce develop system. These include paid and unpaid internships, mentoring, apprenticeships, job shadowing, workplace tours, interviewing, and resume preparation. Young people need multiple opportunities to assess their career interests, explore career options and pathways, and access educational and training programs as well as employment and internship opportunities. These experiences should be age appropriate, reflect personal interests, and woven together so that youth build skill development over time.