Teen (un)employment in the national news

Back in June we published an article on summer hiring of teens. This week, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released the latest figures for the U.S. showing that youth unemployment* among 16 to 24 year olds in July (the summertime peak for youth employment) dropped from 19.1 percent in 2010 to 18.1 percent in 2011, though it is still far above the pre-recession rate rate (10.8% in 2007).

As teens struggle to compete for jobs in today's economy, media reports show there are a number of programs and organizations out there that can help. Here are a couple that made the headlines this week:

McClatchy-Tribune News Service reports on career and technical education programs, which are being revamped to include more partnerships with business and industry. Courses focus on providing students with real-world knowledge and experience through internships, class projects, and other learning opportunities.

Students, both young and old, can also take advantage of new programs being offered online.
According to an article in the New York Times, online enterprises like Western Governors University, Straighterline, and Learning Counts have recently emerged to offer alternative, lower-cost paths to an education. The programs allow students to draw upon their prior work, education, and life experiences to earn course credits and degrees online.

*Not seasonally adjusted