This article highlights the efforts of Broader Urban Involvement and Leadership Development (BUILD) in Chicago to engage youth through programs focused on gang intervention, violence prevention, and development, aiming to create safe and relaxing environments for children and teens. It also addresses the severe youth joblessness rates in Chicago, with some neighborhoods experiencing rates as high as 92%. The report, written by the Great Cities Institute at UIC and commissioned by the Alternative Schools Network, underscores the urgent need for youth employment to improve economic conditions in these communities.
It found that young people in Chicago, ages 16 to 24, had higher rates of unemployment than the national average. Black and Latino youth were more likely to be unemployed, than White teens.
“The neighborhoods are in dire straits. They don’t have much in the way of an economy, very few jobs. What used to be an industrial economy in the 50s, 60s is a service economy,” he (Jack Wuest of Alternative Schools Network) said.
“Young people miss out when they can’t find a job,” he said. “They learn how to show up on time, getting paid is a big incentive, it’s their money and it helps their families too. Having that first job, if they’ve never had it before, succeeding, getting there regularly, getting along with people and getting paid that’s a big deal.”
From ABC7 Chicago (To go to the actual article, please click on this link.)
