MSU Extension 4-H Careers & Entrepreneurship

Volunteers and adults working with youth have the capacity to increase engagement and bridge the gap for disconnected youth, leading them to thriving careers and futures. Disconnected youth are young people between the ages of 16 and 24 who are not in school and not working. In Michigan, the disconnection rate for youth is 12.1%. The 2021 rate for Michigan youth matches the national rate for disconnection and means that, using 2021 Kid Count data, 110,000 young people at a minimum are disconnected in our state. The specific disconnection rate does vary greatly across Michigan, and also varies by gender, ethnicity, race and ability status. Knowing the rate in your county can be helpful in making plans to improve the disconnection rate for our state’s young people.   

One of the strategies that adults can use with young people to lower the rate of disconnect is to support their exploration of careers and their readiness for post-secondary education and the workplace. Michigan State University and Michigan 4-H Youth Development provide resources and programming to support these topics.  A few ideas and strategies that adults can utilize include:

• Discuss your career path and journey and assist youth in talking to others about how they got to their place in life. Often youth see adults moving along successfully in their careers and don’t know the doubts, mistakes, changes in direction, and decision making that those adults went through to get where they are. Share the changes in major you made, the different jobs you took to gain experience, the questions you had and the people who helped you along the way. This insight can help young people see that rarely is the path straight forward and clear. The key is to keep setting goals and moving forward.
• Explore what matters for that young person in their career path. This can be done in a fun way such as doing “This or That” or playing a game of “Would You Rather.” For instance, you could ask young people questions such as: would you rather work indoors or work outdoors? Which sounds better for you, working with others (this) or working alone (that)?  Then discuss the choices they made and what that might mean in terms of career paths.
• Encourage youth to complete a variety of career assessments and talk about the results. While no career assessment provides a complete answer for a young person, it can provide insight into interests and skills that might help them focus on a career pathway.
• Direct youth to resources in the state such as Michigan Works! or Pure Michigan Talent Connect that provide information, supportive staff, events and job postings.
• Support their role in volunteering or participating in community organizations/extracurricular activities. Even if youth are not sure of their next step, engaging in community service or joining a club or activity can expand their network, introduce them to new people, develop their skills, and may even lead to career opportunities. Your local Michigan State University Extension county office can share 4-H experiences or volunteer opportunities that might be a good fit for young people.

Adults in Michigan, and across our nation, have the opportunity to support youth who are currently disconnected and ensure that disconnection rates decrease as young people find ways to put their talents to good use in their communities.

For more ideas and information to support career development with youth in your community, consider attending the “Ways Volunteers Can Spark Big Dreams and Future Careers” webinar as part of the MSU Extension Michigan 4-H Volunteer Webinar Series. The webinar takes place live on November 6, at noon or 7 p.m., or you can watch the recording accessible from the same website after the training is complete.

MSU Extension and Michigan 4-H Youth Development help to prepare young people for successful futures. To find out how to get involved as a youth participant or an adult volunteer, contact your county MSU Extension office.