Houston prides itself on being a city of opportunity, but many young adults have seen little change to their prospects over the past decade.<\/p>\n
Among the nation\u2019s largest metro areas, the Houston region made the least progress over a recent decade-long stretch in reducing its share of \u201cdisconnected youth,\u201d defined as people between the ages of 16 and 24 who aren\u2019t working or attending school, a new analysis of Census data by Measure of America<\/a> shows.<\/p>\n About 13.3% of Houston-area older teens and young adults were classified as disconnected youth<\/a> in 2022, down slightly from 14.2% in 2012. By comparison, several of the nation\u2019s major metro areas cut their disconnected youth rate by several percentage points during that time, including Atlanta, Philadelphia, Phoenix and Washington, D.C.<\/p>\n Houston\u2019s share of disconnected youth \u2014 which equals nearly 125,000 people \u2014 also ranks highest in the nation among the largest metro areas.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n For Houston, the cost of failing to get local youth working or learning continues to add up.\u00a0<\/p>\n Researchers at Measure of America, a project spearheaded by the nonprofit Social Science Research Council, estimate that young people who remain connected to school or the workforce earn an average of $38,400 more annually in their 30s compared to a disconnected youth. If Houston cut its disconnection rate to 9%, it could create about $1 billion in discretionary income annually for over 40,000 people, the analysis suggested.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are too many young people figuring out their futures in their bedrooms,\u201d said Carolyn Watson, the co-chair of the Greater Houston Opportunity Youth Collaborative steering committee. \u201cHouston has a business-oriented culture, and our community leaders understand dollars and cents. The business case for doing something about it is clear.\u201d<\/p>\n Measure of America\u2019s analysis spanned the Gulf Coast Workforce Board\u2019s 13-county region<\/a>, which includes the Houston metropolitan statistical area, plus Colorado, Matagorda, Walker and Wharton counties. Measure of America followed the same definition and methodology established in a 2016 study by the Kinder Institute<\/a>.<\/p>\n Houston\u2019s youth challenges<\/p>\n Houston\u2019s stubbornly high share of disconnected youth may result from a mix of planning and population.<\/p>\n While graduation rates in the Houston area roughly follow national averages, Measure of America researchers noted that a below-average share of Houston youth obtain a two- or four-year college degree. Watson said Houston\u2019s lack of progress in reengaging disconnected youth is partly due to young people slipping through the cracks after high school.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat we need more of is finding pathways and doorways for those young people who graduated high school and didn\u2019t go directly into college or workforce training,\u201d Watson said. \u201cThis is a place where employers can really lean in and be part of the solution.\u201d<\/p>\n Houston also hasn\u2019t organized as extensively as other metro areas to address disconnected youth.\u00a0<\/p>\n Atlanta and Phoenix, for example, found success by leaning on reengagement strategies, apprenticeship support and work-based learning programs to serve tens of thousands of students. Both metro areas cut their disconnection rates from roughly 16% in 2012 to 10.6% in 2022.<\/p>\n Still, some of Houston\u2019s disconnection patterns likely stem from demographic trends. Over the decade examined by Measure of America, the number of people aged 16 to 24 in Houston increased by 19%, or 142,000 young people. Nationwide, the share of youth rose by just 1%.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is possible that institutions and resources that ordinarily lead to youth and young adult connection have not kept pace with this population growth,\u201d Measure of America researchers wrote in their report.<\/p>\n State takes action<\/p>\n While Houston has struggled to move the needle on youth disconnection, recent initiatives and policy changes could create new pathways for engagement.<\/p>\n Texas lawmakers passed legislation this year that allows young people to enroll in state-approved virtual schools<\/a> to earn a high school diploma instead of a GED diploma. Another bill this year mandates that 28 state-authorized workforce development boards<\/a> include disconnected youth in their strategic plans and increase transparency on spending of federal funds.<\/p>\n Two years ago, state lawmakers created<\/a> a new Texas Opportunity High School Diploma, which allows adult students to earn a high school diploma while taking workforce credential courses at a junior college. San Jacinto College is one of five institutions in the state to offer the diploma.<\/p>\n In 2023, the Texas Workforce Investment Council, housed in the governor\u2019s office, formally included<\/a> \u201copportunity youth\u201d in its System Strategic Plan for 2024-2031. The move opens new funding serving opportunity youth through the Texas Talent Connection program, which awards state-administered, federally funded grants to workforce, training and reengagement providers. Grant recipients typically receive<\/a> a maximum of $350,000 per year.<\/p>\n