National Youth Employment Coalition

WHAT IS THE NATIONAL YOUTH EMPLOYMENT COALITION?

Vision
The National Youth Employment Coalition envisions a nation in which every young person is assured the full range of educational, developmental, vocational, economic and social opportunities, supports, and services s/he may need to become a productive and self-sufficient worker, taxpayer, parent, and citizen.

Mission
The National Youth Employment Coalition improves the effectiveness of organizations that seek to help youth become productive citizens.

Toward this end, the NYEC:

• Tracks, crafts and influences policy;
• Sets and promotes quality standards;
• Provides and supports professional development; and
• Builds and increases the capacity of organizations and programs.

Core Values
The 285+ member organizations that make up the NYEC are linked by a set of shared core values about youth, youth work, and the organizations, schools, and systems that serve youth. The NYEC’s members represent a broad range of organizations, including direct service providers, public agencies, national organizations with networks of affiliates, research and policy organizations, and technical assistance providers.

Our core values reflect a collective belief in access, opportunity, equity, and quality. These values recognize youth as resources, the significance of the youth work field, and the critical importance of work as a development tool:

• We believe in the integrity, abilities, and the potential of our nation’s youth and that all work has value that can assist youth in their development.

• We believe in the youth we guide and serve, enabling them as leaders and learners who are instrumental in their own development. We believe that young people are entitled to respect and adult advocacy on their behalf.

• We believe that all youth-serving programs and institutions must consciously and continuously work to open doors to opportunity and access, preparing youth to confront and to overcome the persistent barrier of institutional racism.

• We believe in building communities of learning and effective practice among youth, between youth and adults, and among various professional fields.

• We believe that policy informed by proven practice is instrumental for ongoing innovation and change.

OUR CORE BUSINESS

The NYEC offers a range of projects, programs, and activities that fall into one of four areas of core business:

• Set and Promote Quality Standards

The NYEC sets standards of effective practice that reflect a blending of the principles, standards, and practices that have emerged from three fields of practice: youth development, workforce development, and education. These standards are grounded in both the latest research and exemplary practice, and are widely accepted and adopted. The NYEC promotes standards of effective practice by sharing them with youth-serving systems, agencies, organizations, and programs across the nation.

• Build and Increase Organizational Capacity

The NYEC builds and increases the capacity of youth serving organizations, programs, and systems. The NYEC develops, identifies, distills, and creates accessible tools, resources, information, and research to communicate proven strategies that are responsive to the needs of youth serving organizations, practitioners, and the youth they serve. The NYEC also convenes youth work professionals to share and to learn about effective practices and to network with colleagues from across the nation.

• Provide and Support Professional Development

The NYEC promotes and informs the development of the youth work profession and provides professional development opportunities for emerging leaders in the fields of youth development, workforce development, and education.

• Track, Craft, and Influence Policy

The NYEC tracks youth policy to inform its members about current developments, emerging issues, and the implications for their work. The NYEC works closely with policymakers to craft legislation and policies informed by practice. The NYEC influences policy and legislation by mobilizing its grassroots membership and through direct advocacy.

NYEC Blends Three Fields of Practice: Youth Development, Workforce