When young people are disconnected and underserved, they need more than just a credential to achieve long-term labor market success. They need a connection. A Social Capital Framework breaks down why many workforce development efforts struggle to engage youth and place them in career-related occupations. This paper offers insight into the promise of building social capital as a systemic and programmatic strategy to usher youth successfully through workforce development systems and into relevant labor markets.

High levels of social capital foster the spark that youth need to blaze a pathway to long-term career success. Without this spark, most young people say, “Why bother?” Just look at the decreasing labor market participation rates. High levels of social capital serve as the impetus young people need for investing in training, skills, and positive lifestyles by linking them to assets on the other side of the labor market who can help them put their new achievements to work. Learn why we say “connections before the credential” – and develop a framework to make it happen.