Tapping Into Washington’s Future by Investing in Opportunity Youth

M. Yvonne Taylor, Ph.D., Executive Director 

Like so many young people across the nation, Nathaniel's education was disrupted by the pandemic during his freshman year of high school. "I was having trouble staying in the loop with it," he says. Rather than remain disconnected, he found his way back through alternative education pathways and targeted supports. Now he's pursuing a business degree at North Seattle College with entrepreneurial dreams, while also serving on advisory boards to help shape programs for other young people.

Nathaniel’s story represents the tremendous potential of Washington's "opportunity youth"—young people aged 16-24 who are neither in school nor working. Yet across our state, funding for programs supporting this vital demographic faces severe cuts, despite mounting evidence that investment in these young people yields significant returns for our communities.

The need is stark. In King, Pierce, and South Snohomish Counties alone, an estimated 39,600 disconnected young people face barriers to education and employment. The pandemic exacerbated these challenges, with national youth disconnection rates rising from 10.7% to 12.6%. The full number nationwide is estimated at nearly 4.5 million.

Our region’s Opportunity Youth reflect the systemic inequities in our education and employment systems. They are disproportionately young people of color, first-generation students, and those who have experienced homelessness or other significant life challenges. Yet they also represent an untapped wellspring of talent, creativity, and potential contribution to our communities and economy.

A 2012 study revealed the staggering long-term costs when young people become disconnected from education and employment. Researchers found that each 16-year-old Opportunity Youth will cost taxpayers approximately $258,240 over their lifetime through lost tax revenue, increased public assistance needs, and criminal justice system costs. The broader social impact is even more profound, reaching $755,900 per youth when accounting for lost wages, reduced economic productivity, and effects on community wellbeing and future generations.

But there's hope. A network of community organizations, educational institutions, and support services across the Puget Sound region, the Sound Reengagement Collaborative, has joined together to share innovative approaches to reconnecting young people with education and employment. Programs provide comprehensive support, recognizing that sustainable transformation requires addressing the whole person.

The results of our individual and collective efforts are promising. When given appropriate support, opportunity youth don't just survive—they thrive. Recent research shows that 71% of young people who have worked with our organization alone persist into their second year of college, compared to 55.2% retention rate of all students who attend Washington’s community and technical colleges. Opportunity youth we’ve supported have become nurses, entrepreneurs, and community leaders.

This success creates a multiplier effect. Each young person–many the first in their families to attend college–who reconnects with education and employment becomes a beacon of possibility for their peers. They contribute to the tax base, fill critical workforce gaps, and strengthen our communities. Many return to mentor others, creating a self-reinforcing cycle of positive change.

As Washington faces difficult budget decisions, we must remember that supporting Opportunity Youth isn't just a moral imperative, it's fiscally responsible and an economic necessity. Legislators must consider the downstream, long-range consequences of cutting funding for programs that serve opportunity youth, disrupting the enormous progress these overlooked youth have made. 

“The trusting relationships between these young adults and their advocates is not built overnight,” says Representative Julia Reed (Seattle). “It’s intensive work, but the outcomes speak for themselves. Our job as lawmakers and public servants must be to eliminate barriers, not create new ones. In an era of labor shortages and growing economic disparity, we cannot afford to lose the potential of thousands of young people.”

The good news is that the infrastructure to support these young people in our communities exists. The question is whether we’ll maintain the investment needed to help them realize their potential. The stories of Nathaniel and countless others remind us that with the right support at the right time, opportunity youth become opportunity realized.

NWEdA serves over 1,000 Opportunity Youth annually across King, Pierce, and South Snohomish Counties and is the convener of the Sound Reengagement Collaborative, representing nearly 50 member organizations across the region.