The goal of the Youth CareerConnect (YCC) program was to prepare high school students for both college and careers in high-demand industries with employers that often rely on H-1B visas to fill job vacancies. In 2014, the Employment and Training Administration awarded 24 grants to a broad array of organizations across 18 states and Puerto Rico, including local education agencies, local workforce agencies, a higher education institution, and other non-profit organizations. The high-school based program included a combination of academic and career-focused learning, rigorous college and career curricula, employer partnerships, work-based learning, and intensive counseling.

The YCC program evaluation examined:

• Early implementation and the evolution of YCC program implementation, in addition to sustainability of YCC activities and services;
• School engagement with employers and workforce agencies and partnership support with work experiences, mentoring and career preparation during the four-year grant period; and
• Impacts related to educational milestones and momentum points related to high school behaviors and activities.

The initial three reports draw on data and information collected through the YCC participant tracking system, a survey of all 24 grantees conducted in 2015, and discussions with YCC program school and partner staff held during site visits and telephone interviews. The first set of reports produced through November 2019, describes student characteristics, key changes in the YCC program during implementation, and distinct strategies to sustain YCC activities and services. These reports also suggest five practices that are key to developing and maintaining YCC employer and workforce agency partnerships.

The final impact reports and research brief, completed in December 2019, answer the research question: "What is the impact of the YCC program on these critical milestones and momentum points that can be achieved in high school and are associated with education and employment success?" The study includes two components: a quasi-experimental design analysis (QED) in 16 school districts (6,207 YCC students and 109,541 comparable non-YCC students), and a randomized controlled trial (RCT) in four school districts that were also part of the QED. The students that participated in the RCT were randomly assigned into a treatment group that was offered enrollment in the YCC program, or into a control group that was excluded from the YCC program. The technical report details the processes used to rigorously analyze student and school district data elements and factors to estimate the impacts from

Overall, the YCC findings indicate small positive impacts on student outcomes. The primary analysis demonstrated that school attendance increased by nearly a percentage point from about 90.7 to 91.5 percent and students at the 50th percentile in accumulating credits for high school graduation moved to approximately the 54th percentile. In addition, there is some evidence that the program may increase students' proficiency in English language arts, but there is no evidence of increased completion of algebra coursework. The study found that while there were few differences in impacts among subgroups based on prior academic achievement and low-income status, impacts were more substantial for students who participated in an internship, had a mentor, or completed an individual development plan.