The Youth Occupational Identity Formation research project was born from the idea that asking young people, ages 15-21, how they see themselves, their challenges, and their goals might offer an important and missing dimension to the field of educators, advocates, and others dedicated to improving outcomes related to education and work pathways for Black and Hispanic youth and young people from households with lower incomes.
Over the course of 16 months, researchers from Goodwin Simon Strategic Research listened to nearly 4,000 Black and Hispanic youth from households of all income levels, as well as white youth from households with lower incomes. This research surfaced new knowledge about how young people develop occupational identities and how they define, refine and pursue the futures they imagine for themselves.
