How can states help older TANF teens prepare for the workforce and future self-sufficiency?
Researchers have found a positive relationship between employment among older teens and employment success after high school (Brown August 2001). However, according to Lerman (November 2000), teens in welfare families are less likely to work than their peers with higher family incomes and those who have never been on welfare or have recently left the rolls. He concludes that TANF youth would benefit from linkages between schools and careers through apprenticeships, internships, career academies, and other youth employment strategies. Conversely, others have linked lower academic achievement and behavioral problems among low-income teens with long hours of employment, defined as 20 or more hours per week (Brown August 2001). These research findings suggest that TANF teens may benefit from opportunities to gain work experience so long as they do not require excessive time commitments.
