Despite recent polling showing that 88 percent of people ages 30 and younger are in favor of unions, unionization rates remain at historically low levels (PDF), leaving millions of workers in need of other ways to advocate for their interests. Recent high-profile strikes and contract agreements have demonstrated the power of worker voice, but for young workers, the power of their voice—as well as how training providers, workforce intermediaries, and employers engage with them—varies from the working population at large.

Often, young workers are still developing and have less experience in the workplace than their older counterparts, creating conditions for differential treatment. Many young workers work in the service sector, which is harder to organize than historic union strongholds like manufacturing because of high staff turnover and smaller individual establishments. Structural challenges, such as ageism, racism, sexism, and ableism, also make it more difficult for young workers to safely express their voice and make positive changes in their workplace.

Lifting young workers’ voices can create a more equitable and inclusive workforce for all and can even lead to bottom-line improvements for businesses. Here, we provide three strategies for lifting youth voice and power in training, workplace, and policy settings drawn from our practical guide and interviews with 27 leaders in youth-serving workforce development and intermediary organizations. These strategies cover a range of roles, from youth development and training to job placement, which are uniquely positioned to guide younger workers as they transition into the workforce.

1. Making space for young workers’ voices

By modeling a healthy workplace culture, youth-serving organizations can empower young people to learn and grow confidence in their ideas and lived experience. A healthy culture involves training staff on adultism and other biases, including young people in decisionmaking, asking for regular feedback, and compensating young people for their time and thoughtful contributions. For many organizations, working with young people who’ve been directly affected by trauma is common. These organizations can train staff in trust-based relational interventions and socioemotional learning to better respond to interpersonal issues and equip young people with tools for managing their own emotional responses to stress. Frequent, transparent communication can also build trust. Organizations should take care when planning to use feedback, share those intentions, and follow up on the results.

2. Building skills for young workers to advocate for themselves

In addition to making space for young people’s voices, youth-serving organizations ought to prepare young workers with the skills necessary to use their voice in the workplace. To start, organizations can offer information about workplace rights, including wage and hour laws, harassment policies, and Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations. Next, young people need to understand how to communicate in a professional manner and, if needed, file formal complaints. As they enter the workplace, young people should have the knowledge needed to successfully navigate workplace norms, without sacrificing their safety or authentic selves.

3. Elevating young workers’ voices in community conversations and policy

Although self-advocacy in the workplace is crucial, these strategies can also encourage young people outside of the workplace, whether as part of local workforce initiatives or public policy. Outside of work, young people can advocate for change at sectoral, regional, and even national levels on issues that affect their lives but can’t be solved on a firm-by-firm basis. And this engagement in community processes provides multiple benefits, including potential career exploration, public speaking skills, leadership development, and policy knowledge.

Including young workers can benefit workers and employers

For organizations interested in implementing each of the above strategies, it’s useful to maintain an asset-based and race-grounded framework. This approach shapes training programs and workplace conversations in a way that affirms, centers, and empowers young people of color. Recognizing and addressing how historical racial dynamics affect workplace culture today results in stronger communities, leadership, self-efficacy, communication, and career development among young employees. 

From local governments to labor unions, organizations of all kinds would benefit from making space for young worker representatives or advisory groups to voice and address their concerns. Not only do these strategies set the stage for stronger organizational and community engagement in the future, but they also contribute to a more equitable, resilient labor market that allows workers and employers to thrive.