Toward Greater Equity and Access for Youth

The traditional route of earning a degree to enter the workforce has drastically shifted in recent years. The advent of technological advancements, particularly in the field of artificial intelligence (AI), is shaping the future of work. However, low-income individuals and young people of color face numerous societal, economic, and political barriers that restrict their access to these opportunities. This chapter aims to provide strategies to policymakers, institutions, and other stakeholders to collaboratively adopt inclusive, intentional, replicable, and equitable models at multiple levels. The strategies aim to promote work-based learning practices that blend work and school. This chapter highlights how machine learning, a subset of AI, can disrupt how work is transformed and address the barriers that exclude groups from accessing high-value work opportunities.