Why Hiring Young Talent Makes Business Sense 

Connecticut employers continue to navigate a competitive hiring environment.

Entry-level roles remain difficult to fill, early career turnover strains operations, and competition for experienced workers drives up costs.

At the same time, a growing pool of young talent is moving toward the workforce through multiple pathways—some building skills and credentials through training and work-based learning, others actively seeking entry into employment and ready to grow on the job. 
 
Nationally, more than four million young people are preparing to enter or re-enter the workforce even as employers report millions of unfilled positions across industries.

This gap reflects not a shortage of talent, but a missed opportunity to engage young workers earlier and more intentionally along their career journey. 

Overlooked Opportunity

Together, these young adults represent a significant and often overlooked opportunity.

Across Connecticut and the country, young people are participating in industry-aligned training programs, earning credentials, and gaining exposure to workplace expectations through internships, apprenticeships, and paid work experiences.

As hiring challenges persist, more businesses are beginning to recognize that engaging young talent earlier.

Others are prepared to step directly into entry-level roles and develop skills on the job.

For employers, this is talent that can contribute today while forming the foundation of tomorrow’s workforce. 

As hiring challenges persist, more businesses are beginning to recognize that engaging young talent earlier—and at different points along their career journey—can strengthen hiring pipelines and support long-term workforce stability. 

Rethinking Entry-Level Hiring 

Entry-level positions have traditionally been associated with high turnover, leading many employers to approach youth hiring cautiously.

Yet experience across industries shows that retention challenges are driven less by age and more by how roles are structured and introduced. 

National research examining youth-focused recruitment strategies has found that employers experience 25%–40% higher retention in entry-level roles when young talent is recruited through training pipelines or hired into roles with clear expectations and opportunities for growth.

Retention challenges are driven less by age and more by how roles are structured and introduced.

In practical terms, this reduces the recurring costs of recruiting and onboarding while improving continuity and team performance. 

When expectations are clear, onboarding is intentional, and roles are connected to skill development, young talent tends to perform well and stay longer.

For many employers, the shift is less about changing who they hire and more about when and how they engage talent. 

Connecticut’s Young Talent Pipeline 

Connecticut has invested in a coordinated workforce system that supports young talent at multiple stages of readiness.

Through regional workforce development boards, employers can connect with young adults who are completing training programs as well as those prepared for immediate employment.

Participation in these programs continues to grow, reflecting strong interest from young people.

Programs such as the Connecticut Youth Employment Program and year-round work-based learning initiatives expose young people to professional environments while helping them develop foundational workplace skills.

Participation in these programs continues to grow, reflecting strong interest from young people and increasing engagement from employers seeking reliable early-career talent.

Turning Young Talent into Business Advantage 

Hiring young talent is not about taking on additional risk. It is about recognizing preparation, potential, and motivation—and aligning those qualities with real business needs.

Employers who broaden their recruitment strategies to include young adults at different stages of readiness often find greater flexibility in meeting staffing demands and a stronger foundation for internal talent development.

The ability to grow talent internally has become a competitive advantage.

In a labor market where experienced talent is scarce, the ability to grow talent internally has become a competitive advantage.

Employers who engage young workers earlier are better positioned to fill today’s roles while developing the workforce they will need in the future.

Where Employers Can Find Resources, Build Partnerships 

Connecticut workforce development boards: Coordinated through the Connecticut Department of Labor and the Office of Workforce Strategy, workforce boards serve defined regions across the state and connect employers to trained candidates, internships, apprenticeships, and work-based learning opportunities.

The Connecticut Youth Employment Office provides additional resources to engage with youth employment organizations across the state. 

National Youth Employment Coalition Connects Employers, Young Talent

The National Youth Employment Coalition works nationally and in communities to bring employers together with workforce boards, training providers, and community organizations that support young talent.

Through its Youth Champion Communities work, NYEC helps align employer hiring needs with existing training, credentialing, and work-based learning pipelines—reducing hiring friction while strengthening early-career pathways.

Employer navigation and partnership support is available through NYEC at CTyouthemployment@nyec.org.

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About the author: Mary Ann (Mimi) Haley is the executive director of the National Youth Employment Coalition and chair of the Governor’s Office of Workforce Strategies Taskforce Youth Subcommittee.