Five Questions to Ask Your Elected Officials or Candidates This Fall
For nearly the entirety of October, the House and Senate will be in recess leading up to the midterm elections. Policymakers will flock to their home states and districts to make a positive impression on voters. Depending on the person, their objective will be to win a re-election campaign, become a new member of Congress, or, if they are not on the ballot this year, to visit with constituents and learn more about issues on the ground.
Policymakers are looking for us to offer support and get them to Capitol Hill. With a full month of Congressional recess there will be a variety of public activities to engage directly with elected officials or candidates for office and get the answers we need to most effectively advocate for Opportunity Youth.
Below are examples of questions about Opportunity Youth that every policymaker should answer before or while in office. Direct questions give us the information we need to vote and advocate, while also sharing information with those in office.
Opportunity Youth are those ages 16 to 24 who are not in school or the workforce. There are more than 4.8 million Opportunity Youth in the United States, across every state and district. What will you do to reconnect youth and young adults to education and jobs?
For multiple years now, the President’s budget request and initial House appropriations bills proposed to eliminate much of the federal funding for Opportunity Youth workforce development and skills training. How will you protect Opportunity Youth programs?
Opportunity Youth could benefit from an expanded apprenticeship landscape and increased federal resources directed towards these pathways. What actions will you support to better connect Opportunity Youth to apprenticeships locally and nationally?
Opportunity Youth are among the hardest hit by economic downturns, and they face significant barriers to re-engaging in their employment and educational pathways. What is your vision for economic mobility, and how does it include Opportunity Youth?
Policies that impact Opportunity Youth cannot be successful if youth and young adult voices are not part of the process. How will you bring young people to the table and make sure their experiences are reflected in policy?
Bonus questions. While the above questions are broad and meant to help understand policymakers’ general support for Opportunity Youth, we also want to encourage candidates for office and current electeds to show they understand the policy landscape and our priorities.
Below are a few more specific questions about policy areas that you can ask as a follow-up or if you are looking to get more specific!
The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) is overdue for reauthorization. Over the last few years there were bipartisan packages introduced that included positive proposals for Opportunity Youth, but ultimately those bills did not move. What priorities does your office have on WIOA reauthorization?
National Service can be part of an employment and upskilling pathway for Opportunity Youth. Such programs also offer significant community benefits around the country when it comes to disaster relief, affordable housing construction/repair and more, but funding for AmeriCorps programs have been proposed to be cut in recent years both by the President and Congress. How will you protect National Service programming?
The most successful workforce and education policies for Opportunity Youth intersect with other policy areas such as childcare, housing security, reentry, healthcare, etc. What is one new or existing policy lever that you are committed to bringing Opportunity Youth into, and how do you plan to do so?
Did you visit a town hall or meet with an elected official about Opportunity Youth? We’d love to hear how it went! Message us to share more and learn about how to stay engaged with our coalition.
