National Youth Employment Coalition

What National Youth Employment Coalition does

National Youth Employment Coalition (NYEC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1979 and headquartered in Washington, DC, focused on improving employment outcomes for opportunity youth—young people ages 16-24 who are out of school and out of work, a population NYEC estimates at over 4 million nationwide. The organization operates as a membership-based coalition serving three primary stakeholder groups: youth-serving organizations (capacity building, technical assistance, grant access), employers (workforce pipelines, skills-based hiring through the Youth Champion Employer Council), and government agencies (federal policy advocacy, programmatic alignment). NYEC runs annual convenings including a 450+ attendee Annual Forum and a DC Summit that mobilizes practitioners to meet with 83+ Congressional offices for advocacy.

NYEC's core methodology is the Youth Champion Communities Framework (YCCF), a structured three-phase process—Community Assessment and Strategic Planning, Action and Implementation, and Evaluation and Field Building—deployed across 13 partner cities since 2024 and reporting 393 organizations engaged, 155 employers aligned, 41 new partnerships, and 25 new programs launched. The product portfolio includes the Youth Champion Communities initiative, the Youth Champion Employer Council (founded with Veolia North America), DOL-recognized pre-apprenticeship curricula developed with FHI 360 (Empowering Futures and Youth Development Practitioner), a members-only portal with toolkits and grant opportunities, and youth leadership programs including the Youth Advisory Council.

Revenue derives from three streams: membership dues from youth-serving organizations, federal grants (Workforce Innovation & Talent Centers, DOL apprenticeship funding), and foundation partnerships. Specific pricing is not publicly disclosed. NYEC is governed by an independent board chaired by Kevin Hickey (Chief Program Officer of New Door Ventures) and led by Executive Director Dr. Mary Ann (Mimi) Haley. The organization maintains no parent company, holding entity, or external ownership.

Name

National Youth Employment Coalition

Legal name

National Youth Employment Coalition

Website

https://nyec.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

National Youth Employment Coalition (NYEC) is a Washington, DC-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded in 1979, that convenes youth-serving organizations, employers, and government agencies to advance employment outcomes for opportunity youth ages 16-24 through its Youth Champion Communities initiative, employer council, and federal policy advocacy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Workforce Development

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Workforce Readiness, Career Pathways & Youth Employment Nonprofits (BPAGADAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth & Young Adult Workforce Programs (Out-of-School Youth) (EDAAAOAD), Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAD), Mentoring, Coaching, Alumni Networking & Peer Support Platforms (EDAFAMAN)

Keywords

• Youth workforce development
• Opportunity youth programs
• Employment policy advocacy
• Community coalition building
• Pre-apprenticeship training

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: NYEC operates as a membership organization where youth-serving organizations pay dues to join. Members receive access to the Member Portal with resources, priority consideration for grant-based projects, advocacy support, and discounts on annual forums.
2. Grant-Based Projects: NYEC receives priority consideration for participation in grant-based projects as a membership benefit. NYEC also administers initiatives and partnerships that bring funding into the coalition's activities.
3. Foundation and Federal Grants: NYEC receives federal funding and collaborates with foundations to support workforce development programs and policy initiatives across the youth employment field.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

NYEC is a national nonprofit coalition that strengthens programs, practices, and policies for opportunity youth (ages 16-24 who are out of school and out of work) through capacity building, technical assistance, federal policy advocacy, employer engagement, and youth leadership development. Its core portfolio includes the Youth Champion Communities initiative and Framework (YCCF) for community-driven systems change, the Youth Champion Employer Council for skills-based hiring, pre-apprenticeship curricula (Youth Development Practitioner and Empowering Futures), and recurring convenings (Annual Forum and D.C. Summit) alongside a members-only Member Portal of evidence-based resources.

Product overview

NYEC offers a coordinated portfolio of programs, resources, and initiatives focused on advancing economic mobility and employment opportunities for opportunity youth (young people ages 16-24 who are out of school and out of work). The core offerings include the Youth Champion Communities initiative with its accompanying Framework (YCCF), which provides a structured approach to community-driven systems change through a three-phase model. NYEC also operates the Youth Champion Employer Council to align employer engagement with youth workforce development. Member organizations access a dedicated Member Portal with resources, workshops, and grant opportunities. Youth leadership is fostered through the Youth Advisory Council, Youth Action Hour, and National Thought Leaders workshop series. Annual convenings (D.C. Summit and Annual Forum) provide networking and advocacy platforms. NYEC also provides free pre-apprenticeship curricula including Empowering Futures (mental health-focused) and Youth Development Practitioner training, along with resource hubs for federal funding and data.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Youth Champion Communities (YCC): A national initiative designed to help communities of all sizes assess and substantially improve their capacities to engage and prepare young people for economic mobility and success.
• Youth Champion Employer Council
• D.C. Summit

Products and services

• Youth Champion Communities (YCC) A national initiative designed to help communities of all sizes assess and substantially improve their capacities to engage and prepare young people ages 16-24 (out of school and out of work) for economic mobility and success. YCC brings together mayors, employers, educators, workforce leaders, community-based organizations, and young people to align efforts and strengthen pathways. The 2024 cohort spans 13 cities, engaging 393 organizations and 155 employers, with 41 new partnerships initiated.
• Youth Champion Communities Framework (YCCF) A structured framework guiding local leaders through a multi-phase community-driven systems change process: Community Assessment and Strategic Planning, Action and Implementation, and Evaluation and Field Building. It helps local leaders assess their current landscape, identify opportunities for alignment, and implement strategies that lead to measurable economic outcomes, with activities including Research & Discovery, Expert & National Input, Youth Voice, Phase One Cities development, and Piloting & Refinement.
• Youth Champion Employer Council A national employer-led platform that brings together employers committed to developing young talent, advancing skills-based hiring, and building early-career pathways that meet real workforce needs. Veolia North America is a founding member, and CVS Health is a documented workforce-training partner, with members collaborating to share strategies and shape industry standards.
• Youth Development Practitioner (YDP) Pre-Apprenticeship Curriculum A no-cost pre-apprenticeship curriculum developed by FHI 360's National Institute for Work & Learning (now Institute for Work and Learning) in partnership with NYEC, supporting staff in building core youth development competencies that strengthen program quality. It serves as the foundation for NYEC's registered YDP Apprenticeship, which combines on-the-job learning with structured coursework.
• Empowering Futures Curriculum A no-cost, flexible mental health pre-apprenticeship curriculum co-developed with FHI 360, designed to help organizations build stronger behavioral health talent pipelines. Equips learners with workforce-ready skills including de-escalation, trauma-informed care, cultural responsiveness, and professional communication.
• NYEC Membership (Member Portal) An annual membership subscription for youth-serving organizations providing access to a Member Portal with hundreds of evidence-based toolkits, videos, reports, podcasts, members-only workshops, technical assistance, advocacy support, grant-based project priority, and discounted rates on Annual Forum. Members receive bi-weekly online workshops, members-only emails with grant and advocacy opportunities, and access to resources on mental health, justice involvement, employer engagement, leadership development, and more.
• Annual Forum NYEC's annual national convening (e.g., 2026 Annual Forum: March 30 – April 1 in Houston) bringing together 450+ direct service providers, practitioners, community leaders, employers, and young adults for three days of strategy sharing, learning, networking, and exploration of systemic change.
• D.C. Summit (formerly Youth Days) Annual advocacy convening in Washington, D.C. (e.g., 2026 D.C. Summit: September 21-23) where practitioners, community leaders, organizational partners, and young people are trained to meet with Congressional offices and advocate for federal investments and policy reforms benefiting opportunity youth. In 2025, 130 attendees from 27 states visited 83 Congressional offices.

Quantifiable outcome

• 393 organizations engaged in YCC initiative
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Dallas Regional ChamberminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 April 2026NYEC and the Dallas Regional Chamber convened college presidents, employers, training providers, and workforce leaders to connect employers, education, and young talent in the Dallas region.
• Connecticut Youth Employment Statewide (YES) TaskforcecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2026NYEC launched the CT Youth Employment Statewide (YES) Taskforce, an action-focused working group including state agencies, youth services providers, workforce investment boards, and youth leaders. The taskforce aims to establish a CT Statewide Youth Ecosystem to align efforts across workforce boards, state agencies, and direct service providers.
• Veolia North AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2025Veolia is a founding member of NYEC's Youth Champion Employer Council, a national movement focused on bridging untapped talent to workforce demand. Veolia collaborates with NYEC and peer employers to share strategies, advance skills-based hiring, and build early-career pathways tied to essential infrastructure and community services. Veolia brings real-world perspective through employee stories demonstrating how hands-on training and mentorship transform early exposure into long-term careers.
• FHI 360coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2025FHI 360, through its National Institute for Work & Learning (now Institute for Work and Learning), developed the Youth Development Practitioner (YDP) Pre-apprenticeship curriculum in partnership with NYEC. NYEC and FHI 360 also collaborated on the Empowering Futures mental health pre-apprenticeship curriculum for young people.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Jobs for the Future: Jobs for the Future (JFF) is a national nonprofit driving equitable economic advancement through workforce policy, practice, and systems change. It is a direct peer to NYEC, operating at similar scale in youth and adult workforce policy advocacy, employer engagement, and federal grant-funded programs, including apprenticeship initiatives.
• Corporation for a Skilled Workforce: Corporation for a Skilled Workforce is a Michigan-based national nonprofit partnering with states and regions to build stronger workforce systems. It is a direct peer to NYEC in community-driven workforce systems change, employer engagement, and youth/adult pathways.
• Year Up: Year Up is a workforce development nonprofit providing training, mentorship, and pathways to employment for young adults facing opportunity gaps. It is a direct peer to NYEC in serving opportunity youth through employer partnerships, skills training, and federal policy alignment.
• National Skills Coalition: National Skills Coalition is a DC-based nonprofit advocating for federal skills-training policy and serving as a coalition of workforce, education, and employer stakeholders. It is a direct peer to NYEC in membership-model federal advocacy, skills-based hiring focus, and serving disconnected workers and opportunity youth.
• National Youth Transition Center / Institute for Educational Leadership: The Institute for Educational Leadership operates national initiatives connecting youth development, education, and workforce pathways. It is a direct peer to NYEC in cross-sector youth systems-change work and policy advocacy.
• Young Invincibles: Young Invincibles is a DC-based nonprofit advocating for economic opportunity for young adults ages 18-34, with focus on workforce, education, and healthcare policy. It is a direct peer to NYEC in youth-focused federal advocacy and research.
• National Association of Workforce Boards: The National Association of Workforce Boards supports the nation's Workforce Development Boards in implementing WIOA. It is a direct peer to NYEC in the youth workforce policy ecosystem, serving similar stakeholder organizations and advocating for federal workforce funding.
• Aspen Institute (Economic Opportunities Program): The Aspen Institute's Economic Opportunities Program advances ideas and programs to expand economic mobility, including youth and opportunity worker initiatives. It is a direct peer to NYEC in convening, research, and policy advocacy for opportunity populations, with broader scope across ages.

Broad incumbents

• CLASP (Center for Law and Social Policy): CLASP is a national DC-based nonprofit advancing policy solutions for low-income people, including workforce development and youth programs. It is a broad peer to NYEC in federal advocacy and research on workforce and anti-poverty policy, with broader scope across populations and issue areas.

Others

• Workforce Development Board of Western New York (member org example): Workforce development boards and local workforce investment boards represent the on-the-ground delivery infrastructure that NYEC's policy and convening work ultimately supports. Comparable as ecosystem members and beneficiaries of NYEC's federal advocacy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TheNYEC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-youth-employment-coalition

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about National Youth Employment Coalition