Challenges Facing the Youth

Bill Henry ENC 1101 4th period Would you agree that in society today, there are several challenges facing the youth? Due to the economy and state standards, it has become harder for the youth to not only set goals but to accomplish the task which they have set for themselves. Graduation rates are lower, college enrollment is declining, and unemployment rates are increasing. One challenge facing today’s youth is that graduation rates are gradually decreasing yearly because school is becoming harder due to new state standards. As of the year 2012-2013, eleventh grade students have been required to take a test called the PERT.
The PERT test assesses students on the three basic subjects: math, reading, and writing skills. To display college readiness it is required that a student at least makes a 113 in math, 104 in reading, and a 99 in writing. If you fail to obtain the recommended score in these subject areas and your ACT scores are lower than average, you will be placed in remedial courses your senior year. Not all students are great test takers; therefore, for most students this may be a challenge. Yet another challenge is declining college enrollment. Many young adults feel as though college is not for them due to the hard time they may have had in high school.
Not only that, the cost of tuition is extremely high. Between 2000–01 and 2010–11, prices for undergraduate tuition, room, and board at public institutions rose 42 percent. Most young adults cannot afford it, especially those who are forced to be on their own after high school. Another challenge that is facing the youth is increasing unemployment rates. In a 2011 news story, BusinessWeek reported, “More than 200 million people globally are out of work, a record high, as almost two-thirds of advanced economies and half of developing countries are experiencing a slowdown in employment growth”.

Nowadays, most jobs require that you have a high school diploma to work. Not everyone finishes high school! Many students in previous years are satisfied with a GED. These young adults with GED’s have now encountered a problem with job finding. Due to the economy and state standards, graduation rates are lower, college enrollment is declining, and unemployment rates are increasing. Yes, I definitely agree that in society today, there are several challenges facing the youth.