I used to play "school" when I was a kid. I would teach my imaginary class the intricacies of building an effective Lego compound, and then give a quiz. What was on this quiz?

The lessons that I learned while working at the summer camp and internship placement proved invaluable and truly shaped my future career decisions.

The program recruits low-income minorities and women, including ex-offenders and veterans, and helps them find stable jobs in a growing industry. As a result, life-changing stories are commonplace.

Unemployment rate. College drop-out rate. Program retention and attrition. It's easy to get lost in the expanding world of numbers and figures.

Our government and the corporate sector must make youth employment a priority. Funding streams should be realistic, multi-year, and go to high- performing nonprofit organizations that serve as the glue and connectors between youth and their first job.

Our vision is that one day every urban young adult will have access to the education, experience, and guidance required to reach his or her potential. It's the right thing for our young adults, for our businesses, and our society as a whole.

While college is hugely important, the opportunity to intern, gain real-world work experience, and build a professional network is really what is going to propel our youth out of poverty.

While job creation is becoming a focal point for the Federal Reserve, there are still hundreds of thousands of open positions that remain unfilled because workers lack the right skills.