Our design insights provide a framework for developing retail tech pathways that leverage youth strengths, ambitions, and lived experiences.
Download the Design Insights Brief
The retail sector is undergoing rapid transformation, offering a significant entry point into technology careers for young individuals, especially those facing obstacles in education and employment. However, current systems often impose rigid structures, failing to align with how young people genuinely navigate their learning and work experiences.
For Opportunity Youth, usually defined as individuals ages 16 to 24 who are neither working or in school, this transformation represents a rare chance to enter an evolving field where skills, creativity, and adaptability — not just credentials — can open doors to meaningful and future-ready work.
Education Design Lab’s newest Design Insights Brief, Retail Tech Pathways for Opportunity Youth, highlights the needs articulated by young people themselves for their success. Their perspectives challenge established beliefs about linear career advancement, pointing toward a future where retail serves as a stepping stone to tech-enabled professions that provide stability and opportunities for growth.
This brief is intended for employers, educators, and workforce leaders who are ready to listen with an open mind and create pathways that leverage youth strengths, ambitions, and lived experiences.
Three critical insights emerged:
Co-design is essential: Youth must be active participants in shaping the systems designed to support them.
Future-ready beats career-ready: Emphasizing durable skills and adaptability is paramount.
Mindset shifts matter: Acknowledging resilience and creativity unlocks true upward mobility.
These insights provide a framework for developing pathways that reflect authentic journeys, empowering young people to envision and construct their own futures.
Download the Design Insights Brief
This post and publication was authored by Brian Rubin, a Senior Education Designer with Education Design Lab.
