The purpose of this paper is threefold: (1) to provide information to policymakers and government personnel who support and develop workforce development programming, policies and practices for youth, including those with learning disabilities (LD); (2) to provide a national view of the literacy and employment status of youth with LD who have low literacy skills; and (3) to provide information on how workforce development programs can meet their literacy, employment and self-determination needs, providing professional development and leveraging technology to do so more effectively and efficiently. To accomplish this purpose, the paper is organized to address six objectives: (1) Describe the critical need for sophisticated literacy skills in the 21st-century workforce; (2) Define learning disabilities and discuss the implications of the need for higher literacy skills for youth with LD; (3) Discuss the challenges in the current workforce development systems and personnel and professional development needs to address the achievement of youth with LD; (4) Provide information on how these workforce development programs and personnel can meet the literacy, employment and self-determination needs of youth with LD; (5) Offer examples of program models; and (6) Discuss implications for policymakers and government personnel who support and develop workforce development programming, policies and practices for youth.