Serving Youth Under WIOA: Ready, Set, Go! Missouri MAWD Conference June 2-3, 2015 Lori Crockett Harris Region 5 - Chief, Division of Workforce Investment United States Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration

WIOA was signed into law July 22, 2014 WIOA customer-focused, placing job seekers and businesses at the center of the workforce system. 2

3 o Needs of business and workers drive workforce solutions. o One-Stop Centers provide excellent customer service and focus on continuous improvement. o The workforce system supports strong regional economies and plays an active role in community and workforce development.

WIOA Key Changes to the Formula Youth Program Expanded focus on Out of School Youth (OSY) Expanded Focus on Work Experience Adds 5 New Program Elements Eliminates the Youth Council requirement

WIOA CURRENT Youth Guidance  TEGL published on March 26, 2015  Includes the following: ▪OSY Expenditure Requirement ▪Youth Committees ▪Transitioning ISY ▪Additional WIOA Youth Changes ▪Transitioning Youth Service Provider Contracts ▪The TEGL contains a number of examples of local areas successfully serving OSY as well as a number of resources that will help states and local areas implement WIOA youth.

Changes to Youth Eligibility  Youth enrolled beginning July 1, 2015 must meet the new eligibility criteria provided in WIOA. On July 1, 2015, all WIA youth participants who are still enrolled in the WIA youth program must be grandfathered into the WIOA youth program, even if the participant would not otherwise be eligible for WIOA.  Eligibility Categories ●In-School Youth (ISY) ●Out-of-School Youth (OSY) ●Older Youth / Younger Youth terms no longer apply *Youth in high poverty areas and youth receiving or eligible to receive a free or reduced price school lunch are considered low-income

ISY Eligibility Requirements

Additional Conditions (Must Meet 1) Basic skills deficient English Language Learner An Offender Homeless, a runaway, in foster care or has aged out of the foster care system Pregnant or Parenting Disabled Requires additional assistance to enter or complete an educational program or to secure or hold employment

Transitioning ISY  It is critical that local areas not prematurely exit ISY from the program due to the shift in emphasis under WIOA to OSY.  States and local areas may choose to use most of the remaining PY 2014 funds for services to ISY, in order to assist them in successfully completing the program.  Local Boards may consider strategies for serving ISY that are lower cost and reach more students, such as providing labor market information, career awareness, employer presentations, and employer visits.  Local areas also should partner with school districts to coordinate services for in-school youth.

OSY Eligibility Requirements

Additional Conditions (Must Meet 1) ●School dropout ●Within the age of compulsory school attendance, but has not attended school for at least the most recent complete school year calendar quarter ●Recipient of a secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent who is low- income and either basic skills deficient or an English language learner ●Subject to the juvenile or adult justice system ●A homeless individual defined in sec (6), Violence Against Women Act (42 U.S.C e–2(6)), a homeless child or youth, a runaway, in foster care or has aged out of the foster care system, a child eligible for assistance under section 477, Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 677), or in an out-of-home placement ●Pregnant or parenting ●An individual with a disability ●Low-income individual who requires additional assistance to enter or complete an educational program or to secure or hold employment

OSY Eligibility and Income ●Low income is not required for all OSY ●Low income is only required if use “condition” III or VIII o III. R ecipient of a secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent who is low-income and either basic skills deficient or an English language learner o VIII. L ow-income individual who requires additional assistance to enter or complete an educational program or to secure or hold employment

WIOA Provisions for OSY ●WIOA requires 75% of state AND local Youth funding be used for out-of-school youth ○For Statewide: only direct expenditures on youth services ○Administrative costs not subject to 75% requirement ○Exception for minimum allotment states ○Funds tracked by program year State & Local Youth Funding 75% for Out-of-schoolyouth

OSY Expenditure Requirement  States and local areas “must work towards spending 75% of PY 2015 funds on OSY”  If a state/local area cannot meet 75% OSY expenditures with PY ‘15 funds, they must: ▪Demonstrate increased OSY expenditures compared to previous year ▪Show increase of at least 10 percentage points and no lower than a 50% OSY expenditure rate ▪Be prepared to describe how they will achieve the 75% OSY expenditure rate with PY 2016 funds.

OSY Expenditure Rates in PY12 Average OSY expenditure rate nationally is 57% Ranges from a low of 37% to a high of 84% 2 states already above 75% 22 states at 60% or above 0%100% 75% Goal

WIOA Youth Service Delivery The Program Elements ▪Tutoring, Study Skills Training, Instruction & evidence based dropout prevention and recovery strategies that lead to… ▪Alternative Secondary School Services or dropout recovery services… ▪Paid & Unpaid work experience that have as a component academic & occupational education, which may include ▪Summer employment…and other throughout the year ▪Pre-apprenticeship programs ▪Internships and job shadowing ▪On the job training opportunities ▪Occupational skill training, which shall include priority consideration for… ▪Education offered concurrently with and in the same context as workforce preparation activities… ▪Leadership Development Opportunities… ▪Supportive services ▪Adult Mentoring… ▪Follow-up services… ▪Comprehensive Guidance & Counseling… ▪Financial Literacy Education ▪Entrepreneurial Skills Training… ▪Services that provide labor market & employment information… ▪Activities that help young people prepare for…postsecondary education & training

Work Experience Program Element under WIOA  Paid and Unpaid Work Experiences is one of the 14 program elements authorized under WIOA  Work experience must have academic and occupational education as a component  Summer Employment Opportunities was its own program element under WIA ▪Now a sub-element under work experience under WIOA

Priority on Work Experience  At least 20% of local Youth formula funds must be used for work experience including: ●Summer and year-round employment opportunities ●Pre-apprenticeship ●Internships and job shadowing ●On-the-job training  Administrative costs not subject to the 20% requirement  State and local areas must track funds spent on work experience beginning with PY 2015 funds. DOL will provide additional guidance on the types of expenditures that count toward the work experience expenditure requirement.

Priority on Work Experience At least 20% of local Youth formula funds must be used for work activities such as: ●Summer jobs ●Pre-apprenticeship ●On-the-job training ●Internships Local Youth Formula Funds 20% Funding Work Experiences

Tracking Work Experience  The 20% minimum expenditure requirement applies to overall local area youth funds (minus expenditures on administrative costs) ▪The minimum expenditure rate is not applied separately for in-school and out-of-school youth  Work experience expenditures will be a new data element in ETA’s revised Local 9130 financial report

General Service Delivery Expectations  Procurement  “Framework” Services  Comprehensive Assessment  Individual Service Strategy (ISS)

A Little More on the Five New Youth Program Elements ●Financial literacy ●Entrepreneurial skills training ●Services that provide labor market and employment information in the local area ●Activities that help youth transition to postsecondary education and training ●Education offered concurrently with and in the same context as workforce preparation activities and training for a specific occupation or occupational cluster

Youth Service Providers Identifying Possible Providers ●Based on Program Design decisions ●Role of Youth Council or Youth Committee Developing the RFP ●Consider Scope ●Determine contract length & timing ●Flexible terms and language

Youth Service Provider Contracts  In preparing for the transition from WIA to WIOA, it is important to incorporate the major changes under WIOA into Requests for Proposals (RFPs) and youth provider contracts immediately.  WIOA requirements must be incorporated by amending/modifying the option years of current contracts. In competing new contracts, the Department encourages local areas to use one-year contracts which may contain option years, rather than multi-year contracts, at the beginning of WIOA.  Under WIOA, while local areas must continue to competitively procure youth service providers and make all program elements available, they are not required to provide all program elements using WIOA youth funds.

Youth Committees  While WIOA eliminates the requirement for Local Boards to establish a Youth Council, the Department encourages Local Boards to establish a standing committee to provide information and to assist with planning, operational, and other issues relating to the provision of services to youth.  WIOA further permits a Local Board to designate an existing Youth Council as a youth standing committee if the Youth Council fulfills the requirements of a standing committee.

Partnerships ●Adult Education, Community Colleges and K-12 ●Apprenticeship, Job Corps and YouthBuild ●Alternative Schools network ●HHS/TANF agency ●Juvenile Court; Juvenile Probation ●Group Homes, Homeless shelters and other transitional residential agencies ●Vocational Rehabilitation ●Veteran’s Hospitals and other readjustment services for returning Armed Services members ●Community and Faith Based Organizations

WIOA Youth Resources  ETA is hosting year-long webinar series called “Enough is Known for Action” focused on key WIOA priorities including serving OSY, serving ISY, work experience, service in rural communities, youth standing committees, and credentials. ▪Webinar is last Wednesday of every month at 2pm Eastern  Youth Fact Sheet  Youth QSAP self-assessment tool  FAQs Round 1 and 2  WIOA Youth 101 (mini-webcast)

Out-of-School Youth Resources  Brandeis Enough Is Known For Action Conference Materials  Portland’s Career Connect Network Guide rs_0.pdf  Whatever It Takes: How Twelve Communities are Reconnecting Out-of- School Youth  Focused Futures: Serving Out-of-School Youth  Engaging Out-of-School Youth materials/engaging%20out%20of%20school%20youth1203.pdf

Out-of-School Youth Resources  NGA Policy Brief: State Policies to Reengage Dropouts  Building Roads to Success: Key Considerations for Communities and States Reconnecting Youth to Education  DoE Guide: Bringing Students Back to the Center: A Resource Guide for Implementing and Enhancing Re-Engagement Centers for Out-of-School Youth  Building a Skilled and Educated Workforce: Exploring Multiple Pathways to Community College for Out-of-School Youth  Improving Services and Performance: Toolkit for Effective Front-Line Services to Youth

U.S. Department of Labor WIOA Collection Site 30 The WIOA Collection site provides information and resources for States, local areas, grantees, and other stakeholders to assist with WIOA implementation. wioa.workforce3one.org

U.S. Department of Labor WIOA Website 31