Program year 2012 WIA youth guidance

Accessible letter PDF: https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ETA/advisories/TEGL/2012/TEGL_5_12_Acc.pdf

CLASSIFICATION
   EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION               WIA/YOUTH
               ADVISORY SYSTEM                          CORRESPONDENCE SYMBOL
          U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR                      OWI-DYS
             Washington, D.C. 20210                     DATE
                                                         August 1, 2012

ADVISORY:         TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT GUIDANCE LETTER NO. 5-12

TO:               STATE WORKFORCE AGENCIES
                  STATE WORKFORCE LIAISONS

FROM:             JANE OATES /s/
                  Assistant Secretary

SUBJECT:          Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Youth Program Guidance for Program Year
                  (PY) 2012

1. Purpose. The purpose of this Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) is to
            provide guidance for the use of WIA Youth-funded activities in PY 2012.

2. References.

   •    Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA), as amended (29 U.S.C. 2801 et seq.)
        (http://www.doleta.gov/USWORKFORCE/WIA/wialaw.pdf);
   •    WIA Regulations, 20 C.F.R. Part 664
        (http://www.doleta.gov/usworkforce/wia/finalrule.pdf);
   •    TEGL No. 09-00, Workforce Investment Act of 1998, Section 129 - Competitive and Non-
        Competitive Procedures for Providing Youth Activities Under Title I
        (http://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/attach/TEGL9-00.pdf);
   •    TEGL No. 17-05, Change 2, Common Measures Policy for the Employment and Training
        Administration’s (ETA) Performance Accountability System and Related Performance
        Issues (http://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/corr_doc.cfm?docn=2759);
   •    TEGL No. 27-09, Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Youth Program Guidance for
        Program Year (PY) 2010 (http://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/corr_doc.cfm?DOCN=2900);
   •    TEGL No. 30-10, Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Youth Program Guidance for
        Program Year (PY) 2011 (http://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/corr_doc.cfm?DOCN=3034);
   •    TEGL No. 18-11, Improving Literacy and Numeracy Gains of Workforce Investment Act
        (WIA) Youth Program Participants
        (http://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/corr_doc.cfm?DOCN=4054);
   •    TEGL No. 13-09, Contracting Strategies that Facilitate Serving the Youth Most in Need
        (http://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/corr_doc.cfm?DOCN=2854); and
   •    TEGL No. 31-10, Increasing Enrollment and Improving Services to Youth with
        Disabilities (http://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/corr_doc.cfm?DOCN=3037).


 RESCISSIONS                                           EXPIRATION DATE
 None                                                  Continuing

3. Background. Passage of WIA led to major reforms in youth programming and placed new
   emphasis on serving youth within a comprehensive youth development approach. The focus
   of youth programming changed from short-term training and job placement to long-term
   services that provide the education, skills, work experience, and support that youth need to
   successfully transition to careers and productive adulthood.

   Highlights of these reforms include the requirement of 10 program elements found in WIA
   Section 129(c)(2). As stated in TEGL 9-00, these elements can be grouped around four
   major themes:

   I.      Improving Educational Achievement: tutoring, study skills training, dropout
           prevention strategies, and alternative secondary school services.
   II.     Preparing for and Succeeding in Employment: summer employment
           opportunities, paid and unpaid work experiences, and occupational skills training.
   III.    Providing Adequate Support in Completing Learning and Employment Goals:
           supportive services, adult mentoring, appropriate follow-up services, and
           comprehensive guidance and counseling.
   IV.     Developing the Potential of Youth as Citizens and Leaders: leadership
           development opportunities, which may include community service and peer-centered
           activities encouraging responsibility and other positive social behaviors during non-
           school hours.

   Over the past few years, the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) provided
   guidance on specific program elements included in the above themes. In an effort to focus
   on Theme I, ETA released TEGL 18-11, Improving Literacy and Numeracy Gains of
   Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Youth Program Participants on March 2, 2012. TEGL 18-
   11 provides guidance to state and local workforce investment area staff and WIA Youth
   program service providers to increase literacy and numeracy gains of out-of-school, basic
   skills deficient youth and further clarifies reporting policies and requirements.

   Program elements within Theme II are addressed extensively in PY 2010 and PY 2011 WIA
   Youth Guidance found in TEGLs 27-09 and 30-10, respectively. Both TEGLs discuss the
   importance of providing youth meaningful work experience opportunities and developing
   both work readiness and occupational skills in order to successfully move into permanent
   employment or postsecondary education.

   The focus of this TEGL is on Themes III and IV. It reiterates key legislative and regulatory
   language related to specific program elements, builds on previously published TEGLs, and
   provides strategies to incorporate or enhance these elements in local programs. Based on
   issues identified during monitoring visits and raised by states, local areas, and youth service
   providers, this TEGL attempts to consolidate previous, still relevant guidance, and provide
   additional clarification related to the program elements listed in Themes III and IV. Please
   note that while this TEGL does not specifically address Themes I and II, ETA continues to
   encourage state and local workforce areas to provide quality educational and employment
   related services to WIA Youth participants.


   For informational and illustrative purposes, this TEGL provides examples of and links to
   programs, practices, and strategies developed by WIA Youth programs and other
   organizations. This guidance is not intended to endorse any particular organization, program,
   or approach.

4. Provision of the 10 WIA Youth Program Elements. As outlined in WIA section 129(c)(1)
   (29 U.S.C. § 2854(c)(1)), and detailed in the WIA regulations at 20 C.F.R. § 664.405(a)(1) -
   (2), the program design framework includes an objective assessment and individual service
   strategy development. These are integral components of the WIA Youth program and help
   determine the program elements that must be provided to youth participants.

   The WIA Youth program is intended to offer participants a range of services, based on their
   individual needs, from organizations or agencies in the community best suited to provide
   those services. As stated in WIA regulations at 20 C.F.R. § 664.410 and outlined in TEGL 9-
   00, Local Boards must make all 10 program elements available to all youth participants in
   the local area, although individual youth participants need not participate in all 10. Local
   areas have discretion to determine the specific services provided to individual youth
   participants, based on each participant’s objective assessment and individual service strategy.
   However, local grant recipients need not provide all 10 program elements with WIA funds if
   certain services are already accessible for all eligible youth in the local area. If certain
   services, such as mentoring, tutoring, leadership development, or other program elements are
   accessible to eligible youth in a local area, local providers (grantees and sub-grantees) should
   work together to leverage those services.

   WIA Youth services can be provided in many ways, including by local grant recipients or
   sub-recipients, as well as through contracts for such activities as specialized services. For
   example, eligibility determination can be provided by the local American Job Center, while
   other services, such as mentoring or leadership development activities, can be provided
   through a partnership with a local non-WIA funded program, where a memorandum of
   agreement is in place. As stated in WIA regulations at 20 C.F.R. § 664.405(a)(4), the
   requirement in WIA section 123 that eligible providers of youth services be selected by
   awarding a grant or contract on a competitive basis does not apply to the design framework
   component, such as services for intake, objective assessment and the development of
   individual service strategy, when these services are provided by the grant recipient/fiscal
   agent. In addition, as stated in 20 C.F.R. § 664.610, summer employment opportunities is the
   other program element that grant recipients are able to provide without awarding a grant or
   contract on a competitive basis.

   Ongoing relationships should be established and maintained with providers of non-WIA
   funded activities to ensure that those activities are closely connected and coordinated with
   the WIA system. These relationships should be established either through coordinated case
   management, memoranda of understanding, or some other vehicle as local program operators
   remain responsible for obtaining performance outcomes for all WIA participants.

   ETA encourages local areas to review WIA regulations at 20 C.F.R. §§ 664.400 - .470, and
   TEGL 9-00, to ensure a clear understanding of the program design component. For more


   information on contracts to provide the 10 WIA Youth program elements, see TEGL 13-
   09, “Contracting Strategies that Facilitate Serving the Youth Most in Need.”

5. Theme III: Providing Adequate Support in Completing Learning and Employment
   Goals and Theme IV: Developing the Potential of Youth as Citizens and Leaders.
   When designing youth employment and training programming, ETA encourages states and
   local areas to focus on the following elements:

   A. Conducting Participant Assessments
   B. Developing Individual Service Strategies (ISS)
   C. Increasing Youth Engagement and Retention in Programs
   D. Providing Quality Follow-up Services
   E. Offering Leadership Development Activities
   F. Offering or Partnering to Provide Adult Mentoring

   A. Conducting Participant Assessments
   A comprehensive assessment is the basis for good planning and overall quality case
   management. As stated in WIA Section 129(c)(1), local areas must provide an objective
   assessment of the academic levels, skill levels, and service needs of each participant. The
   assessment shall include a review of basic skills, occupational skills, prior work experience,
   employability, interests, aptitudes (including interests and aptitudes for nontraditional jobs),
   supportive service needs, and developmental needs of participants.

   The assessment of a young person entering the program begins with the registration process,
   initial interview, and documentation of eligibility. This process identifies the factors listed in
   129(c)(1), as well as barriers to employment and training. As described in the Toolkit for
   Effective Front Line Services to Youth located at
   http://www.doleta.gov/youth_services/Toolkit-improve.cfm, when developing a
   comprehensive assessment strategy, it is important that case managers, counselors, or job
   coaches: 1) utilize a comprehensive and exploratory approach; 2) administer assessment
   instruments under conditions that do not adversely affect performance; and, 3) seek
   opportunities to embed assessments within program activities.

   The assessment process involves gathering information from observations and personal
   interviews, youth-completed forms, and any activities or tools designed to determine a young
   person’s career interests. It may also include more formal assessments, which generally
   involve the use of standardized tests to assess specific abilities, such as literacy and
   numeracy skills for out-of-school, basic skills deficient youth. For policies on formal
   assessments of literacy and numeracy skills, see TEGL 17-05, Change 2.

   Important considerations when conducting participant assessments include:

   •   ensuring active involvement of the young person in developing specific goals within his
       or her ISS;


•   using a variety of methods and tools including questioning, observations, self-assessment
    checklists, worksheets, internet resources, and tools that assess the occupational and
    employability levels of the youth;

•   documenting and assessing the youth’s strengths, abilities, and environment (e.g.,
    supportive parents or other family members, connection to the community through a
    faith-based organization, or assistance with child care); and

•   identifying and documenting challenges in the youth’s life, including homelessness,
    residing with a substance user, or in an unstable home environment, in order to determine
    if the youth needs supportive services, such as transportation, child care assistance, or
    counseling services.

ETA encourages case managers and other youth providers to review the Toolkit for Effective
Front Line Services to Youth for effective approaches to conducting participant assessments.
This Toolkit is designed to enhance the quality of youth services and can be useful to all
professionals assisting youth in developing the knowledge and skills to succeed in a 21st
century economy.

A number of online tools are available to assess interests, abilities, career maturity, or work
readiness skills. For example, The Casey Family Programs Foundation
(http://casey.org/Resources/Tools/) has a number of life skills assessment tools available for
free online. Additional resources are listed in the Tools and Resources section of this TEGL.

When barriers to employment are substantial, it may be necessary to seek assistance from
external resources, such as professionals in special education; the behavioral, substance
abuse, and mental health fields; or experts on physical and mental abuse. Case managers can
benefit from training in recognizing the need for a more specialized formal assessment.
Examples of barriers include:

•   Learning disabilities: There are ways in which a youth can compensate for the
    challenges of a learning disability through identification and appropriate
    accommodations. Many state and local literacy councils have expertise in recognizing
    disabilities and assisting in minimizing the impact of these types of disabilities, and can
    prove to be a valuable partner. To identify assistance in this area, you may search the
    Literacy Information and Communication System (LINCS) Web site at
    http://lincs.ed.gov/programs/learningtoachieve/learningtoachieve.html. See the Toolkit
    for Effective Front Line Services to Youth and TEGL No. 31-10, Increasing Enrollment
    and Improving Services to Youth with Disabilities at
    http://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/corr_doc.cfm?DOCN=3037 for more information on
    identifying and serving youth with learning disabilities.

•   Potential behavioral health issues including substance abuse (e.g., risky alcohol use)
    and mental health issues (e.g., depression): Since behavioral health issues are
    complex and can impact the overall health and well-being of the youth, WIA youth
    providers should have a list of mental health and substance abuse professionals who they


    know can respond to the needs of these youth. Developing partnerships and leveraging
    resources within these fields at the local and state levels can result in a wrap-around
    provision of services to the youth and support desired outcomes for youth in the WIA
    program. ETA recommends local providers consider using brief screening tools to help
    identify behavioral health issues; followed by a referral to appropriate providers, if
    needed. To learn more about the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
    Administration’s (SAMHSA) Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment
    approach, see SAMHSA’s Web page at http://www.samhsa.gov/prevention/sbirt/. For a
    list of mental health facilities in your area, see the SAMHSA Mental Health Service
    Locator at http://store.samhsa.gov/mhlocator. For a list of substance abuse treatment
    facilities in your area, see SAMHSA’s Substance Abuse Treatment Facility Locator at
    http://findtreatment.samhsa.gov/.

B. Developing an ISS
The WIA Youth program requires every youth participant to have an ISS. As outlined in
WIA section 129 (c)(1)(B), the ISS represents an individual plan for each young person that
includes: 1) an employment goal, including, when appropriate, employment in a non-
traditional vocation; 2) appropriate achievement objectives, including educational goals; and
3) appropriate services that take into account what is learned from the objective assessment.

The ISS is the basis for the overall case management strategy. The case manager should
utilize the ISS to update strategies and activities as they occur, and to document referral and
contact information for services obtained from partner organizations. When reviewing the
ISS, case managers should document a youth’s progress, activities completed, benchmarks
reached, and any other accomplishments. Additionally, the ISS should be:

•   developed in partnership with the youth;
•   used as a tool that can and will change over time, as necessary, to meet the needs of the
    young person;
•   used as a roadmap to achieve measurable and attainable short-term and long-term goals;
    and
•   designed to reflect the young person’s interests and incorporate career pathway planning.

ETA encourages case managers and other youth providers to review the Toolkit for Effective
Front Line Services to Youth for effective approaches to developing an ISS. For sample ISS
documents, see ETA’s Youth Connections Community of Practice on Workforce 3One at
https://youth.workforce3one.org/page/resources/1001200332592308266. Additional samples
are provided in the Tools and Resources section of this TEGL.

C. Increasing Youth Engagement and Retention in Programs
Due to many of the previously discussed issues and challenges facing young people in the
workforce system, engaging and retaining youth participants in a WIA Youth program can be
challenging. ETA encourages providers to explore strategies that have been found to
increase engagement and retention, such as:


•   integrating work experience and training with academic instruction;
•   offering career pathways options (see the Career Pathways Toolkit for a step-by-step
    outline to building career pathways at
    https://learnwork.workforce3one.org/view/2001134052969836533/info);
•   providing WIA Youth program staff with strategies for developing caring and sincere
    relationships with youth during the program and throughout the follow-up period;
•   considering strategies that allow participants to earn a wage or stipend;
•   connecting youth to outside organizations and agencies that can provide supportive
    services; and
•   providing opportunities for youth to develop leadership skills, team-building attributes,
    and positive peer support to create a sense of belonging and assist in the development of
    positive relationships with staff and peers that will continue into the follow-up period.

Local examples of strategies to engage and retain youth include:

•   Offering Career Pathways Opportunities: The San Diego Workforce Partnership’s
    Bridges to Success Career Pathways Program. http://workforce.org/. This program
    allows students to complete their high school diploma and/or earn a license in an allied
    health field, while also providing them with a paid summer internship opportunity in a
    health care setting. Student participants receive extended training in skill development,
    summer classes that link content with careers, and individual tutors to increase their
    knowledge in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields.

•   Providing Services at Flexible Meeting Locations: The Coastal Counties Workforce
    Investment Board - Goodwill.
    http://coastalcounties.org/workforce_dev/page.php?id=15. Goodwill WIA staff work to
    retain youth in programming by meeting youth at convenient locations in their
    communities. If youth are unable to meet at a Workforce Solutions Center, staff will
    meet youth in a variety of locations to ensure geographical limitations are not an issue.
    Locations for meetings include local businesses, libraries, other service provider offices,
    schools, work experience sites, shelters, jails and detention centers.

D. Providing Quality Follow-up Services
As stated in WIA section 129(c)(2)(I), providing follow-up services is one of the 10 program
elements for all local workforce areas that serve WIA youth participants; and follow-up
services must be provided for not less than 12 months after the completion of participation.
WIA regulations at 20 C.F.R. § 664.450 further state that all youth must receive some form
of follow-up services, and that the types, scope, and duration of services must be based on
the individual needs of each youth.

ETA monitoring reports show that follow-up as a program element continues to challenge
local workforce systems. When making distinctions between follow-up “services” and
follow-up “activities,” states and local areas should remember that:

•   Follow-up services provide support and guidance after placement to facilitate: 1)
    sustained employment and educational achievement; 2) advancement along a job and/or


    educational ladder; and 3) personal development. Follow-up services include a broad
    range of activities identified as effective approaches, such as: (a) developing a close,
    trusting relationship before and after placement; (b) providing intensive support and case
    management during the first part of the follow-up period, since job loss and other
    setbacks may occur early in the post-program time period; (c) providing engaging
    activities to help young people stay connected to program staff; (d) providing supportive
    services, as appropriate; and (e) maintaining contact with employers of youth and
    providing the necessary support to both employers and youth to ensure that youth remain
    employed.

•   Follow-up activities refer to contacts or attempted contacts for the purpose of securing
    documentation for the case file in order to report a performance outcome. Follow-up
    activities can assist with the provision of follow-up services; however a follow-up
    activity is not a follow-up service and should not be recorded as such.

In PY 2011 WIA Youth Program Guidance (TEGL 30-10),
http://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/corr_doc.cfm?DOCN=3034, ETA provided examples of
follow-up services strategies to encourage local areas to go beyond capturing participant data
to help local practitioners ensure participant success. ETA encourages local areas to review
TEGLs 9-00 and 30-10 for follow-up strategies. TEGL 30-10 also addresses the use of social
media for engaging youth. Additionally, strategies for addressing follow-up services can be
found in the Toolkit for Effective Front Line Services to Youth.

Local examples of strategies to reach youth and stay connected during the follow-up period
include:

•   Providing a Safe Drop-In Resource Center: Cleveland, Ohio’s Employment
    Connection. http://www.employmentconnection.us/en-US/youth.aspx. The local
    workforce investment area provider in Cleveland, Ohio, Employment Connection, has
    established a Youth Resource Center (YRC). The YRC is a drop-in location/safe place
    that young people can gather while enrolled in the program and during the follow-up
    period. It operates as a mini-one-stop center and provides access to case managers,
    workshops, access to GED preparation, job postings and job search tools, and referrals to
    and from other partner programs, among other services. By offering this extra layer of
    support, staff is more successful in providing extended and quality follow-up services.

•   Integrating the Use of Social Media: Eastern Maine Development Corp.
    http://www.emdc.org/index.php?id=37&sub_id=167. Case managers at Eastern Maine
    Development Corp have integrated the use of social media (primarily Facebook) into
    their daily work as a communications tool. Participants who do not respond to traditional
    outreach methods (e.g., phone, text message, email, or in-person meetings) have shown
    an increased willingness to respond to electronic inquiries made via Facebook. This tool
    also allows for more frequent communication with both enrolled participants and those
    receiving follow-up services, particularly those who are transient or who have
    transportation barriers.


E. Offering Leadership Development Activities
Making leadership development opportunities available to youth is a required element of
WIA Youth programming. Leadership development opportunities are defined in the WIA
regulations (20 C.F.R. § 664.420) as “opportunities that encourage responsibility,
employability, and other positive social behaviors such as: (a) exposure to postsecondary
educational opportunities; (b) community and service learning projects; (c) peer-centered
activities, including peer mentoring and tutoring; (d) organizational and team work training,
including team leadership training; (e) training in decision-making, including determining
priorities; and (g) life skills training such as parenting, work behavior training, and budgeting
of resources.” Hands-on and youth-led types of activities are key components of leadership
development programs. Opportunities for youth to take on various roles such as leader,
organizer, speaker, and evaluator are integral to leadership development programs.
Additionally, youth leadership programs should have an obvious connection to the
community at-large and relationships with other youth-serving organizations. Other
examples of appropriate opportunities for youth include serving on boards or committees, or
participating in the leadership development process and strategic planning.

ETA encourages local areas to review the resources provided in this TEGL to identify
effective strategies for offering leadership development activities.

Examples of leadership development strategies include:

•   Establishing Leadership Development Groups: Central Minnesota Jobs & Training
    Services (CMJTS). http://www.cmjts.org/. CMJTS has several Leadership
    Development Groups throughout the local workforce area. A Leadership Development
    Group is youth-focused and youth-driven and is facilitated by CMJTS Youth Program
    staff. The purpose of the Leadership Development group is to bring a small group of
    youth together to learn leadership skills, teamwork, and communication skills by
    planning community service and volunteer projects, and field trips for the group and their
    peers to community businesses and/or postsecondary institutions. The group establishes
    their own visions and goals for the program. As a group, youth plan community service
    projects, which involve research, organization, and completion of the project. Youth
    meet with staff twice a week after school.

•   Offering Leadership Development as a Key Program Component: YouthBuild.
    https://www.workforce3one.org/view/5001032645768451617/info. YouthBuild, a
    program funded by the U.S. Department of Labor, offers leadership development as a key
    component of the program. YouthBuild participants share the governance of their
    program and active participation in community affairs. Youth identify improvements that
    could be made in their communities through service projects. Youth connect with
    community groups working on similar issues and learn practical strategies for affecting
    change in the neighborhoods and communities where they live and work.

    Many YouthBuild programs also run Community Leadership Committees that offer
    community projects outside of the YouthBuild program. These committees often run
    tutoring programs, coach little leagues, give presentations in local public schools, and


    sponsor city-wide conferences on issues of critical importance to the community, such as
    staying in school, teen pregnancy, drugs and other health issues. YouthBuild Atlantic
    City, for example, organized a citywide conference of about 200 youth on crime and
    violence, drugs and AIDS, homelessness, and jobs.

F. Offering or Partnering to Provide Adult Mentoring
Mentoring is another one of the 10 program elements that must be made available to youth
under the WIA Youth program. As stated in WIA regulations at 20 C.F.R. § 664.410, local
programs must make adult mentoring services available to youth participants for at least 12
months. These services can occur both during and after program participation.

It is important to remember that providing adult mentoring services is not the same as
providing case management and should not be recorded as such. As defined in WIA section
101(5), case management is designed to prepare and coordinate comprehensive employment
plans for participants to ensure access to necessary workforce investment activities and
supportive services, and to provide job and career counseling during program participation
and after job placement.

Adult mentoring services can include matching a youth with an employer in a workplace-
based mentoring model in which the focus is on career development, positive adult
professional role models, and the work environment. It can also include a commonly used
model in which a youth is matched with an adult who focuses on the social development of
the youth, assists the youth in building positive self-esteem, and encourages family support.
Adult mentoring can be implemented in a number of ways: (a) in a group where one mentor
has several mentees, (b) by a small team of partnering mentors where a mentee may have
more than one mentor, or (c) one-to-one mentoring where one mentor is matched with one
mentee.

WIA programs can either seek to connect to existing mentoring services or provide
mentoring services using WIA Youth funds. Under either approach, programs must establish
partnerships and engage the community to identify key persons and resources to help
structure the mentoring services. A survey of the literature, including literature from the
Federal Mentoring Council (www.federalmentoringcouncil.gov), finds successful mentoring
programs conduct thorough screening, orientation, and training as well as provide support
and supervision to potential mentors.

Other key components to explore when providing mentoring include:

•   utilizing stable networks to recruit mentors, including the faith-based community,
    professional organizations, and businesses;
•   providing separate mentor and mentee orientations where roles and expectations are
    clearly outlined;
•   providing intensive supervision by paid staff to support mentors and the mentoring
    relationship; and
•   encouraging parental support and the infusion of the mentoring relationship into the
    youth’s larger family, school, and community life.


   To increase the quantity and quality of mentoring services available for WIA Youth, ETA
   encourages local workforce investment areas to identify existing mentoring programs and
   connect WIA youth to those services. If those programs are not serving older or out-of-
   school youth, partnering with the organization in order to strategize how they may expand
   services may also be beneficial. For additional information on mentoring services, there are
   a number of resources and tools on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’
   website, www.FindYouthInfo.gov, in the topic section titled “Mentoring,” that can assist in
   structuring the program.

6. Tools and Resources. Below are resources related to topics discussed in this TEGL to help
   better serve WIA Youth participants.

   Youth Connections Community of Practice (CoP): Created in July 2010, this resource
   provides an interactive platform for youth workforce and youth development professionals to
   discuss and share promising practices and provide technical assistance on workforce issues
   targeted toward youth. http://youth.workforce3one.org.

   Find Youth Info: This resource was created by the Interagency Working Group on Youth
   Programs (IWGYP), which is composed of representatives from 12 Federal agencies that
   support programs and services focusing on youth. IWGYP promotes the goal of positive,
   healthy outcomes for youth. http://www.findyouthinfo.gov.

   National Clearinghouse of Rehabilitation Training Materials (NCRTM): NCRTM
   serves the profession of Vocational Rehabilitation as a centralized resource for the
   development, collection, dissemination, and utilization of training materials, as a forum for
   advancing knowledge through applied research and open dialogue, and as a marketplace for
   career and staff development. https://ncrtm.org/.

   Career Pathways Community of Practice: A diverse collection of resources and materials
   has been compiled by ETA to help states and local areas develop effective career pathways
   initiatives. https://learnwork.workforce3one.org.

   Career Assessment Systems: Provides resources on vocational services and services for the
   injured and disabled. http://www.careersystem.org/index.htm.

   LearningWork Connection Center for Learning Excellence: The Information Brief, Goal
   Setting in WIA Youth Programs, produced by the Ohio State University, provides information
   on how to assist youth in setting goals when developing an ISS in WIA Youth programs.
   http://jfs.ohio.gov/owd/WorkforceProf/Youth/Docs/Infobrief39_GoalSetting%20Final.pdf.

   Wisconsin Division of Workforce Development (DWD): DWD developed this
   PowerPoint, which describes for workforce professionals how to develop an ISS in WIA
   Youth programs. http://dwd.wisconsin.gov/dwdwia/youth/ppts/iss.ppt.


Oklahoma Employment and Training Issuance, #07-2006-Change 1: The state of
Oklahoma created this policy to establish the minimum standards for ISS procedures to be
developed and adopted by each WIA Title I Youth program.
http://www.ok.gov/oesc_web/documents/07-2006_Change_1.pdf.

Follow-Up Services Handbook - A Technical Assistance Guide for Minnesota WIA
Youth Practitioners: This Handbook contains a compilation of resources to assist
caseworkers and staff with follow-up procedures.
http://www.positivelyminnesota.com/Programs_Services/Youth_Services/PDF/WIA_Follow
-Up_Services_Hbook.pdf.

YouthBuild - Leadership Development Learning Community: This site provides access
to leadership development resources and allows users to interact with participating
YouthBuild programs to learn about other leadership development activities.
https://youthbuild.org/leadership-development-community-resources.

Leadership Link: The Ohio State University Extension Leadership Center has developed
the Five Principles of Effective Youth Leadership Development Programs. Twenty-five
leading practitioners participated in a survey to attempt to identify a limited set of core
principles that guide the development and assessment of youth leadership programs.
http://leadershipcenter.osu.edu/library/publications/leadership-link/1996/files/spr_96.pdf.

Youth Development & Youth Leadership: The National Collaborative on Workforce and
Disability for Youth created this paper to assist youth service practitioners, administrators,
and policy makers in defining, differentiating, and providing youth development and youth
leadership programs and activities, which are important components of WIA.
http://www.nj.gov/dcf/behavioral/providers/YouthDevelopment.pdf.

Paving the Way to Work - A Guide to Career-Focused Mentoring: The National
Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth developed a guide intended for
individuals designing mentoring programs for youth, including youth with disabilities, in the
transition phase to adulthood. http://www.ncwd-youth.info/paving-the-way-to-work.

Blazing the Trail - A New Direction for Youth Development & Leadership: Call to
Action: National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth, Institute for
Educational Leadership developed this report, which provides a summary of a national event
aimed at enhancing youth development and leadership strategies for youth with disabilities.
http://www.ncwd-youth.info/sites/default/files/Blazing_the_Trail_Youth_Call-to-Action.pdf.

OnGuardOnline: OnGuardOnline.gov is the Federal government’s website to help youth be
safe, secure and responsible online. The resource provides guidance on how to avoid scams,
secure your computer, protect kids online and be smart online. This website is managed by
The Federal Trade Commission in partnership with a number of other Federal agencies.
http://onguardonline.gov/.


7. Inquiries. Questions regarding this guidance should be directed to the appropriate ETA
   regional office.