2011 WIA youth program guidance

Accessible letter PDF: https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ETA/advisories/TEGL/2011/TEGL30-10ACC.pdf

                                                       CLASSIFICATION
   EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION              WIA/YOUTH
               ADVISORY SYSTEM                         CORRESPONDENCE SYMBOL
          U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR                     OWI-DYS
             Washington, D.C. 20210                    DATE
                                                       June 2, 2011

ADVISORY:        TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT GUIDANCE LETTER NO. 30-10

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) 2011

1. Purpose. The purpose of this Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) is
            to provide guidance for use of WIA Youth funded activities in PY 2011.

2. References.

      Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA), as amended (29 United States Code
       2801 et seq.)
      WIA Regulations, 20 Code of Federal Regulations Part 666
      TEGL No. 14-08, “Guidance for Implementation of the Workforce Investment
       Act and Wagner-Peyser Act Funding in the American Recovery and
       Reinvestment Act of 2009 and State Planning Requirements for Program Year
       2009” http://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/corr_doc.cfm?DOCN=2728
      TEGL No. 17-05, “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=2195
      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. 15-10, “Increasing Credential, Degree, and Certificate Attainment by
       Participants of the Public Workforce System”
       http://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/corr_doc.cfm?DOCN=2967
      Training and Employment Notice (TEN) No. 24-10, “Joint Letter in Support of
       Youth Work Experiences on Public Lands”
       http://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/corr_doc.cfm?DOCN=2988

 RESCISSIONS                                          EXPIRATION DATE
 None                                                 Continuing
      TEN No. 33-09, “Release and Availability of Employment and Training
       Administration (ETA) Occasional Paper 2010-03: Reinvesting in America’s
       Youth: Lessons from the 2009 Recovery Act Summer Youth Employment
       Initiative” http://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/corr_doc.cfm?DOCN=2872
      TEN No. 12-10, “Release and Availability of Employment and Training
       Administration (ETA) Occasional Paper 2010-09, Innovating Under Pressure:
       The Story of the 2009 Recovery Act Summer Youth Employment Initiative:
       Chicago, Detroit, Indianapolis and Marion County, Phoenix and Maricopa
       County” http://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/corr_doc.cfm?DOCN=2949
      TEN No. 24-09, “Joint Letter from the Employment and Training Administration
       (ETA) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration
       for Children and Families (ACF) regarding youth subsidized employment
       opportunities under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
       Emergency Contingency Fund”
       http://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/corr_doc.cfm?DOCN=2844
      TEGL No. 2-07, “Leveraging Registered Apprenticeship as a Workforce
       Development Strategy for the Workforce Investment System”
       http://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/corr_doc.cfm?DOCN=2491
      TEN No. 18-05, “John H. Chafee Foster Care Independence Program;”
       http://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/corr_doc.cfm?DOCN=2184
      TEN No. 19-10, “Guide to State and Local Workforce Data: For Analysis and
       Informed Decision Making”
       http://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/corr_doc.cfm?DOCN=2965
      TEGL No. 10-09, “Implementing Priority of Service for Veterans and Eligible
       Spouses in all Qualified Job Training Programs Funded in Whole or in Part by the
       U.S. Department of Labor (DOL)”
       http://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/corr_doc.cfm?docn=2816#content
      Department of Labor Strategic Plan Fiscal Years 2011-2016,
       http://www.dol.gov/_sec/stratplan/StrategicPlan.pdf

3. Background. The 21st century economic landscape is rapidly changing with
   innovation, technology, and globalization altering the nature of work, and the skills
   and training needed by workers to compete in the workforce. Today’s economic
   realities necessitate that the publicly-funded workforce system serving youth be
   aimed at preparing them to secure jobs in high-demand industries and occupations.
   The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) had a
   significant impact on youth services by expanding summer employment and work
   experience opportunities. Recovery Act implementation demonstrated that
   meaningful work experiences provide youth with invaluable opportunities to learn
   about careers and to gain the skills necessary to succeed in the workplace. This PY
   2011 guidance builds on aspects of the PY 2010 guidance, found in TEGL No. 27-09,
   and continues to emphasize the connection between work experience, training,
   earning of credentials, and success in the workplace.

   Based on data from the PY 2009 WIA Annual Performance Report, WIA Youth
   programs achieved national performance levels of 53.7 percent in the placement in



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   employment or education measure, 52.9 percent in the attainment of degree or
   certificate measure, and 38.1 percent in literacy and numeracy gains. These national
   performance levels exceeded the Government Performance and Results Act goals for
   two of the common measures, degree/certificate attainment set at 47.9 percent and
   literacy/numeracy gains set at 28.7 percent, but failed to meet the placement goal for
   PY 2009 set at 58.0 percent. Placement outcomes decreased in all but eight states in
   PY 2009 compared to the previous program year.

   Even during tough economic times, the workforce system must strive to improve
   youth outcomes. Guidance on assisting youth in increasing credential attainment
   within the degree or certificate measure is provided in Section 6.A. of this guidance.
   Consequently, increasing credential attainment should also result in increasing
   placement in employment. Guidance on assisting youth in attaining postsecondary
   education or employment, including obtaining work experience, is provided in
   Section 6.B. of this guidance. ETA believes states and local areas could benefit from
   more detailed guidance on increasing literacy and numeracy skills of out-of-school
   WIA youth. Therefore, ETA plans to provide forthcoming guidance that is focused
   specifically on reporting and programmatic strategies that can help increase literacy
   and numeracy gains for youth.

4. Program Emphases. For PY 2011, state and local areas should ensure that WIA
   youth programs provide services that are aligned with ETA’s performance goals as
   provided in the DOL strategic plan for 2011-2016 available at
   http://www.dol.gov/_sec/stratplan/StrategicPlan.pdf. Additionally, ETA encourages
   the workforce system to develop programs which reflect the following priorities for
   WIA youth services:

      Strengthen partnerships to leverage resources and opportunities;

      Build capacity to increase credential attainment and improve the quality of
       credentials earned, including aligning credentials with jobs in demand;

      Develop programs that provide career pathways in high-demand sectors, such as
       health care and energy; and

      Improve employability skills through paid and unpaid work experience and
       training during the year and summer period.

5. Developing Partnerships to Improve Service Delivery. ETA is committed to
   identifying potential partnerships that can help to better educate, support, and train
   youth and young adults being served by the workforce investment system. Creating
   partnerships in a time of limited resources is critical to providing the most effective,
   targeted, and appropriate services that can help youth identify and successfully
   progress along a career pathway. There are numerous benefits to developing strong
   partnerships. These include the ability for workforce investment areas to leverage



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resources, and access information and data, to improve services and increase
efficiencies, such as in recruitment processes, referrals, and case management.

ETA is working with employers and across Federal departments to develop and
strengthen partnerships that can assist the public workforce system in enhancing
service delivery and coordination with other programs at the state and local level in
order to best serve WIA eligible youth. Partnership strategies include:

A. Partnering with Human Services Agencies. Temporary Assistance for Needy
   Families (TANF) is a program in which states have considerable flexibility in
   developing and implementing creative and innovative strategies and approaches
   to remove families from public assistance and into work. Similar to WIA, funds
   can be used for a number of activities, including case management, supportive
   services, education and training, and job placement and retention. ETA
   encourages state and local human services and workforce development agencies
   to partner in order to better serve youth. For more information on the use of
   TANF funds, see “Helping Families Achieve Self-Sufficiency: A Guide on
   Funding Services for Children and Families through the TANF Program,”
   available at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ofa/resources/funds2.pdf. See also,
   the Center for Law and Social Policy’s (CLASP) “Guide to Use of TANF and
   MOE Funds,” at http://www.clasp.org/admin/site/publications/files/Guide-to-Use-
   of-TANF-Funds.pdf.

   In January 2010, ETA and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
   Administration for Children and Families (ACF) published a joint letter to
   encourage the public workforce system to partner with TANF agencies in their
   efforts to promote subsidized employment opportunities allowable under the
   Recovery Act TANF Emergency Contingency Funding (ECF) for the creation and
   expansion of subsidized summer employment for low-income youth. According
   to research done by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and CLASP, 24
   states and the District of Columbia operated programs targeted to youth,
   employing over 130,000 youth across the country in summer jobs in 2010. The
   letter also encouraged co-enrollment of youth in TANF and appropriate WIA
   programs so individuals can benefit from WIA services, such as supportive
   services, occupational skills training, and other relevant services.

   Based on preliminary evidence from a study commissioned by ETA surveying ten
   sites that implemented summer youth employment programs funded by TANF
   ECF, the evaluation identified numerous partnership models created in response
   to the joint guidance, and found examples of partnering across systems and in
   leveraging multiple funding sources. The evaluation found that TANF ECF
   funding created opportunities for state and local TANF and WIA agencies to work
   together. California created a TANF ECF steering committee that included the
   County Welfare Director’s Association, and worked collaboratively to determine
   eligibility and program guidelines. According to administrators in three states,
   local partners provided valuable policy and program input and improved local



                                         4
buy-in to program planning and implementation. In Minnesota, the association of
workforce areas was included in the initial state planning for the summer youth
program, allowing for a more efficient implementation process once funds were
allocated. The TANF ECF summer youth employment program also created
opportunities to share information among both workforce and human services
staff about agency policies, ultimately improving collaboration.

While the TANF Emergency Contingency Funds are no longer available, ETA
encourages state and local areas to develop and strengthen partnerships with state
and local human services agencies to further support both systems’ shared youth
populations. In an effort to support increased subsidized employment
opportunities for low-income youth, ETA is willing to consider state requests for
the following two types of waivers where TANF and WIA Youth Program co-
enrollment occurs for summer youth employment activities which would be
effective from May 1, 2011 through September 30, 2011:

1) Flexibility to use the work readiness indicator as the only performance
   measure for such co-enrolled youth, and
2) Ability to apply the program design flexibility for summer youth articulated in
   TEGL No. 14-08 Section 16.A for such co-enrolled youth, specifically to
   provide follow-up services as deemed appropriate for such youth participants
   and to provide an assessment and Individual Service Strategy (ISS) as deemed
   appropriate for such youth.

   The use of TANF funds must be consistent with the TANF statute and
   regulations, as well as state rules and regulations. WIA waiver authority does
   not apply to TANF funds.

   When submitting a waiver plan to request these waivers, states must address
   the requirements described in the WIA regulations at 20 CFR 661.420(c) and
   provide a justification for the waiver. In addition, requests should include the
   following information:

      An estimate of the number of youth that will be co-enrolled in the WIA
       Youth program and in TANF summer youth employment activities during
       PY 2011;
      An estimate of the percent of PY 2011 WIA Youth program enrollees that
       will be co-enrolled TANF summer youth employment participants only,
       and not participate in the WIA Youth program beyond summer;
      Description of how the state plans to use WIA Youth funds to support co-
       enrolled summer youth participants; and
      A description of continued service plans for co-enrolled participants
       served under the waiver, such as transition to the WIA Adult program or
       further education and training under WIA funded youth services.




                                     5
In addition to partnering with TANF agencies, collaborative efforts between local
human services agencies serving foster care youth creates opportunities for state
and local workforce professionals to leverage resources to further assist foster
care youth being served under the WIA Youth program. The John H. Chafee
Foster Care Independence Program (Chafee), Title I of the Foster Care
Independence Act (Public Law 106-169), provides formula grants to states to
assist current and former foster youth to achieve self-sufficiency through a
successful transition to adulthood. For current or former foster care youth
enrolled in the WIA Youth program, Chafee funds can provide for education and
training, case management, and assist with support services such as housing,
mentoring, or tutoring. Additionally, current and former foster care youth served
by the Chafee program have access to an Independent Living Coordinator in the
public child welfare agency to assist youth in making a successful transition to
adulthood. Workforce system professionals working with youth currently in
foster care, and with youth who are aging out, are encouraged to coordinate with
the Independent Living Coordinators to leverage education and training vouchers
available under the Chafee program that assist youth in completing postsecondary
education and training, and in obtaining essential job skills. Under this program,
students in good academic standing at age 21 may continue to receive education
and training vouchers until the age of 23.

One example of successful collaboration with human service agencies is the
Achieving Independence Center (AI Center), a “one-stop” self-sufficiency center
designed for youth transitioning out of the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania foster care
system. Offering non-traditional hours, flexible scheduling, and job readiness
training, a variety of government and private agencies provide services and
supports. The AI Center, a project of the Philadelphia Department of Human
Services in partnership with the Philadelphia Workforce Development
Corporation and the Philadelphia Youth Network, is dedicated to providing
support and real life tools for youth who want to make an investment in their
future,
http://dhs.phila.gov/intranet/pgintrahome_pub.nsf/Content/Adoption+-+AIC.

The HAY Center in Houston, Texas is an example of collaboration between the
Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, the Texas Workforce
Commission, and Casey Family Programs. The Center provides a “one-stop”
center for youth 16-21 as they transition out of foster care. Eleven community-
based partners participate, leveraging resources to support foster youth and
alumni foster youth, and providing workforce services and a variety of other
services, including mentoring, housing assistance, counseling, and leadership
training, http://www.haycenter.org/default.htm.

For more information about the John H. Chafee Foster Care Independence
Program and how WIA Youth program can access its education and training
vouchers to assist foster care youth and those aging out of foster care complete




                                     6
   postsecondary education and training, see TEN 18-05 at
   http://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/corr_doc.cfm?DOCN=2184.

B. Increasing Work Experiences on Public Lands. On February 14, 2011, ETA
   issued TEN 24-10 and a joint letter with the U.S. Department of Interior and the
   U.S. Department of Agriculture to encourage the public workforce investment
   system to partner with public land management agencies in an effort to increase
   work experience opportunities for youth and young adults on public lands. Work
   experience opportunities on public lands provide youth with an education about
   natural resources and conservation, teach them to be good stewards of public
   lands and resources, and provide a career pathway into land management,
   conservation, and other green jobs sectors. ETA recognizes resource challenges
   all agencies face, and encourages workforce investment and land management
   agencies to be creative and innovative in leveraging capacity and resources for the
   purpose of providing youth and young adults with meaningful work experience on
   public lands.

C. Strengthening Employer Connections. To meet the challenge of the 21st
   century global economy, the public workforce system must increase partnerships
   with employers to foster economic development and high-growth opportunities.
   The workforce system has a dual mission: 1) to prepare and train workers, and 2)
   to help businesses find qualified workers to meet their present and future
   workforce needs. Employers are looking for qualified youth to move into entry-
   level positions and are often unable to easily tap into this key pipeline of young
   workers. Through partnerships, employers can help to define and support new
   strategies designed to better educate, train, and prepare youth for the rigors of the
   21st century economy and provide critical leadership in the creation of these
   pipeline strategies. State and local areas are encouraged to engage employers in
   developing career pathway strategies that ensure participants receive relevant
   training and attain strong employment outcomes. There are various roles that
   employers can play in support of workforce development goals, including
   assisting in:

          Identifying the skills and competencies needed in the workplace,
           particularly for entry-level positions;
          Developing industry certification;
          Collaborating with training institutions in occupational skills curriculum
           development;
          Partnering with educators in classroom instruction to make learning in the
           classroom more relevant;
          Creating student internships and work experience opportunities;
          Developing and implementing career guidance about the full range of
           careers within a firm or particular industry sector; and
          Providing formal mentoring programs and partnerships that support youth
           in their interest to pursue careers in high-growth and high-demand
           industries.



                                          7
          Acquiring employer and industry commitments to hire youth

   The Peninsula Council for Workforce Development in Virginia exemplifies a
   local workforce program building employer connections by serving as an
   intermediary to identify the workforce needs of local employers in their
   community. The goal of the council is to provide businesses with human capital
   solutions through creative funding strategies and partnerships to ensure that the
   workforce system can produce a highly-skilled workforce to meet employer
   needs. The council offers businesses and industries employment and training
   services, resources to keep abreast of workforce trends and labor market studies,
   and provides a platform to build partnerships for economic developers, educators,
   and employers. To learn more about this particular initiative visit:
   http://www.pcfwd.org/initiatives_industry.asp.

   Some local areas are offering services through their workforce agency to connect
   workforce development with the demands of employers by targeting high-growth
   industry clusters. Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania incorporated a specific initiative
   directed at employers to align education and training institutions with employer
   and employee needs. Select industries, including healthcare, financial services,
   energy and green jobs, are targeted because they are projected to provide above-
   average wages, incorporate a high-technology skill set, and have strong value in
   the local economy. By working with employers within industry clusters,
   workforce staff can combine training needs for multiple firms with similar skills
   needs and help drive a market-based approach. For more information, visit:
   http://www.careerlinklehighvalley.org/Default.aspx?tabid=118.

   Additionally, state and local areas are encouraged to direct employers in local
   communities to information about the benefits of the youth workforce investment
   system and how businesses can connect to the workforce system by directing
   them to DOL’s Web site at http://www.doleta.gov/business/pws.cfm. This Web
   site is designed to educate employers about the public workforce system,
   workforce investment boards, and their role in local areas, and offers steps to help
   employers connect and find out about partnership opportunities to help them meet
   their workforce goals. The site also identifies additional strategies that can help
   employers make the most of their connections, such as performing a self-
   assessment of the company’s workforce challenges, areas of opportunity, and
   existing partnerships.

D. Increasing Collaboration with Registered Apprenticeship: Apprenticeship is a
   business- and industry-driven model that includes a focus on high-growth
   industries facing critical skilled worker shortages now and in the foreseeable
   future. ETA encourages collaboration between the publicly-funded workforce
   investment system and Registered Apprenticeship in order to leverage each
   system’s strengths as a strategy to increase youth attainment of industry-
   recognized credentials, as well as to improve youth outcomes overall. In 2007,
   ETA issued TEGL No. 2-07, “Leveraging Registered Apprenticeship as a



                                        8
       Workforce Development Strategy for the Workforce Investment System” to
       provide information and resources to support the use of Registered
       Apprenticeship by the workforce investment system as an effective approach to
       building a skilled and competitive workforce in regional economies. More
       recently, on January 18, 2011, the Department’s Office of Apprenticeship and
       Division of Youth Services released “The Apprenticeship Guide for YouthBuild
       Programs.” The guide is a resource for YouthBuild programs seeking to increase
       apprenticeship opportunities for their graduates. The guide, found at
       http://www.doleta.gov/youth_services/Apprenticeship-Guide-1-11-Final.pdf,
       provides helpful resources and information to not only YouthBuild providers, but
       to other youth providers looking to connect to the Registered Apprenticeship
       system. The guide provides background information on the Department’s
       National Registered Apprenticeship System and offers guidance on establishing,
       managing, and strengthening relationships with Registered Apprenticeship
       programs. States and local areas are encouraged to review these resources in an
       effort to strengthen workforce and Registered Apprenticeship partnerships.

6. Program Design Considerations. When designing youth employment and training
   programming, states and local areas should consider the following design elements:

   A. Promoting and Increasing Credentials in High-Demand Occupations

       President Obama called on the United States to have “the best educated, most
       competitive workforce in the world,” once again leading the world in the
       percentage of Americans with postsecondary degrees and/or industry-recognized
       certificates and credentials by 2020. The President’s goal is to have every
       American complete at least one year of postsecondary higher education or career
       training. In step with the President, the Secretary of Labor announced that ETA
       would focus on accomplishing its High Priority Performance Goal to increase by
       ten percent the number of participants of the public workforce system who receive
       training and attain a degree or certificate by June 2012 as part of the DOL
       strategic plan for 2011-2016. To support this goal, ETA published TEGL No. 15-
       10 that describes strategies that state and local workforce agencies and their
       strategic partners can adopt to both increase the rate of youth credential
       attainment and improve the quality of those credentials.

       For employers, credentials demonstrate and document skills, increasing their
       ability to fill skilled positions, build talent pipelines, and compete. For youth,
       credentials improve their labor market prospects through higher earnings, greater
       mobility, and enhanced job security. State and local workforce investment boards
       are well-positioned to convene the diverse stakeholders and forge a common
       strategy around improving credential attainment in ways that benefit both youth
       and employers. Increasing credential attainment requires aligning state and local
       policies and service delivery models to support higher enrollments in credential-
       issuing training programs. Additionally, youth providers are particularly well-
       positioned to provide increased access to and linkages among supportive and



                                           9
wrap-around services. Supportive and wrap-around services are a key component
to allowing youth to stay in and complete programs and are critical to improving
completion rates. Finally, success will require close coordination with local
employers and training providers to identify and, in some cases, develop industry-
recognized credentials for local, in-demand jobs. ETA encourages WIA Youth
programs to review TEGL No. 15-10 for strategies to increase the quantity and
quality of credentials attained with the support of the public workforce investment
system.

Examples of potential industries to target training and credential attainment are in
health care and energy. While these sectors show growth on an overall national
level, labor market analysis is critical to identify occupations that are in-demand
within a specific region, state, or local area. Workforce investment boards,
training providers, and other partners must utilize localized, up-to-date labor
market research to identify in-demand occupations in which to target training
resources. ETA’s CareerOneStop Web site has a Career Resource Library with a
complete listing of all state labor market information Web sites, which provide a
wealth of information on workforce statistics as well as employment programs.
The Career Resource Library can be found at
www.careerinfonet.org/crl/library.aspx?LVL2=94&LVL3=n&LVL1=49&CATID
=52&PostVal=9. To assist LMI users, ETA released TEN 19-10 announcing the
“Guide to State and Local Workforce Data: For Analysis and Informed Decision
Making.” This guide provides links to a wealth of state and local employment
and economic data from government and private sector sources. To view the
directive visit: http://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/corr_doc.cfm?DOCN=2965.

   Health Care and Allied Health. Targeting education and training programs
    in high-growth occupations can both assist youth in entering career pathways,
    as well as increase the number of youth attaining credentials. Health care
    continues to be a growing industry sector. In December 2009, the Bureau of
    Labor Statistics (BLS) predicted that of the 30 fastest-growing occupations
    from 2008 to 2018, 17 will be in health care or medical research, and that
    employment in health care is projected to increase by 21 percent or 1.6 million
    jobs. Acute workforce shortages and projected growth exist for allied health
    occupations in particular, such as medical assistants, respiratory therapists,
    pharmacy technicians, diagnostic medical sonographers, paramedics, and
    radiological and other technicians. BLS projects that by 2016 medical
    assistant occupations are expected to increase by 35 percent, paramedic
    occupations by 19 percent, and radiological technicians by 15 percent. The
    health care industry as a whole – and especially allied health occupations –
    has great promise for employing youth and young adults. Many allied health
    careers are open to anyone with a good basic education, e.g., a high school or
    General Educational Development (GED) diploma, good work habits like the
    “soft skills” of punctuality, communication, teamwork, and reliability, and a
    modest amount of training. Additionally, there are many national credentials
    that can be earned in as little as six months to two years. BLS reported that



                                    10
    most workers in the healthcare field have jobs that require less than four years
    of college education.

    On September 30, 2010, ETA published the “Allied Health Access
    Guidebook: How to Develop Programs for Youth in Allied Health Careers.”
    The guidebook provides youth program planners and service providers with
    practical information about allied health occupations in order to create or
    expand programs and services leading to allied health opportunities for youth
    and young adults. The guidebook can be accessed at
    http://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/attach/TEN/ten2010/ten10-10a1.pdf. ETA
    encourages states and local areas to review the guidebook for effective
    strategies that can be used to create or expand career pathways for youth in
    allied health.

   Energy. Energy careers also show promising growth. Using local labor
    market information, providers may find a number of occupations in the
    utilities industry in which to target training resources and develop career
    pathway options for youth. Electrical power accounts for 40 percent of U.S.
    energy demand, more than any other demand sector. Despite the fact that
    employment is expected to decline in the energy transmission, generation and
    distribution sector from 2008-2018, employment is likely to increase in
    nuclear power, electric transmission, and renewable energy. Occupations in
    the electrical power industry include line workers, operators and dispatchers,
    and technicians. Employment of line installers and repairmen, for example, is
    projected to grow at about three percent to six percent over the next several
    years. However, opportunities exist throughout the utilities industry as more
    workers in the industry are nearing retirement. In addition, workers in both
    electrical power and telecommunications industries will be needed to
    reinforce networks as population in cities grows and expands.

    Electric energy occupations pay well above the national median for all
    occupations, and most offer formal on-the-job training to workers with high
    school diplomas. For example, electrical line installers and repairers often
    complete formal apprenticeships combined with on-the-job training. There
    are six recognized apprenticeable specialties associated with electrical
    lineman occupations: cable installer-repairer, cable splicer, line erector, line
    maintainer, line repairer and trouble shooter. Other related occupations are
    electrical and electronics installers and repairers, and power plant operators,
    distributors, and dispatchers.

    In DeKalb County, Georgia, the power company, Georgia Power, faced a
    shortfall in labor supply due to attrition and increased demand of over 100
    electrical line positions each year. The workforce system partnered with the
    utility company to provide youth with school-to-work apprenticeships to meet
    the worker shortage. Through this initiative, youth were on track to earn
    annual wages of $30,000 to $70,000.



                                      11
      Electricity generated by renewable sources is one of the fastest growing
      segments of the electrical power industry sector. These sources include
      geothermal, wind, and solar. Solar photovoltaic installers, solar thermal
      installers and technicians, geothermal technicians, and wind turbine
      technicians are all new and emerging occupations. BLS employment data
      indicates demand in these occupations to be seven to thirteen percent over the
      next several years. The North American Board of Certified Energy
      Practitioners completed task analyses for solar photovoltaic and thermal
      system installers which provides learning objectives for curriculum
      development. See “Greener Skills: How Credentials Create Value in the
      Clean Energy Economy,” by the Center on Wisconsin Strategy (COWS) for a
      report of certification requirements in the solar industry at
      http://www.cows.org/pdf/rp-greenerskills.pdf.

      Training providers for solar occupations include colleges and universities,
      apprenticeship programs, and manufacturer training providers. The New
      Energy Workforce Initiative, a consortium of community colleges, industry,
      and workforce developers in the Bay Area of California,
      http://www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov/contentpub/GreenDigest/CA-New-
      Energy-Colleges.pdf, created a project-based solar curriculum with industry-
      recognized certifications. It also documented solar pathways and ladders.
      The Workforce Strategy Center’s publication “Building Effective Green
      Energy Programs in Community Colleges,” found at
      http://www.workforcestrategy.org/images/pdfs/publications/green_energy_pro
      grams_2010-05.pdf, cites many examples of efforts community colleges are
      making to ensure a qualified and trained workforce is ready to meet future
      increased demand for green energy jobs.

      For more information on energy careers, see the “Career Guide to Industries,”
      at www.bls.gov/oco/cg. The Center for Energy Workforce Development has
      a specific Web site, www.getintoenergy.com, which gives information to
      youth about energy careers. For state energy profiles, visit the U.S.
      Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration Web site at:
      http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/state.

B. Promoting and Increasing Work Experience Opportunities

   Providing WIA youth with meaningful work experience opportunities continues
   to be a high priority for ETA. Considerable research conducted by organizations
   such as the Center for Labor Market Studies and the Economic Policy Institute
   shows that youth who engage in work in earlier years are more likely to work in
   later years, and that those who do not work when they are young find it much
   more difficult to enter into employment later on, oftentimes completely
   disconnecting from the labor market. ETA encourages states and local areas to
   consider using WIA Youth formula and state set-aside funds, in addition to



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leveraged funding, to support paid and unpaid work experience opportunities for
youth. Due to the delayed allotment of the WIA Youth Program formula funds,
ETA recognizes that for those states that intend to provide summer employment
opportunities, planning time has be significantly limited.

Under the Recovery Act, local areas used funds to provide youth with summer
work opportunities, as well as work experiences outside the summer months.
Lessons learned from the use of the Recovery Act funds for summer employment
activities are documented in two ETA Occasional Papers: “Reinvesting in
America’s Youth: Lessons from the 2009 Recovery Act Summer Youth
Employment Initiative” and “Innovating Under Pressure: The Story of the 2009
Recovery Act Summer Youth Employment Initiative: Chicago, Detroit,
Indianapolis & Marion County, Phoenix & Maricopa County.” As a continuation
of the lessons learned from summer 2009, ETA commissioned a study that
examined the activities provided to youth during the non-summer months of
October through March (post-summer programming) and sought to identify
effective program design and service delivery strategies. The evaluation aimed to
document the types of strategies that local areas designed and implemented for
youth, including providing work experience opportunities for older, out-of-school
youth. Based on preliminary data from the evaluation, ETA encourages states and
local areas to:

    Increase Work Experiences for Older, Out-of-School Youth: Older
    youth, ages 18 to 21, may be eligible for both WIA Youth and Adult
    programs. It is often the case, however that neither program specifically
    focuses on serving, nor are they specifically designed to serve, this older
    youth population. ETA encourages WIA Youth program providers to offer
    and enhance programs and services, including work experience opportunities
    that effectively meet the needs of older youth. The evaluation found that
    summer/post-summer sites valued and learned from the opportunity afforded
    by the Recovery Act to focus on older, out-of-school youth to a far greater
    extent than possible in the past. Many sites noted that that they had limited
    familiarity with operating work experience programs, particularly ones that
    focused on older, out-of-school youth. Most sites indicated they will continue
    to engage and focus on older, out-of-school youth as a result of their
    experiences with these youth during the summer/post-summer program. For
    example in Orlando, Florida the workforce investment board (WIB) credited
    the success it experienced with serving older, out-of-school youth in its
    summer/post-summer programs for helping them realize the value of
    providing work experience to older youth. As a result, this site launched a
    new 12-week work experience program in fall 2010 for 18–21-year-old out-
    of-school youth.

    Providers in San Bernardino, California reported that as a result of their
    positive summer/ post-summer youth employment program experiences under
    the Recovery Act, they were giving older, out-of-school youth far greater



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    priority than in the past and planned to set aside more WIA Youth funds for
    subsidized work experience for these youth.

   Develop Effective Partnerships to Increase Work Experiences and
    Leverage Resources: In order to implement innovative post-summer
    programs that include work experience opportunities, local areas needed to
    develop strategic partnerships. For example, the evaluation found that Los
    Angeles, California established a new partnership between the WIA Youth
    and Adult programs designed to prepare older youth for careers in green
    construction, green transportation, and health care. This partnership allows
    WIA Youth provider staff to capitalize on strengths of the adult system’s
    capacity for providing training, while utilizing its resources to provide
    valuable work experiences to youth. Using a combination of Youth and
    Adult, Recovery Act WIA Youth and Adult, and Recovery Act Energy and
    Efficiency Block Grant funds, WIA adult providers place youth in training
    programs, and WIA youth providers subsequently connect youth to employers
    for paid work experience. Upon the completion of the subsidized work
    experience, the youth provider helps the youth find unsubsidized employment.

    The evaluation also found that the Recovery Act provided an opportunity to
    build relationships with new employers, particularly private sector employers,
    in order to place youth in meaningful work experiences. WIBs and
    administrative agencies reported that they encouraged providers to place
    older, out-of-school youth with private sector employers during the post-
    summer program. According to the sites, private sector employers are more
    likely to hire youth permanently at the end of the program than those in the
    public and nonprofit sectors. Three sites found that reaching out to their local
    business associations, through letters and in-person presentations, was a
    particularly effective way to connect with private employers.

   Create Work Experiences that Lead to Careers in High-Demand
    Industries: The evaluation found that sites encouraged providers to build
    career pathways for youth, especially in high-growth, high-demand industries,
    such as health care. Half of the sites created purposeful pathways for youth
    that included some combination of training, work experience, and job
    placement assistance, while other sites encouraged providers to place youth at
    health care worksites. For example, in Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania, the WIB
    contracted directly with the area’s largest health care employer to place out-
    of-school youth in health care jobs for nine consecutive months with the goal
    of turning the placement into an unsubsidized employment opportunity by the
    end of the program. Youth were placed in a variety of departments, from
    medical coding and billing to patient registration at doctors’ offices.

    Los Angeles, California established a sector-based program for young adults,
    ages 21 to 24. This post-summer offering combines accredited training in
    high-demand industries in green transportation, green construction, and


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       healthcare with a four-week paid work experience. The program provides
       training, academic preparation, workplace readiness, paid work experience,
       vocational certification, and job placement assistance. Youth are enrolled in
       the program for three to six months, depending on the length of their training.

C. Increasing Service Delivery for Youth with Disabilities

   ETA is committed to helping youth providers eliminate the multiple challenges
   that adversely affect the education and employment of youth with disabilities. In
   an effort to assist the workforce system to increase and promote improved
   services to youth with disabilities, ETA will soon release a TEGL on increasing
   enrollment and improving services to youth with disabilities. This TEGL will
   include an attachment containing a significant number of resources to better assist
   WIA providers in serving youth with disabilities. ETA encourages youth
   providers to increase services to youth with disabilities, especially those youth
   with learning disabilities and mental health disorders.

D. Addressing Issues Impacting Program and Service Delivery for WIA Youth
   Services

   ETA monitoring visits at local sites indicate that case management and follow-up
   services need further focus and technical assistance. ETA continues to encourage
   local areas to develop program policies and practices that not only meet the
   requirements of WIA, but also strengthen and improve case management and
   follow-up services to better serve WIA youth.

      Ensuring Quality Case Management: Case management is a key
       component to delivering effective WIA services for young people that helps
       youth acquire skills and facilitates the successful transition into the workforce.
       Case managers are responsible for many tasks, such as assessment,
       coordination of educational and occupational services, supportive services,
       and follow-up. Case managers are also responsible for documenting WIA
       requirements, as well as any outcomes in participant case files. During
       monitoring visits, ETA frequently identified compliance findings related to
       the lack of required WIA documentation, such as eligibility documentation
       and proof of selective service registration. ETA also identified areas of
       concern during monitoring visits, such as the lack of adequate case notes
       documenting youth progress, proof of assessments, and updates on a
       participant’s ISS. As outlined in the “Toolkit for Effective Frontline
       Services,” http://www.doleta.gov/youth_services/Toolkit-improve.cfm, youth
       providers are encouraged to consider the following for the contents of case
       files:

          Eligibility documentation, including proof of residency, age, income
           status, and barriers to employment




                                        15
   Proof of any self-disclosed disability, if appropriate, for eligibility
    determination or additional accommodations
   Documentation of all services provided
   Educational assessments, including literacy/numeracy documentation
    denoting any basic skills deficiency
   Documentation of screening for supportive services, and any supportive
    services provided to ensure retention in the program
   Effective, clear, and detailed case notes and ISS, documenting services
    provided and progress made towards his/her goals
   Documentation of any referrals to partner programs
   Evidence of any outcomes attained, including placement in employment,
    postsecondary education, and/or training, credential attainment, and
    literacy and numeracy gains, if appropriate
   Clear documentation stating when a young person exited from the
    program (once services have not been provided for 90 days)

For information on what documentation is required and/or encouraged under
WIA, see the Core Monitoring Guide at
http://www.doleta.gov/regions/reg02/documents/OSID%20Conference/Resou
rce%20-%20Core-Monitoring-Guide.pdf. For additional information,
resources, and training tools on case management, youth providers can access
the “Toolkit for Effective Frontline Services,” previously mentioned, which
includes a manual, a training guide, and training modules.

Internal capacity building is essential to effective case management. Local
programs may consider providing routine professional development and
training opportunities, such as “cross-training” within the WIA program
structure to fully understand the variety of services available to youth
participants. Local areas may also consider “case conferencing” as a part of
both internal and external agency staff interaction. Case conferencing allows
staff members who are responsible for interacting with a youth participant to
meet on a regular basis in order to exchange information and coordinate
services to best serve the needs of the participant. For example, the Rhode
Island Department of Labor and Training initiated a Shared Youth Vision
Collaborative Case Management Pilot project where a team of 10 caseworkers
across several agencies meets once a week for collaborative case
conferencing. During case conferencing, the caseworkers present cases and
use feedback and knowledge of the group to help determine goals, appropriate
resources and referrals, and to identify potential policy barriers and possible
solutions that lead to positive youth outcomes. After eight months of data,
youth in the pilot group tended to set more goals with their caseworkers, attain
more skills, have greater credential attainment rates, engage more in work
experience activities, and be more connected to school or work than youth
who were not involved in the pilot group
(http://www.dlt.ri.gov/wio/sharedvision4Youth.htm). ETA encourages local
providers to develop strategies that strengthen and coordinate service



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    provision to youth, such as case conferencing, in order to maximize all
    available resources and supports that can assist youth in achieving their goals.

    Success in delivering services under WIA depends on the effectiveness of
    youth practitioners, which includes staff such as case managers, career
    advisors, and follow-up specialists. Youth practitioners develop relationships
    with young people and provide critical expertise and support as youth mature
    and enter the workforce. The Youth Development Practitioner Apprenticeship
    (YDPA) is a Registered Apprenticeship program, which includes related
    classroom-based and on-the-job training, where youth practitioners develop
    the skills they need to effectively serve youth. The combination of well-
    supervised and structured on-the-job training, coupled with high-quality
    related instruction, offers youth development practitioners a recognizable
    career path, and a nationally-recognized certification of completion. ETA
    encourages local areas to learn more about YDPA at
    http://www.doleta.gov/oa/e-tools4.cfm#youth.

   Effective Follow-up Strategies: All WIA youth participants are required to
    receive follow-up services for a minimum duration of twelve months after
    exit. The types of follow-up services are determined based on the needs of the
    individual youth and the objectives set by the local area. Follow-up is
    especially critical in WIA-funded programs as the majority of performance
    data are gathered during the quarters after youth have exited the program.
    However, follow-up should go beyond capturing participant data and provide
    the necessary services and supports to ensure participant success.

    Some examples of follow-up services include: one-on-one meetings to discuss
    educational or career options; use of technology to explore resources and
    facilitate communication; adult mentoring; supportive services; and work-
    related follow-up activities. Supportive services provided during follow-up
    may include: linkages to community services; assistance with transportation
    costs; assistance with child care and dependent care costs; assistance with
    housing costs; referrals to medical services; and assistance with uniforms or
    other appropriate work attire; and work-related tool costs. Work-related
    follow-up activities may include: regular contact with a youth participant’s
    employer, including addressing work-related problems that arise; formation of
    job clubs to offer on-going support and training; assistance in securing better
    paying jobs, career development, and further education; work-related peer
    support groups; and tracking progress of the youth’s employment after
    training.

    Staff responsible for follow-up services can utilize a variety of social media,
    such as Facebook or Twitter, to reach out to WIA participants. Many
    providers utilize these tools to effectively reach WIA participants during the
    period of follow-up, and engage them in quick updates on their educational or
    employment progress. One notable innovation found in several sites that were



                                     17
          evaluated in the post-summer study was the effective use of social media. In
          Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania, Facebook was identified as an effective way to
          reach out to youth. The provider contacted youth through Facebook if they
          were absent from class and also encouraged youth to use the page to stay-in
          touch with other participants and share news about jobs, education, and
          community services as they learn about them. One provider in Los Angeles,
          California noted it had to think creatively about how to recruit, engage, and
          follow-up with out-of-school youth, and experienced positive results using
          Facebook and other social media sites.

          WIA youth providers are encouraged to provide follow-up guidelines to staff
          to ensure follow-up services are provided to all youth in an effective manner.
          This includes when and how youth are contacted, as well as guidelines for
          contact with employers and/or education providers. It is important that staff
          responsible for follow-up maintain frequent, systematic contact and
          interaction with each young person after completion of program services
          and/or placement in a long-term education or occupational skills training
          program, or in a job. It is also important for youth providers to offer guidance
          to staff responsible for follow-up services on how to provide accurate
          reporting within the case file, such as detailing conversations and meetings,
          and documenting placement into employment or education.

          For additional follow-up strategies, see the “Toolkit for Effective Frontline
          Services.” For additional principles for successful follow-up and job
          retention, see the Public/Private Ventures report, “Getting In, Staying On and
          Moving Up: A Practitioner’s Approach to Employment Retention,” at
          http://www.ppv.org/ppv/publications/assets/100_publication.pdf.

7. Useful Tools and Resources.

   Youth Connections Community of Practice (CoP): Created in July 2010, this
   Workforce3one Youth CoP 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 for youth:
   http://youth.workforce3one.org.

   Find Youth Info: This Web page 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.

   Federal Network for Young Worker Safety and Health: The Federal Network for
   Young Worker Safety and Health (FedNet) seeks to reduce the risk of occupational
   injuries and illnesses among workers, between the ages of 14-24. The 11 Federal
   agencies making up FedNet develop strategies and resources to offer education,
   training, and outreach that ensure young workers are aware of their right to a safe



                                           18
workplace, and that employers meet their responsibility to provide it:
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/youth/.

YouthRules!: YouthRules! launched in May 2002 to increase public awareness of
Federal and state rules concerning young workers. Through the YouthRules!
initiative, DOL and its partners seek to promote positive and safe work experiences
that help prepare young workers to enter the 21st Century workforce:
http://youthrules.dol.gov/jobs.htm.

My Future: Myfuture.com helps young adults plan their next steps in life by
bringing together the most recently available information about colleges, careers, and
military services. Designed primarily for individuals, between 16 and 24, the site
features information drawn and collated from the U.S. Departments of Commerce,
Defense, Education, and Labor. The site contains information on more than 1,000
military and civilian careers and nearly 7,000 accredited colleges, universities, and
trade schools, and can serve as a central resource for valuable background on college
admission requirements, employment trends, and military benefits:
http://www.myfuture.com.

The Federal Bonding Program: In 1966, DOL established the Federal Bonding
Program to provide Fidelity Bonds that guarantee honesty for “at-risk”, hard-to-place
job seekers. The bonds cover the first six months of employment. There is no cost to
the job applicant or the employer. In most states, bonds are made available through
the state agency responsible for workforce matters. The Federal Bonding Program is
a partnership between DOL and The McLaughlin Company, an insurance brokerage
firm: http://bonds4jobs.com.

Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC): WOTC is a Federal tax credit incentive
for private-sector businesses for hiring individuals from twelve target groups who
consistently face significant barriers to employment. The main objective of this
program is to enable the targeted employees to gradually move from economic
dependency into self-sufficiency as they earn a steady income and become
contributing taxpayers, while the participating employers are compensated by being
able to reduce their Federal income tax liability. WOTC joins other workforce
programs that help incentivize workplace diversity and facilitate access to good jobs
for American workers: http://www.doleta.gov/business/incentives/opptax/.

My Next Move: My Next Move is a Web site intended to assist all jobseekers. It
may be especially useful for students, young adults, and other first-time workers as
they explore potential careers based on their interests. The new tool complements the
department's "mySkills myFuture" site which is designed to help those with previous
work experience match their existing skills to new occupations:
http://www.mynextmove.org/.

Job Accommodation Network (JAN): JAN is the leading source of free, expert,
and confidential guidance on workplace accommodations and disability employment



                                        19
   issues. Working toward practical solutions that benefit both employer and employee,
   JAN helps people with disabilities enhance their employability, and shows employers
   how to capitalize on the value and talent that people with disabilities add to the
   workplace: http://askjan.org/ or (800) 526-7234 (Voice), (877) 781-9403 (TTY).

   CareerOneStop Products

   America’s Service Locator connects individuals to employment and training
   opportunities available at local One-Stop Career Centers. The Web site provides
   contact information for a range of local work-related services, including
   unemployment benefits, career development, and educational opportunities:
   http://www.servicelocator.org/.

   America’s Career InfoNet helps individuals explore career opportunities to make
   informed employment and education choices. The Web site features user-friendly
   occupation and industry information, salary data, career videos, education resources,
   self-assessment tools, career exploration assistance, and other resources that support
   talent development in today's fast-paced global marketplace:
   http://www.careerinfonet.org/.

   mySkills myFuture helps laid-off workers and other career changers find new
   occupations to explore. Users can identify occupations that require skills and
   knowledge similar to their current or previous job, learn more about these suggested
   matches, locate local training programs, and/or apply for jobs:
   http://www.myskillsmyfuture.org/.

   Competency Model Clearinghouse provides the business community with a means
   to communicate its skill needs to educators and the workforce system in a common
   industry-driven framework. The models and other competency-based resources
   support development of curriculum and increased awareness of careers in high-
   growth industries. http://www.careeronestop.org/CompetencyModel/.

   Students and Career Advisors helps young people, their career advisors (including
   guidance counselors and parents), and career changers to identify their interests,
   explore careers, obtain work experience (through employment, internships, or
   apprenticeships), and find education options:
   www.careeronestop.org/studentsandcareeradvisors.

8. Inquiries. Questions regarding this guidance should be directed to the appropriate
   ETA Regional Office.




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