IWS Documented News DAILY POSTINGS

IWS Documented News Service

_______________________________

Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach

School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies

Cornell University

16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky

New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau

________________________________________________________________________

 

Congressional Research Service (CRS)

 

Vulnerable Youth: Employment and Job Training Programs

Adrienne L. Fernandes-Alcantara, Specialist in Social Policy

May 11, 2012

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R40929.pdf

[full-text, 46 pages]

 

Summary

In an increasingly global economy, and with retirement starting for the Baby Boomer generation,

Congress has indicated a strong interest in ensuring that today’s young people have the

educational attainment and employment experience needed to become highly skilled workers,

contributing taxpayers, and successful participants in civic life. Challenges in the economy and

among certain youth populations, however, have heightened concern among policymakers that

some young people may not be prepared to fill these roles.

 

The employment levels for youth under age 25 have declined markedly in recent years, including

in the wake of the 2007-2009 recession. Certain young people—including high school dropouts,

current and former foster youth, and other at-risk populations—face challenges in completing

school and entering the workforce. While the United States has experienced a dramatic increase

in secondary school achievement in the past several decades, approximately 9% of youth ages 18

through 24 have not attained a high school diploma or its equivalent. In addition, millions of

young people are out of school and not working.

 

Since the 1930s, federal job training and employment programs and policies have sought to

connect vulnerable youth to work and school. Generally, these young people have been defined as

being at-risk because they are economically disadvantaged and have a barrier to employment.

During the Great Depression, the focus was on employing young men who were idle through

public works and other projects. The employment programs from this era included an educational

component to encourage youth to obtain their high school diplomas. Beginning in the 1960s, the

federal government began funding programs for low-income youth that address their multiple

needs through job training, educational services, and supportive services.

 

Today’s primary federal youth employment and job training programs are authorized under the

Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA, P.L. 105-220), and are carried out by the Department of

Labor’s (DOL’s) Employment and Training Administration (ETA). Although these programs are

funded somewhat differently and have varying eligibility requirements, they generally have a

common purpose—to provide youth with educational and employment opportunities and access

to leadership development and community service activities. Many of the programs target the

most vulnerable youth, including school dropouts, homeless youth, and youth offenders. Based on

funding and the number of youth served, the WIA Youth Activities (Youth) formula program and

Job Corps are the largest. The Youth formula program provides an array of job training and other

services through what are known as local workforce investment boards (WIBs). Job Corps

provides training in a number of trades at centers where youth reside.

 

Another program, YouthBuild, engages youth in educational services and job training that focus

on the construction trades. Separately, WIA’s pilot and demonstration authority has been used to

carry out the Reintegration of Ex-Offenders program, which provides job training and other

services to juvenile and adult offenders. Finally, the Youth Opportunity Grant (YOG) program,

which was funded until FY2003, was targeted to youth who lived in select high-poverty

communities.

 

This report accompanies two reports—CRS Report R40930, Vulnerable Youth: Issues in the

Reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act; and CRS Report R40830, Vulnerable Youth:

Federal Funding for Summer Job Training and Employment.

 

Contents

Introduction...................................................................................................................................... 1

Context............................................................................................................................................. 1

History of Federal Youth Employment and Job Training Programs ................................................ 4

Depression Era........................................................................................................................... 4

War on Poverty Programs.......................................................................................................... 5

Expanding Youth Programs ....................................................................................................... 5

CETA and YEDPA .............................................................................................................. 6

JTPA.................................................................................................................................... 7

STWOA............................................................................................................................... 7

WIA..................................................................................................................................... 8

Overview of Youth Programs Authorized Under Title I of the Workforce Investment Act............. 8

Coordination.............................................................................................................................. 9

Funding.................................................................................................................................... 10

FY2013 Request................................................................................................................ 12

FY2012 and FY2011 Funding—Workforce Innovation Fund .......................................... 13

ARRA Funding.................................................................................................................. 13

Timing of Funds ................................................................................................................ 14

Youth Activities Formula Grant Program ...................................................................................... 14

Overview and Purpose............................................................................................................. 14

Program Structure.................................................................................................................... 15

Youth Councils .................................................................................................................. 16

Elements of Local Programs ............................................................................................. 17

Participants .............................................................................................................................. 19

Older and Out-of-School Youth ........................................................................................ 19

Allocations............................................................................................................................... 20

Performance............................................................................................................................. 21

Job Corps ....................................................................................................................................... 23

Overview and Purpose............................................................................................................. 23

Program Structure.................................................................................................................... 23

Services ............................................................................................................................. 24

Participants .............................................................................................................................. 25

Allocations............................................................................................................................... 26

Performance............................................................................................................................. 26

YouthBuild..................................................................................................................................... 27

Overview and Purpose............................................................................................................. 27

Program Structure.................................................................................................................... 27

Participants .............................................................................................................................. 29

Allocations............................................................................................................................... 29

Performance............................................................................................................................. 29

Reintegration of Ex-Offenders....................................................................................................... 29

Overview and Purpose............................................................................................................. 29

Program Structure.................................................................................................................... 30

Education........................................................................................................................... 31

Apprenticeships, Alternative Education, and Expansion Grants....................................... 31

Reentry .............................................................................................................................. 32

Community Service/Restorative Justice............................................................................ 33

Participants .............................................................................................................................. 33

Allocations............................................................................................................................... 33

Performance............................................................................................................................. 34

Youth Opportunity Grants.............................................................................................................. 34

Overview and Purpose............................................................................................................. 34

Program Structure.................................................................................................................... 34

Participants .............................................................................................................................. 35

Allocations............................................................................................................................... 35

Performance Measures ............................................................................................................ 36

 

Tables

Table 1. Funding for DOL Youth Job Training and Employment Programs, Appropriations for FY2000-FY2012 and Proposed Funding for FY2013 .......... 11

Table 2. Elements of Youth Programs Funded by WIA Youth Activities Formula Grant Program ................................ 17

Table 3. Statutory and Common Measures for WIA Youth Programs ........................................... 22

Table 4. Eligible Activities Funded by YouthBuild, as Specified in the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) ......................................................... 28

Table A-1. WIA Youth Activities State Allotments, PY2008-PY2011, Plus Funding Under  the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA, P.L. 111-5) ............................ 37

 

Appendixes

Appendix A. Workforce Investment Act Funding for Youth Programs ......................................... 37

Appendix B. Definitions of Terms Used in WIA Youth Programs ................................................ 39

 

Contacts

Author Contact Information........................................................................................................... 42

 

 

________________________________________________________________________

This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.