Youth Program Design, Elements, and Parameters

20 C.F.R. Part ..., Subpart D
in effectEffective: 2024-07-01

20 C.F.R. § 664.400 What is a local youth program?

A local youth program is defined as those youth activities offered by a Local Workforce Investment Board for a designated local workforce investment area, as specified in 20 CFR part 661.

20 C.F.R. § 664.405 How must local youth programs be designed?

(a) The design framework of local youth programs must: (1) Provide an objective assessment of each youth participant, that meets the requirements of WIA section 129(c)(1)(A), and includes a review of the academic and occupational skill levels, as well as the service needs, of each youth; (2) Develop an individual service strategy for each youth participant that meets the requirements of WIA section 129(c)(1)(B), including identifying an age-appropriate career goal and consideration of the assessment results for each youth; and (3) Provide preparation for postsecondary educational opportunities, provide linkages between academic and occupational learning, provide preparation for employment, and provide effective connections to intermediary organizations that provide strong links to the job market and employers. (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. (b) The local plan must describe the design framework for youth program design in the local area, and how the ten program elements required in § 664.410 are provided within that framework. (c) Local Boards must ensure appropriate links to entities that will foster the participation of eligible local area youth. Such links may include connections to: (1) Local area justice and law enforcement officials; (2) Local public housing authorities; (3) Local education agencies; (4) Job Corps representatives; and (5) Representatives of other area youth initiatives, including those that serve homeless youth and other public and private youth initiatives. (d) Local Boards must ensure that the referral requirements in WIA section 129(c)(3) for youth who meet the income eligibility criteria are met, including: (1) Providing these youth with information regarding the full array of applicable or appropriate services available through the Local Board or other eligible providers, or One-Stop partners; and (2) Referring these youth to appropriate training and educational programs that have the capacity to serve them either on a sequential or concurrent basis. (e) In order to meet the basic skills and training needs of eligible applicants who do not meet the enrollment requirements of a particular program or who cannot be served by the program, each eligible youth provider must ensure that these youth are referred: (1) For further assessment, as necessary, and (2) To appropriate programs, in accordance with paragraph (d)(2) of this section. (f) Local Boards must ensure that parents, youth participants, and other members of the community with experience relating to youth programs are involved in both the design and implementation of its youth programs. (g) The objective assessment required under paragraph (a)(1) of this section or the individual service strategy required under paragraph (a)(2) of this section is not required if the program provider determines that it is appropriate to use a recent objective assessment or individual service strategy that was developed under another education or training program. (WIA section 129(c)(1).)

20 C.F.R. § 664.410 Must local programs include each of the ten program elements listed in WIA section 129(c)(2) as options available to youth participants?

(a) Yes, local programs must make the following services available to youth participants: (1) Tutoring, study skills training, and instruction leading to secondary school completion, including dropout prevention strategies; (2) Alternative secondary school offerings; (3) Summer employment opportunities directly linked to academic and occupational learning; (4) Paid and unpaid work experiences, including internships and job shadowing, as provided in §§ 664.460 and 664.470; (5) Occupational skill training; (6) Leadership development opportunities, which include community service and peer-centered activities encouraging responsibility and other positive social behaviors; (7) Supportive services, which may include the services listed in § 664.440; (8) Adult mentoring for a duration of at least twelve (12) months, that may occur both during and after program participation; (9) Followup services, as provided in § 664.450; and (10) Comprehensive guidance and counseling, including drug and alcohol abuse counseling, as well as referrals to counseling, as appropriate to the needs of the individual youth. (b) Local programs have the discretion to determine what specific program services will be provided to a youth participant, based on each participant's objective assessment and individual service strategy. (WIA sec. 129(c)(2).)

20 C.F.R. § 664.420 What are leadership development opportunities?

Leadership development opportunities are 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 (f) Citizenship training, including life skills training such as parenting, work behavior training, and budgeting of resources. (WIA sec. 129(c)(2)(F).)

20 C.F.R. § 664.430 What are positive social behaviors?

Positive social behaviors are outcomes of leadership opportunities, often referred to as soft skills, which are incorporated by many local programs as part of their menu of services. Positive social behaviors focus on areas that may include the following: (a) Positive attitudinal development; (b) Self esteem building; (c) Openness to working with individuals from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds; (d) Maintaining healthy lifestyles, including being alcohol and drug free; (e) Maintaining positive relationships with responsible adults and peers, and contributing to the well being of one's community, including voting; (f) Maintaining a commitment to learning and academic success; (g) Avoiding delinquency; (h) Postponed and responsible parenting; and (i) Positive job attitudes and work skills. (WIA sec. 129(c)(2)(F).)

20 C.F.R. § 664.440 What are supportive services for youth?

Supportive services for youth, as defined in WIA section 101(46), may include the following: (a) Linkages to community services; (b) Assistance with transportation; (c) Assistance with child care and dependent care; (d) Assistance with housing; (e) Referrals to medical services; and (f) Assistance with uniforms or other appropriate work attire and work-related tools, including such items as eye glasses and protective eye gear. (WIA sec. 129(c)(2)(G).)

20 C.F.R. § 664.450 What are follow-up services for youth?

(a) Follow-up services for youth may include: (1) The leadership development and supportive service activities listed in §§ 664.420 and 664.440; (2) Regular contact with a youth participant's employer, including assistance in addressing work-related problems that arise; (3) Assistance in securing better paying jobs, career development and further education; (4) Work-related peer support groups; (5) Adult mentoring; and (6) Tracking the progress of youth in employment after training. (b) All youth participants must receive some form of follow-up services for a minimum duration of 12 months. Follow-up services may be provided beyond twelve (12) months at the State or Local Board's discretion. The types of services provided and the duration of services must be determined based on the needs of the individual. The scope of these follow-up services may be less intensive for youth who have only participated in summer youth employment opportunities. (WIA sec. 129(c)(2)(I).)

20 C.F.R. § 664.460 What are work experiences for youth?

(a) Work experiences are planned, structured learning experiences that take place in a workplace for a limited period of time. As provided in WIA section 129(c)(2)(D) and § 664.470, work experiences may be paid or unpaid. (b) Work experience workplaces may be in the private, for-profit sector; the non-profit sector; or the public sector. (c) Work experiences are designed to enable youth to gain exposure to the working world and its requirements. Work experiences are appropriate and desirable activities for many youth throughout the year. Work experiences should help youth acquire the personal attributes, knowledge, and skills needed to obtain a job and advance in employment. The purpose is to provide the youth participant with the opportunities for career exploration and skill development and is not to benefit the employer, although the employer may, in fact, benefit from the activities performed by the youth. Work experiences may be subsidized or unsubsidized and may include the following elements: (1) Instruction in employability skills or generic workplace skills such as those identified by the Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS); (2) Exposure to various aspects of an industry; (3) Progressively more complex tasks; (4) Internships and job shadowing; (5) The integration of basic academic skills into work activities; (6) Supported work, work adjustment, and other transition activities; (7) Entrepreneurship; (8) Service learning; (9) Paid and unpaid community service; and (10) Other elements designed to achieve the goals of work experiences. (d) In most cases, on-the-job training is not an appropriate work experiences activity for youth participants under age 18. Local program operators may choose, however, to use this service strategy for eligible youth when it is appropriate based on the needs identified by the objective assessment of an individual youth participant. (WIA sec. 129(c)(2)(D).)

20 C.F.R. § 664.470 Are paid work experiences allowable activities?

Funds under the Act may be used to pay wages and related benefits for work experiences in the public; private, for-profit or non-profit sectors where the objective assessment and individual service strategy indicate that work experiences are appropriate. (WIA sec. 129(c)(2)(D).)

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