Strategies to Transition Older Youth into Workforce Activities After Summer 2009 (Recovery Act)

1. Strategies to Transition Older Youth into Workforce Activities After Summer 2009 (Recovery Act) August 26, 2009 3:00 pm ET

2. Presenters Presenters: • Michael Qualter, Adult Services, Employment and Training Administration • Anne Adams, TATC Consulting • Miguel McQueen,San Bernardino Workforce Investment Board (WIB) • Mark Nanzer,San Diego Workforce Investment Board (WIB) • Gailmarie Harris,Director,Youth Services, Central Ohio Workforce Investment Corporation Moderator: • Evan Rosenberg,Youth Services, Employment and Training Administration

3. This Webinar will focus on program designs that will transition older out-of-school youth ages 18-24 covered under ARRA into year-round workforce development activities. We will explore transitional jobs models, co-enrollment with Adult WIA services, new useful additions to the WOTC, new policies around needs based payments, the use of statewide activities funds and other innovative transitional strategies. Best practices in transitioning older out-of-school youth ages 22-24 will be presented by three local areas. Agenda/Objective

4. ARRA Major Change • The Recovery Act increases the youth age eligibility to a maximum of 24 years old. These changes only apply to youth funded with Recovery Act funds. • The major theme arising from our Technical Assistance (TA) request is the need to provide assistance around transitioning older out-of-school youth after the end of the Summer 2009 Work Experience Program.

5. Technical Assistance (TA) Request • Recruiting • Program Design/Development • Co-enrollment and alignment of resources • Cross-Agency collaboration to provide additional needed services for this population • Needs-based payments

6. Presenter Michael Qualter, Adult Services, Employment and Training Administration

7. Recovery Act Funding Overview and Timing Provisions

8. Recovery Act Themes • Spend money quickly, but with accountability • Spend Recovery Act and formula dollars concurrently • Serve more disadvantaged, low income people • More training, longer training • Leveraging Recovery Act Funds for workforce development with other investments • Program statutes and rules apply to Recovery Act funds (with a few exceptions)

9. Greater Opportunities for Youth • Summer Youth • More training funds available – opportunity to gain new credentials and raise educational attainment • Support Services/Needs Related Payments • Intensive Employment Services • Work Opportunity Tax Credit as Hiring Incentive for Employers

10. WIA Services for Adults • Types of services • Core services • Intensive services • Training services • Follow-up services • Adult services must be provided through the One Stop system • Recovery Act Focus: Low-income individuals; public assistance recipients; eligible UI claimants • Training services • Needs-related payments

11. WIA and Wagner Peyser Services • WIA Adult program • In-depth assessments • Continued case management • Individual employment plans • Needs related payments • Individual Training Accounts • Customized training • Wagner-Peyser (Employment Services) • Labor Market Information • Job Search Assistance • Job Referrals • Career guidance

12. Benefits of Co-enrollment • Benefits to the Workforce System • Creates continuity of services • Focuses on the customer, not the program or funding stream • Leverages all available resources to help produce successful work/life outcomes • Benefits to the 22-24 Year Old Youth customers • Adult programs emphasize finding employment in a career pathway, not just a job • Provides additional tools to overcome multiple barriers to employment • Reinforces the step to adult work and responsibility

13. Work Opportunity Tax Credits for Young People • Disconnected Youth – individual certified by the State Workforce Agencies as: • Having attained age 16 but not 25 on the hiring date; • Not regularly attending any secondary, technical or post secondary school; • Not regularly employed during such 6-month period, and • Not readily employable by reason of lacking a sufficient number of basic skills.

14. Work Opportunity Tax Credits for Young People con’t • Summer Youth – • 16 -17 year-old individual who works for an employer between May 1 and September 15, and • Lives in an Empowerment Zone (EZ) or Renewal Community (RC) • 18-39 Year-old Food Stamp (FS) Recipient – • Member of family that received FS for either a 6-month period ending on the hiring date; or • for at least 3 of the 5 months ending on the hiring date in the case of a family member who ceased to be eligible for such assistance under Sec. 6(o) of the Food Stamp Act of 1977 • 18-39 Year-old Designated Community Resident – • Individual who lives within an EZ, RC, or Rural Renewal County (RRC)

15. A Strategic View Anne Adams, Youth Subject Matter Expert, TATC Consulting

16. The Challenge: “There is an immediate need for dramatically new and comprehensive public policies to boost male teen employment and educational opportunities across the entire country. . . The time for action is now.” “The Collapse of the Male Teen Job Market” Andrew Sum, Joseph McLaughlin, with Sheila Palma July 2009

17. Adapting a Service Approach: Managing Complex Change • Successfully transitioning older youth into the labor market is a complex change agenda at both the Macro (system and organizational) and Micro (front-line activity) levels. • Six Managing Change Elements to focus upon: • Vision • Skills • Resources • Incentives • Plans • On-going Evaluation

18. Managing Complex Change (cont.) VISION • Integrate SYEP into the Shared Youth Vision Mission. • Shared Youth Vision– a partnership between Labor, Education, Health and Human Services, Urban Development, Justice, Social Security, and the Corporation for National and Community Service. • A Collaborative Approach to prepare youth for success in a Global Demand-Driven Economy: the nation’s neediest youth will acquire the talents, skills, and knowledge necessary to ensure their healthy transition to successful adult roles and responsibilities.

19. Managing Complex Change (cont.): RESOURCES • MULTIPLE EDUCATION PATHWAYS • Knowing and using the variety of models of alternative education: Early and Middle Colleges, gateway programs, career academies, Diploma Plus, experiential learning environments, Twilight Academies, etc. • Maximizing the use of established systems: Job Corps, Youthbuild, Center for Employment and Training (CET), Youth Service and Conservation Corps. • Maximum and creative use of ARRA/SYEP funding

20. Managing Complex Change (cont.): SKILLS • Innovation and Creativity at the service level – services are dynamic when they actualize youth conceptualizations such as “shared vision” for an individual young person • Flexibility – ex. work readiness – only performance measure during the summer • Connecting SYEP to existing WIA systems and all community efforts for older youth; i.e., transitioning • Establishing mechanisms for self-driven career exploration and obtaining credentials

21. Managing Complex Change (cont.) PLANNING • Develop a comprehensive SYEP plan that incorporates collaboration, transitioning and focuses upon individual capacity building for self-directed career exploration. • Utilize the ISS process to instill personal responsibility and require self-directed activities from youth participants.

22. Managing Complex Change (cont.): INCENTIVES • ARRA/SYEP Funding • WOTC (Work Opportunity Tax Credit) • Expansion of youth eligibility to 24 years of age. • Co-enrollment in WIA Adult Programs

23. Managing Complex Change (cont.):(Future Planning) EVALUATION • Build in a mid-program review of the SYEP plan and adjust as possible. • Structure at least two reviews of the ISS during the summer program. These can be the focus of transitioning events.

24. Managing Complex Change (cont.) Effectively managing and coordinating these six elements: • Vision • Resources • Skills • Incentives • Planning • Evaluation offers opportunities to maximize this funding bonus and turn the SYEP into a dynamic launch pad for older youth career exploration and development.

25. Front-line Strategies • Once you have found them never let them go! • The long-range goal, not the current program should guide planned activities with each participant (ISS as a living document!) • The activity immediately following the current program should be identified at the beginning of the program and emphasized throughout.

26. Front-line Strategies (cont.) • Put the participant in the driver’s seat! • Develop an ISS that includes activities beyond the SYEP. • Set up a process that requires youth to actualize their ISS with the case manager as a resource • Asset-based assessment requires that we see the participant as a resource, not a problem. Hold them accountable to their planning. • Establish transitioning events within the life of the summer program that enable the participant to clearly define their next steps.

27. Front-line Strategies (cont.): • Establish teams and/or small groups of older youth focused on transitioning. • There are many advantages of the mutual aid process that have advantages for both the youth and the case manager in accomplishing their goals. • [see Appendices A and B of this PowerPoint presentation for more detail]

28. Appendix A: Potentials of Small Group Processes for Participants • Universalizes individual problems • Reduce isolation • Reduce stigma • Experience difficulties and problems as less unique and/or deviant • Provide for a multiplicity of helping relationships • Offer more opportunity for support and challenge; greater opportunity for personal examination • Develop greater receptivity to various interpretations and suggestions

29. Appendix B: Potential of Small Group Processes for Workers Group work and the mutual aid process offers more opportunities to observe a person’s interpersonal skills, perceptions, and behaviors. Hence, there are more opportunities for on-going assessment and plan modification.

30. San Bernardino County Workforce Investment Board Summer Youth Employment Program Y4 Miguel McQueen, Staff Analyst II, San Bernardino County Workforce Investment Board

31. Creation of a Youth Driven and Designed Program • Youth Participants were integral team members with providers • Designed with Career pathways in mind • Targeted previous and current vocational training interests • Internship opportunities in Local Demand Occupations

32. Successful Outcomes!!!Ontario Auto Center Mechanic Internships • Collaboration with local School District, Regional Occupation Program (ROP), Auto Dealerships and Automotive Professionals • Career Institute (local WIA Youth Provider) identified youth with Auto Mechanic interests & aptitudes and placed them into internships with possible career pathways • 18 local youth enrolled and served 180 hour internships ~~~ 9 were hired as permanent employees

33. Collaboration with Regional Occupation programs, Adult Education & Community Colleges • Met with local Regional Occupations Programs (ROP), Adult Education, and Community Colleges • Targeted existing Vocational and Certificated courses/programs that had successful completion and high placement rates • Focused on local demand occupations in following areas: • Aviation • Advanced Manufacturing • Healthcare Occupations • Green Industry • Transportation and Logistics • 3.2 Million in ARRA funds allocated

34. ARRA Training Opportunities • Regional Occupational Programs • Medical Assistant-Clinical • Childcare Occupations • Medical Insurance Billing • Customer Service • Shield Metal ARC Welding • Air Conditioning (HVAC) • Nurse Assistant • Medical Assistant • Medical Front Office • Substantial Community College Certificated Programs • LVN/RN • Water Supply Technician • Aviation Mechanics • Welding Programs • Diesel Mechanic • Computer Numeric Control (CNC) Victor Valley Aviation Consortium Irrigator Technical Training School …And the list goes on

35. Transition Older Youth into Workforce Activities • Youth Providers Identify older Youth for Vocational training opportunities (demand occupations) • Youth referred to Employment Resource Center for co-enrollment into WIA Adult program • Assigned Employment Services Advisor • Youth enrolled into ARRA funded training course/program

36. Contact Information Miguel McQueen • Address: • 215 North D Street, Suite #301 San Bernardino, CA 92415 • Email: • mmcqueen@wdd.sbcounty.gov • Website: • www.sbcounty.gov/wib

37. Building a Bridge to Success • Mark Nanzer, • Manager of Youth Programs, • San Diego Workforce Partnership • A Collaboration between the • San Diego Workforce Partnership Youth Division • & • One Stop Career Center Network

38. The Need Of the over 3200 youth that participated in the San Diego Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP), over 900 are older, out-of-school youth that can benefit from additional skill enhancement & workforce development opportunities

39. The Strategies • Youth Service Navigator • Youth & Adult Individual Training Accounts (ITA) • On-the-Job & Customized Training • Higher Education Initiative • Co-enrollment into Year-Long Youth & One-Stop Systems

40. Youth Service Navigator • Intermediary between SYEP, Year-Long Provider and One-Stop Career Center Networks • Facilitate communication and outreach campaign to Older, Out-of-School Youth • Assist with referral process and co-enrollment coordination

41. Youth & Adult ITA $$$ • The goal of modeling the Youth & Adult Systems to ensure Older, Out-of-School Youth have a variety of training & employment options • $250,000 dedicated to ITA’s for WIA eligible Older, Out-of-School Youth • WIA Adult/Dislocated Worker ITA funds allocated to One-Stops

42. On-The-Job-Training (OJT)& Customized Training • $2 million in funding for OJT and Customized Training opportunities • Contracted OJT & Customized Training Providers to designate 25% of available slots to Older, Out-of-School Youth

43. Higher Education Initiative • $5 Million in funding dedicated to WIA eligible youth and adults for training programs • Opportunity to access specialized training opportunities in the following industries: • Healthcare • Green Collar Careers • Biotech

44. Co-enrollment into WIA One-Stop System or Youth Program • SYEP Provider documents Work Readiness Goal Attainment & all Summer Activities provided • Youth remains active under the SYEP enrollment • SYEP collaborates with nearest One-Stop Career Center for Youth Provider fro co-enrollment coordination • One-Stop/Youth Provider co-enrolls participant

45. The Flow Youth/Adult ITA’s SYEP Participants co-enrolled OJT’s / Customized Training Higher Ed Initiative

46. Central Ohio WIC/ JOBLeaders Summer YouthWorks Gailmarie Harris, Director, Youth Services, Central Ohio Workforce Investment Corporation

47. Summer Overview In collaboration with City of Columbus & Franklin County Two groups with age-appropriate designed programs (14 – 18 & 18 – 24 years old) The goal is to prepare young adults for the workforce, while stimulating the economy Emphasis on Self Discovery/ Arts, Labor Market Orientation & Career Exploration to prepare young adults for year-round opportunities

48. Transitional Snapshots • Web-based Eligibility Portal/ Payroll System for remote access developed by PROTEAM Staffing • Transition: PROTEAM Staffing will be recruiting personnel from Portal • Acloché LLC is a staffing company recruiting & placing interns • Assessment using the arts, conducted by ArtSafe & Columbus State Community College, addressed generational, cultural, & communication barriers with diverse populations • Transition: This information will be used in the in-depth assessment process for continuation of WIA services

49. Transitional Snapshots • Automatic Deposits with Chase Bank providing Financial Literacy Training to interns • Transition: In 2008, 2/3 of the summer participants continued their bank accounts • Work-Readiness Training with web-based portfolio designed by Visionary Leaders Institute • Transition: Web-based portfolio provides access for continuous contextual learning at the worksite • Entrepreneurship Training with Columbus City Schools & Young University developing business plans & websites • Transition: COWIC/ JOBLeaders is developing business start-up services for our restored citizens (re-entry) group

50. Transitional Snapshots • Recruiting “Males in the Classroom” with Columbus City Schools for Elementary Teacher-Assistants • Transition: Interns will transition into WIA Individual Training Accounts to pursue education goals • City-wide facilities assessments using interns with Columbus City Schools to transform school buildings to “Green” • Transition: Interns will transition into WIA for Construction Trades and Engineering via WIA Individual Training Accounts, Apprenticeship Programs • Mt. Carmel College of Nursing, Columbus Public Health Department & Home Health Aide internships • Transition: Interns will transition into WIA Healthcare training & education