WIA Youth Eligibility

1. WIA Youth Eligibility Presented by: Brandon Carter

2. Agenda • Overview of WIA • What is WIA? • How is it funded? • Difference b/t in and out of school • Youth Program Eligibility • Objective Assessment • Key Criteria of WIA • Eligibility Errors • WIA In-school Process • Documenting Case Notes • Local Policies and Resources

3. What is WIA? The Workforce Investment Act (WIA) is a federally funded program designed to assist participants with finding and retaining employment and to help employers find qualified workers. *Since WIA is not an entitlement program, selection of participants takes into consideration many factors. These factors include, but are not limited to: • Qualifying for the WIA Program • The potential to succeed in training • The likelihood of successful performance outcomes upon completion • Reliability and consistent participation in the program

4. How is WIA Funded? • Congress appropriates new funds each year that are formula-allocated to states by the US Department of Labor • The WIA program year is July 1 through June 30 • Most funds are formula-allocated to regions

5. WIA Youth Programs Out-of-School Youth • A youth who is the age of 16-21, a school dropout, or who has received a secondary school diploma or its equivalent. They are considered basic skills deficient, unemployed, or underemployed. In-School Youth • A youth who is enrolled in high school and within the ages of 14-21. The youth is considered basic skills deficient and their family income is below the poverty guidelines. The focus is to increase longer-term academic and occupational learning opportunities. *For PY14, you will only be recruiting high school Seniors

6. WIA Youth Eligibility Criteria An eligible youth is an individual who: (1) is 14 – 21 years of age; and (2) is an individual who received a total family income or are members of a family that received a total family income that does not exceed the higher of (a) the poverty line; or (b) 70 percent of the lower living standard income; and (3) meets one or more of the following criteria: Is an individual who is deficient in basic literacy skills; a school dropout; homeless; a runaway; a foster child; pregnant or a parent; and offender; or requires additional assistance to complete their education or secure and hold employment.

7. (Age+Income+Barrier=Eligible Participant) • Ages 14 through 21 • Must be a citizen, U.S. national, lawfully admitted permanent resident alien, refugee, or other immigrant authorized by the Attorney General to work in the U.S. Selective Service registration • In need of services and can benefit from the program/not an entitlement program • Veterans Priority of Service applies to those 18 and older; AND

8. (Age+Income+Barrier=Eligible Participant) • Low Income - Which is an individual who received a total family income or are members of a family that received a total family income that does not exceed the higher of (a) the poverty line; or (b) 70 percent of the lower living standard income; AND • One or more of the following: • Deficient in basic literacy skills • School dropout • Homeless, runaway, or foster child • Pregnant or parenting • Offender • YINAA-Requires additional assistance to complete education or hold employment (locally defined in RWIB Management Policy #3)

9. WIA Youth Program (YT)Eligibility (cont.) • Up to 5% of the youth served by WIA Youth Program may be from households that do no meet the WIA income eligibility requirement under certain conditions and with specific authorization from RWIB. *Do not use 5% rule without this office's permission!

10. Definitions of Program Eligibility Criteria Terms for Barriers • Basic literacy skills deficient (WIA Section 101 (4)) –The individual has English or Math skills at or below the 8th grade level on a generally accepted standardized test or a comparable score on a criterion-referenced test • School dropout (WIA Section 101 (39)) – An individual who is no longer attending school and has not received a secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent • Homeless (Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act)- An individual who lacks a fixed, regular, adequate night-time residence • Runaway (WIASRD)- A person under 18 years of age who absents himself or herself from home or place of legal residence without the permission of his or her family • Foster Child (WIA Section 101 (25) (E)) – An individual who is in foster care for whom State or local government payments are made

11. Definitions of Program Eligibility Criteria Terms for Barriers Cont.. • Pregnant or Parenting (WIASRD) – An individual who is either under 22 years of age and who is pregnant, or an individual (male or female) who is providing custodial care for one or more dependents under the age of 18 • Offender (WIA Section 101 (27)) – An individual who is or has been subject to any stage of the criminal justice process, for whom services under this Act may be beneficial; or who requires assistance in overcoming artificial barriers to employment resulting from a record of arrest or conviction • Individual with a disability (WIA Section 101 (17)) – An individual with any disability as defined in section 3 of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990

12. WIA Youth Program (YT)Requirements Case managers must provide: • Objective assessment • Development of individual service strategy (ISS) • Preparation for post secondary and/or employment opportunities • Links to academic and occupational learning opportunities

13. Purpose of an Objective Assessment • The Workforce Investment Act (WIA) requires states to report performance outcome goals & to monitor local program performance. • Local programs use standardized assessments to collect & report student learning gains data. • This process ensures accurate & consistent monitoring of program results among agencies & provides the baseline data needed to document improvements in literacy skills.

14. Examples of an Authorized Objective Assessment CASAS • Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment System • Test items are written in the context of everyday situations related to life and work. • The standardized tests are able to track longitudinal progress and to certify attainment of benchmark levels of proficiency. • Test results provide an international standardized benchmark system for certifying work-related basic skills and English-language proficiency. TABE • Administers can create item analysis, individual student, and list reports • Compile test results on any demographic group to meet federal and state reporting requirements • Export data to other software applications to create custom reports, charts, and graphs, or to manage data in existing systems • Report on National Reporting System level gains, GED Tests readiness, and norm- and criterion-referenced information

15. WIA Youth Program (YT)Requirements (cont.) • Program operators must procure (or make available) the following youth program elements: • Tutoring • Alternative secondary school opportunities • Paid and unpaid work experiences • Summer employment opportunities • Leadership development • Occupational skills training • Supportive Services • Adult Mentoring • 12 months of post program follow-up • Comprehensive guidance and counseling

16. Key Elements of WIA • Family--The term ``family'' means two or more persons related by blood, marriage, or decree of court, who are living in a single residence, and are included in one or more of the following categories: (A) A husband, wife, and dependent children. (B) A parent or guardian and dependent children. (C) A husband and wife. *The issue of guardianship concerning dependent children may be determined by decree of court or may be determined by a state or federal agency which has established or assumed guardianship.

17. Key Criteria of WIA-(Age) • Dependent child (Working Families Tax Relief Act of 2004)-A youth under age 19 (or under 21 and a full-time student), living in a single residence, and who is being claimed as a dependent on a parents or guardian’s income tax return • Related by blood or adoption • Shared the same principal residence as the parent/guardian for more than half of the tax year (exceptions apply in some cases) • Met one of the following: younger than 19; younger than 21 if a full-time student for at least 5 months during the year; or totally and permanently disabled during any part of the year • Did not provide more than half of his or her own support during the year • A U.S. citizen or national, or a permanent resident

18. Key Criteria of WIA-(Income) • Low-income (WIA Section 188(a)(5)) • Receives or is a member of a family that receives cash payments under a Federal, State, or local income based public assistance program (WIA Section 101(25)(A)) • TANF • Refugee Assistance • SSI • Disability Assistance • OR

19. Key Criteria of WIA-(Income) cont.. • Is a member of a household that receives (or has been determined within the 6-month period prior to application for the program involved to be eligible to receive) Food Stamps (WIA Section 101 (25) (C) OR • Qualifies as a homeless individual as defined in the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act (WIA Section 101 (25) (D) OR • Is a foster child on behalf of whom State or local government payments are made (WIA Section 101 (25) (E) OR • Received an income, or is a member of a family that received a total family income for the 6-month period prior to application that, in relation to family size does not exceed the higher of the poverty level or 70% of the lower living standard income level (LLSIL) (WIA Section 101 (25) (B) • Family Income EXCLUDES- • Unemployment compensation • Child support payments • Cash payments under a Federal, State, or local income-based public assistance program • Old-age and survivors insurance benefits (Section 202 of the Social Security Act)

20. Key Criteria of WIA-(Barrier) YINAA • What is it you are trying to accomplish with this participant? • Why are you using this barrier? • Who is the student that you are using this barrier on? • How do you plan to explain and justify this barrier?

21. Good Eligibility Practices • Eligibility documentation should support the eligibility determination • Process used should be easy for another to follow • Another case manager could review your results and come to the same conclusion • Determination process is consistently applied to all customers • When co-enrolling customers, eligibility must be determined for all programs at the same time

22. Common Eligibility Errors • Customer receives SNAP (food stamps) but file contains no documentation to support • Selective service status verification • Date of Birth verification • Missing or incomplete documentation of family income • “Family of one” determination based solely on customer being disabled

23. Common Eligibility Errors Cont.. • Income calculations • Mathematical errors • Using net vs. gross earnings • 6 month earnings not annualized • VOS/Client Folder errors • Documentation in client folder does not match data entered in VOS, for example • Date of birth on ID in client folder does not match date entered in VOS • Documents are not signed or dated and no witness identified.

24. Ways to Prevent Eligibility Errors • Always refer to the WIA Eligibility Manual • Peer review of eligibility • Ensure client folder contains all documentation that supports your eligibility determination by reviewing all eligibility documentation before making a client’s determination • If possible, review eligibility determination with an experienced case manager • Eligibility reviews are conducted by VCCS and LWIA staff monitors. • Call your LWIA’s assigned Monitor or VOS/Policy support staff at the VCCS system office or LWIA staff

25. WIA In-School Process of Intake, Participation, and Closure 1. 5. Initial Intake Process Closure & Follow Up 4. 2. Development and Implement Service Strategy (413) Eligibility Data & Document Collection 3. Assessment (412)

26. Complying with the Law • States and localities must implement a system of monitoring that insures compliance with all fiscal, administrative, and programmatic requirements of: • WIA – the law and regulations • Federal policies (TEGLs) • Circulars and regulations • State policies • Local policies approved by local boards • Other laws such as those related to employment, non-discrimination, etc. • Grant specific requirements

27. Documenting Case Notes • Dear Diary (DD)- Reports a past event. There is no planning related to this Case Note. • Opinion (O)- Should not be included in any case note. Not factual • Good Case Note (GCN)- Assists with the plan. Tells the reader who is doing what and when

28. Documenting with Strong Case Notes

29. Documenting with Strong Case Notes cont..

30. Documenting with Strong Case Notes cont..

31. Resources for Further Development!Listed below are important resources for your work: • Virginia Workforce Connection website • Commonly referred to as VaWC. • Provides information on jobs, wages, skill requirements, industry and occupational trends, and potential training opportunities. Use this site to match job seekers to employers. • Includes the VaWC Systems Manual in the Resource section. • https://www.vawc.virginia.gov/vosnet/Default.aspx • Virginia Workforce Network • Commonly referred to as VWN. • Provides WIA eligibility guidelines, WIA performance and common measure references and Virginia Workforce Letters that provide administrative guidance that is deemed necessary to implement the WIA in Virginia. • http://elevateva.org • U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration website • Commonly referred to as DOLETA. • Provides resources, tools and information on jobs, careers, and business and industry employment trends. This site has a very good search function. • http://www.doleta.gov/ • The DOL website, under WIA, Youth, has excellent Toolkits for Case Managers and many other reference materials. http://www.doleta.gov/usworkforce/uswf_nav.cfm#toolkits • Glossaries – Definitions of commonly used terms can be found at the following site. • http://vwn.vccs.edu/resources/workforce-professionals/administrative-guidance/ • Virginia WIA Eligibility Guidelines: Eligibility Definitions • Virginia WIA Performance/Common Measure References: WIA terms and definitions • Virginia Workforce Letters: VWL #11-02, WIA Service Code Definitions and Limitations • Manuals – TOOLKIT Frontline Workers.pdf and Elements of a WIA Youth Program.doc • http://vwn.vccs.edu/job-seekers/youth-programs/

32. Local Policies and References for a Successful Program • WIA Eligibility Documentation* • VWL 11-11 Income Guidelines* • Local Priority of Service Guidance • Local Eligibility Guidance * Both can be found on the VOS (VaWC) website

33. Thank You for your Participation! Brandon Carter Youth Development Specialist-Capital Region Workforce Partnership