Explanation:
WIA Youth Program:
The Recovery Act makes available $1,200,000,000 for WIA Youth activities. Funds will be distributed to states via the existing WIA Youth formula per TEGL No. 13-08, which specified amounts for each state. These funds are available for states to provide activities for youth in accordance with WIA requirements. Per the Act, the funds shall remain available to states for the same period of time as standard PY 2008 Youth formula funds, or until June 30, 2011.
Allowable Activities:
Any youth activities under WIA are allowable activities for the Recovery Act funds. Unless otherwise stated in this guidance, the laws and regulations for WIA Youth funds apply to the Recovery Act funds. While the Act does not limit the use of the Recovery Act funds to summer employment, the Congressional explanatory statement for the Act states that "the conferees are particularly interested in these funds being used to create summer employment opportunities for youth." ETA strongly encourages states and local areas to use as much of these funds as possible to operate expanded summer youth employment opportunities during the summer of 2009, and provide as many youth as possible with summer employment opportunities and work experiences throughout the year, while ensuring that these summer employment opportunities and work experiences are high quality. ETA is also particularly interested in and encourages states and local areas to develop work experiences and other activities that expose youth to opportunities in "green" educational and career pathways.
In addition to emphasizing summer employment as a major component of the funding, the Recovery Act includes two other significant changes to youth activities under WIA. The Act increases the age eligibility to a maximum of 24 years old. The Recovery Act also states that the work readiness indicator will be the only indicator to assess the effectiveness of summer employment.
Summer Employment:
For purposes of the Recovery Act funds, the period of "summer" will be from May 1 through September 30. "Summer employment" may include any set of allowable WIA Youth services that occur during the above referenced summer months as long as it includes a work experience component. Work experience is defined under WIA regulations at 20 CFR 664.460. In order to implement the Congressional intent to offer expanded summer employment opportunities, it may be necessary to provide additional flexibility for youth served with Recovery Act funds who participate in summer employment only. States and local areas have program design flexibility in the following areas that may facilitate the implementation of expanded summer employment.
- Because all 10 youth program elements will already be available through existing WIA Youth funds, local areas will not be required to use Recovery Act funds to make all 10 program elements available. Local areas have the flexibility to determine which program elements they provide with Recovery Act funds.
- Local areas have the flexibility to determine if the 12 month follow-up will be required for youth served with Recovery Act funds during the summer months only (May 1 through September 30). Local areas should provide follow-up services when deemed appropriate for such individuals.
- Local areas have the flexibility to determine the type of assessment and Individual Service Strategy (ISS) for youth served with Recovery Act funds during the summer months only and provide the type of assessment deemed appropriate for each individual.
- Local areas have the flexibility to determine whether it is appropriate that academic learning be directly linked to summer employment for each youth served with Recovery Act funds during the summer months only.
- The work readiness portion of the skill attainment rate will be the only indicator used for youth that participate in "summer employment" only. The basic and occupational skills portions of the skill attainment rate and the literacy/numeracy gains measure will not be required for youth that participate in summer employment only. In addition, no other WIA or common measure indicator will be required for youth in summer employment only. However, for reporting purposes, local areas will be required to track the number of participants enrolled in summer employment and the completion rate of those in summer employment (i.e., (# youth who complete their summer employment work experience/# of youth who participate in summer employment) x 100% ).
- ETA is considering funding a process evaluation to collect information on best practices and implementation challenges. Local areas may be asked to participate in such an evaluation. As described further in Section 17, ETA has gathered tools and resources that may be helpful to local areas in implementing summer employment.
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