AGC members and chapters who are looking for the next generation of workers are encouraged to connect with their state and local workforce investment boards to provide summer jobs for youth.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act provides $1.2 billion for youth activities through the Workforce Investment Act (WIA). While states will have until June 30, 2011, to spend WIA Youth Recovery Act funds, they are strongly encouraged to “use as much of these funds as possible to operate expanded summer youth employment opportunities during the summer of 2009.”
The Recovery Act changes the WIA so that workforce investment boards may engage in direct contracts with institutions of higher education, such as community colleges or other eligible training providers, to offer classes. Additionally, the age eligibility for youth under the Recovery Act funds is increased from 21 to 24 years old.
According to a Workforce3 One webinar held on March 24, 2009, for the summer youth program there is only one indicator of effectiveness to measure: work readiness. Programs would have to establish a methodology for determining work readiness skills, including but not limited to: worksite supervisor evaluations, work readiness skill checklists administered by program staff or portfolio assessments.
Employers participating in these programs will be reimbursed for the cost of the summer employees’ salaries.
Summer employment is defined as any set of allowable WIA Youth services that occur between May 1 and September 30, as long as it includes a work experience component. In addition to providing “meaningful work experience,” summer youth programs should:
• Make an effort to match worksites with participants’ interests and goals;
• Structure the work experience to impart measureable communication, interpersonal, decision-making,
and learning skills in the workplace;
• Ensure work experience arrangements do not unfavorably impact current employees and do not
impair existing contracts for services or collective bargaining agreements;
• Identify regional and local environmental resources and businesses promoting green jobs and products
to provide youth summer work experiences that prepare them to compete in a green economy;
• Include introductory programs, such as pre-apprenticeship programs, and combine basic technical
skills training in the classroom with experience on the worksite or through a work experience
or internship;
• Integrate work experience activities with classroom-based learning activities where appropriate
so that the youth are provided with assistance in developing and refining attitudes, values,
and work habits which will contribute to their success in the workplace;
• Connect with employers and their individual state apprenticeship office to better determine how
best to coordinate a pre-apprenticeship or pre-employment training program; and
• Encouraged to focus services on the youth most in need including: out-of-school youth and those
most at risk of dropping out; youth offenders and those at risk of court involvement; children of
incarcerated parents; and Native American youth.
Workforce3 One, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor/Employment and Training Administration, is an online communication and learning platform that contains the complete webinar, its transcript, and the accompanying Powerpoint presentation.
To connect with your state’s workforce investment board, the National Association of State Workforce Chairs provides hot links to every state’s workforce investment board or council. The National Association of Workforce Boards Web site lists workforce investment boards by state, as well as grant opportunities.
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