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ETA News Release: [July 17, 2008]
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Contact Name:
Phone Number: |
Jennifer Kaplan
202-693-5052 |
Terry Shawn
202-693-4676 |
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YouthSource of King County, Wash., receives Labor Department’s
Recognition of Excellence Award for ‘connecting America’s youth to the
workforce’
Honor presented at national workforce Innovations Conference
NEW ORLEANS – YouthSource of Washington state today received the U.S. Department of Labor’s Recognition of Excellence Award in the “connecting America’s youth to the workforce” category at the national 2008 Workforce Innovations Conference being held in New Orleans. Throughout this week, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment and Training Brent R. Orrell is presenting the fifth annual Recognition of Excellence Awards, which honor workforce investment system programs from around the country that have achieved outstanding success.
“YouthSource’s success is the result of working with multiple agencies to go beyond providing basic job training to youth,” said Orrell. “Its collaborative approach is helping prepare at-risk youth in the Seattle area with the support necessary to embark on productive lives.”
In cooperation with the region’s juvenile court system, YouthSource created the Workforce Development Council. Through this initiative, young people involved with the courts are being referred directly to the project and the services it has to offer. The program addresses potential barriers to employment through comprehensive services. As a result, participants are equipped with the skills needed for in-demand careers in high-growth industries.
There were 276 participants in 2006. In that year, 71 percent of participants completed the program and either entered the workforce or went on to further education and training. Outcomes were even stronger among participants ages 19 to 21, with 78 percent entering the workforce. Youth referred to the program by the court system have experienced a non-recidivism rate of 82 percent.
The Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration presents Recognition of Excellence honors in five categories. The “connecting America’s youth to the workforce” category recognizes exemplary programs or initiatives that actively collaborate with businesses, educators and other partners to address the education, training, hiring and job-retention challenges facing youth.
The Workforce Innovations Conference offers a yearly opportunity for state and local government representatives, private sector workforce and economic development officials, and educators to collaborate on issues affecting the U.S. workforce.
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U.S. Labor Department (DOL) releases are accessible on the Internet at www.dol.gov. The information in this news release will be made available in alternate format upon request (large print, Braille, audio tape or disc) from the COAST office. Please specify which news release when placing your request. Call (202) 693-7765 or TTY (202) 693-7755. DOL is committed to providing America's employers and employees with easy access to understandable information on how to comply with its laws and regulations. For more information, please visit www.dol.gov/compliance.
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