Outcome Goal 1.2 Increase the Number of Youth Making
a Successful Transition to Work
Job
Corps students use library facilities at the Pittsburgh Job Corps
Center. Photo: Michael Carpenter |
Overview
Studies reveal strong correlations among education levels, unemployment,
and life-long earnings. DOL administers youth programs under the Workforce
Investment Act (WIA), including the Job Corps program, the youth formula grant
program, and the Youth Opportunity Grant Program, as well as research and
demonstration projects that address the needs of at-risk youth, both in and
out-of-school, for career preparation, education, and employment.
Serving the Public
DOLs youth programs primarily serve those eligible low-income
youth between the ages of 14 and 24 who are out-of-school, and those in-school
youth who are at risk of dropping out, including youth with disabilities and
others who may require additional assistance to complete an educational program
or to secure and hold employment. The purpose of youth activities under the
Workforce Investment Act is to assist youth in achieving academic and
employment success and acquiring the skills they need to succeed in the
workforce and become productive adults. DOLs youth programs provide an
array of comprehensive workforce preparation services and support. Services to
in-school youth help them remain in school, move into post-secondary education
or advanced training, and ultimately transition into successful careers. For
out-of-school youth, programs offer educational and employment training,
support services and follow-up activities, providing them with the necessary
skills to attain educational credentials (i.e., high school diploma or General
Educational Development), participate in post-secondary training opportunities,
and enter into gainful employment or a career, prepared to succeed in the
workplace and transition successfully into adulthood.
WIA promotes strong public and private partnerships among diverse
programs and community representatives, including employers, labor
organizations and community-based youth service agencies through their
participation on State and local workforce investment boards and youth
councils. The Youth Council, as a subgroup of the local board, is responsible
for planning and coordinating a broad array of local youth services in the
community.
The Job Corps provides intensive, long-term training in a residential
setting that includes a secure, drug-free learning environment; academic,
vocational, and social skills development; medical care; and career and
personal counseling. Job Corps students come from economically disadvantaged
families, are primarily high school dropouts, and are considered the
hardest-to-serve population. There are 118 Job Corps Centers located in 48
States plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. New centers have been
funded and are under development in Rhode Island and Delaware. The Youth
Opportunity Grants concentrate resources for a variety of youth services for
all young people residing in 36 high-poverty urban neighborhoods, rural areas
and Indian Reservations, and in selected migrant and seasonal farm worker
communities.
Program Costs
The decrease in net costs in FY 2000 may be substantially attributed to
the transition from the Job Training Partnership Act program to that under the
Workforce Investment Act. The subsequent increase in costs in FY 2001 and FY
2002 reflect: (1) the increased spending by the States on program operations as
the training tempo increased following the start-up activities in FY 2000; and
(2) the start-up of a new youth opportunity grant program funded at $300
million. FY 2002 costs reflect a continuation of increased spending in Youth
Opportunity Grants and Youth Formula Grants.
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DOL Challenges for the Future
The youth population between the ages of 15-24 years old is increasing.
Unemployment levels among youth ages 16 to 24 have risen over the past two
years, accounting for 53 percent of total U.S. job losses. Also, studies
indicate that the rate of youth dropping out of school is increasing,
apparently because youth are struggling to meet the new State standards for
attaining a high school diploma.
In order to meet the challenge of serving young people most in need,
DOL will continue to focus its efforts to improve the delivery of youth
services under the Workforce Investment Act formula grant program, Job Corps,
and the Youth Opportunity Grants. The Department will continue to assist DOL
youth programs in sustaining the momentum and progress made over the last two
years by focusing on these key areas:
- Recruiting and Retaining Out-of-School Youth. Recruiting, retaining,
and providing increased services to dropouts and out-of-school youth will
continue to be a priority for States and local areas. WIA services for these
youth will continue to focus on the provision of educational and occupational
skills training that will prepare them for postsecondary education, advanced
training, and jobs with a career.
- Providing Technical Assistance and Identifying Effective Practices.
The Department will provide technical assistance to States and local areas
through academies, conferences, policy guidance issuances, and continued
funding and dissemination of studies, reports, and other products that identify
best practices in the field.
- Engaging Additional Faith-Based and Community Organizations. DOL
will develop and implement creative outreach and coordination strategies,
action plans, and service delivery priorities to promote greater participation
of faith-based and community groups in the delivery of WIA services to eligible
youth.
Assist Youth in Making the Transition to Work
In Program Year 2001, of the 14-18 year-old youth registered under
the WIA youth program, 50% will be either employed, in advanced training,
post-secondary education, military service, or apprenticeships in the third
quarter after program exit.
Results: This goal was achieved, with 50.2 percent of youth
either employed, in advanced training, post-secondary education, military
service, or apprenticeships in the third quarter after program exit.
Program Description: Title I of the Workforce Investment Act
(WIA) authorizes services for eligible low-income youth between the ages of
14-21 who have barriers to employment, including one or more of these criteria:
deficient in basic skills; homeless, a runaway, or a foster child; pregnant or
parenting; an offender; or a school dropout. The program also serves youth with
disabilities and others who may require additional assistance to complete an
educational program or to secure and hold employment. Programs and services are
offered to both in and out-of-school youth. Service strategies prepare youth
for post-secondary education by stressing strong linkages between academic and
occupational learning, and preparing youth for employment. Local communities
create opportunities for youth by providing required program elements,
including: tutoring, alternative schools, summer employment, occupational
training, work experience, supportive services, leadership development,
mentoring, counseling, and follow-up services.
Analysis of Results: The Department established the target for
this performance goal at 50 percent because the outcomes measured apply
primarily to youth between the ages of 16 and 18 years old, a majority of whom
are dropouts and out-of-school youth. Most 14-15 year old youth who receive WIA
services are attending school, and the preferred results for this age
groupthe attainment of a diploma, General Educational Development (GED),
or skillare not measured by this goal. Studies have shown that the
sluggish economy has taken the greatest toll among youth (ages 16-24), who
account for 72 percent of the total jobs lost among all U.S. workers for the
last year and a half. The drop-out status of many of the 16-18 year olds served
by WIA increases the difficulty of placing them in post-secondary education,
military service, or apprenticeships because they lack the requisite
credentials, and the programs strategy focuses on placing these youth in
employment or advanced training.
In developing the targeted level of performance for this goal, the
Department considered its experience under the Job Training Partnership Act
program, the predecessor to WIA, which measured the percentage of out-of-school
youth who entered training, completed education, or returned to school
following participation in the program. During Program Year 1999, the last year
of the Job Training Partnership Act, only 44 percent of out-of-school youth
enhanced their employability by returning to school or entering training, and
only 57 percent entered employment at termination. The 50 percent of WIA youth
between the ages of 14 and 18 who remain in employment, advanced training,
post-secondary education, military service, or apprenticeships for at least
nine months after their initial placement represents a significant advance over
the initial placement results achieved under the Job Training Partnership
Act.
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Photo:
DOL |
Brad participated as a summer intern in the
Rewarding Youth Achievement (RYA) component of Tampas Youth Opportunity
Grant Program. His internship gave him first hand experience through an
opportunity that isnt given out every day to young people who are
trying to make important decisions in their lives. Brad spent five weeks
rotating among seven local architecture firms. His experiences involved
learning about various aspects of building and renovating local schools. He
learned about all the skills needed as an architect, from drafting and design
to construction. In a letter to the Tampa program, Brad affirmed how the
internship played a big part in helping me confirm my reasons for wanting
to become an architect. Internships, like those in the RYA, help young
people making important career decisions because they are exposed sooner
to an actual professional working environment. |
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Strategies: To improve retention for youth between the ages of
16 and 18, DOL is challenging State and local areas to use a three-pronged
service strategy to address the needs of out-of school youth for employment,
credentials, and advanced education:
- Helping them find gainful employment, while providing available
support services;
- While employed, providing education and skills training needed to
attain educational credentials, participate in post-secondary education, or
become gainfully employed in a career with advancement opportunities; and
- Retaining out-of-school youth engaged in the required
education/skills training activities until program completion.
Other strategies to assist out-of-school youth will include enhancing
the use of One-Stop centers, developing close mentoring relationships, and
identifying and disseminating effective practices for serving and retaining
these young people.
Audits and Program Evaluations: The United States General
Accounting Office issued a report, Workforce Investment Act: Youth
Provisions Promote New Service Strategies but Additional Guidance Would Enhance
Program Performance (GAO-02-413), on April 8, 2002. The report recommended
that the Department issue guidance and provide assistance to State and local
boards and youth councils to: 1) effectively recruit parents, youth, and
employers to join the youth councils; 2) increase the number of responses to
requests for proposals; 3) obtain and verify applicant eligibility information
by sharing client information among agencies; 4) recruit and retain
out-of-school youth to the WIA youth program and all youth into the One-Stop
Career Centers; and 5) facilitate linkages between the board, youth council,
and their required youth-serving partners. In response to these
recommendations, DOL provided additional policy guidance and technical
assistance to State and local areas; awarded competitive grants to 15 local
boards and youth councils to develop and implement strategies to improve youth
connections to the One-Stop system, and disseminated the resulting information;
and collaborated with the Departments of Education and Health and Human
services to encourage the creation of cross-cutting initiatives among programs.
In a September 2002 report, Workforce Investment Act Performance
Outcomes Reporting Oversight, the Office of Inspector General raised concerns
about whether the third party data reported by States for WIA performance were
accurate and supportable. The Department generally agreed with the concerns
raised by the Office of Inspector General and indicated that it believed that
the concerns would be addressed with the deployment of a data validity and
verification policy and tools that have been under development and are
scheduled to be deployed in 2003.
The specific findings and recommendations of the reports as well as
additional details on DOLs actions taken in light of these
recommendations can be found in Appendix 3.
Goal Assessment and Future Plans: The retention measure for
14-18 year old youth will be discontinued as a goal because the diploma/GED
measure is a more appropriate outcome measure to gauge success for this age
group. Likewise, by establishing the achievement of academic credentials as a
goal, it communicates the national importance of this measure for
Americas school age youth.
(Goal 1.2A FY 2001 Annual Performance
Plan)
Assist Youth in Making the Transition to Work
In Program Year 2001, of the 19-21 year-old youth registered under
the WIA youth program, 75% will be employed in the third quarter after program
exit.
Results: The goal was achieved. 75 percent of the 19-21 year-old
youth served under the Workforce Investment Act youth program who were employed
in the first quarter after program exit were employed in the third quarter
after program exit.
Program Description: Title I of the Workforce Investment Act
(WIA) authorizes services for eligible low-income youth between the ages of
14-21 who have barriers to employment, including one or more of these criteria:
deficient in basic skills; homeless, a runaway, or a foster child; pregnant or
parenting; an offender; or a school dropout. The program also serves youth with
disabilities and others who may require additional assistance to complete an
educational program or to secure and hold employment. Programs and services are
offered to both in and out-of-school youth. Service strategies prepare youth
for post-secondary education by stressing strong linkages between academic and
occupational learning, and preparing youth for employment. Local communities
create opportunities for youth by providing required program elements,
including: tutoring, alternative schools, summer employment, occupational
training, work experience, supportive services, leadership development,
mentoring, counseling, and follow-up services. Program Year 2001 activities
resulted in increasing the numbers of youth being served to 365,300 from
262,200 the prior year, and steadily increasing expenditure rates when compared
to Program Year 2000 expenditure levels.
Analysis of Results: The Department has set a high standard for
performance with the goal of a 75 percent retention rate for this youth
population, and the States have now met the retention goal for a second year in
Program Year 2001. Program Year 2001 marks the first year when reported
performance relied almost exclusively upon youth who entered the program and
received services under the WIA program design, as compared to Program Year
2000 when many youth registrants were carried in from the prior Job Training
Partnership Act program. Approximately half of the States exceeded their
negotiated level of performance for this measure. The Department is encouraged
by the sustained performance against this measure, since research shows that
youth suffer a disproportionate and rapid impact during economic downturns when
national unemployment rises overall.
Strategies: The Department presented strategies for enhancing
program performance in numerous conferences and forums across the country, and
worked directly with States experiencing data collection and reporting problems
to resolve such issues. In an effort to improve the quality of youth programs,
particularly in the area of performance management, Federal staff began
conducting comprehensive onsite assessments of at least half of State and local
programs to determine program effectiveness, identify technical assistance
needs, and to identify and share effective practices. Preliminary indications
point to the following major challenges remaining at the State level: 1)
capacity to monitor local programs; 2) capacity to provide needed technical
assistance and training; and 3) problematic management information and
reporting systems. At the local level, the predominant issues include: 1) low
performance outcomes in the older youth credential rate and the younger youth
diploma or General Educational Development (GED) rate; 2) ensuring that each of
the 10 required program elements are available; and 3) inadequate services for
youth in the One-Stops. A few of the promising practices identified include:
State-funded youth One-Stops, Statewide youth councils, strong linkages to
schools in local areas, and jointly funded projects that include WIA, HHS,
juvenile justice, and education funds.
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Photo: DOL/ETA |
Jeremiah is an excellent example of how
youth with disabilities can make a successful transition from a supported
living environment to self-sufficiency and work. After joining the Southwest
Training Services, Inc. Youth Employment Program in April 2000, Jeremiah began
a paid work experience as a teachers aide. His ability to relate to a lot
of the students made him a very useful addition to the life skills class. That
work experience led to a substitute aide position for the Intermediate Unit I
at the school. After much help and support from One-Stop system partners, Green
County Association for Retarded Citizens, Office of Vocational Rehabilitation,
Department of Public Welfare, and Southwest Training Services, Inc.,
Jeremiahs dream has become a reality. Now a twenty-year-old, Jeremiah has
been hired as a full-time permanent teachers aide. Jeremiahs
perseverance gained State recognition and he was given the 2002 Governors
Achievement Award for Outstanding Performance in Workforce Investment Act
Programs as the Youth Program Participant of the Year. |
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During Program Year 2001, States and local areas focused on more
effective and targeted strategies for improving retention and placement of
out-of-school youth based on the challenges identified in Program Year 2000,
which included: 1) co-locating or connecting programs to community centers that
offer a range of recreational and cultural activities; 2) developing close
mentoring relationships with out-of-school youth; 3) providing engaging
follow-up activities to keep out-of-school youth interested in career
opportunities and connected to employment sources; and 4) enhancing out-of
school youth use of One-Stop Career Centers.
Audits and Program Evaluations: The United States General
Accounting Office issued the final report on Workforce Investment Act: Youth
Provisions Promote New Service Strategies but Additional Guidance Would Enhance
Program Performance (GAO-02-413) on April 8, 2002. The report recommended
that the Department issue guidance and provide assistance to State and local
boards to: 1) effectively recruit parents, youth, and employers on youth
councils; 2) increase responses to requests for program funding proposals; 3)
obtain and verify applicant eligibility information by sharing information
among agencies; 4) recruit and retain out-of-school youth; and 5) facilitate
linkages among the board, youth council, and required partners.
In a September 2002 report, Workforce Investment Act Performance
Outcomes Reporting Oversight, the Office of Inspector General raised
concerns about whether the third party data reported by States for WIA
performance were accurate and supportable. The Department generally agreed with
the concerns raised by the Office of Inspector General and indicated that it
believed that the concerns would be addressed with the deployment of a data
validity and verification policy and tools that have been under development and
are scheduled to be deployed in 2003.
The specific findings and recommendations of this report, as well as
the status of the Departments response to these recommendations, can be
found in Appendix 3.
Goal Assessment and Future Plans: In addition to this retention
measure, the Department will institute an additional measure for the older
youth population that will measure placement in employment in the first quarter
after program exit. The goal for Program Year 2002 includes targets of 63
percent for placement in employment and 77 percent for retention in employment.
(Goal 1.2B FY 2001 Annual Performance Plan)
Enhance Job Placement, Placement, Retention, and Average Wages for Job
Corps Graduates
In Program Year 2001, 85% of Job Corps graduates will get jobs with
entry average hourly wages of $7.25 or be enrolled in education; 70% will
continue to be employed or enrolled in education six months after their initial
placement date. (Placement and Retention)
Results: The goal was substantially achieved. 90 percent of Job
Corps graduates obtained jobs at an average hourly wage of $7.96 or were
enrolled in education, exceeding the targets for both of these indicators. 64
percent of graduates continued employment or were enrolled in education six
months after their initial placement date.
Program Description: DOLs Job Corps program is an
intensive, primarily residential training program for severely disadvantaged
youth ages 16 to 24. Job Corps provides occupational skills and academic
training, social education, and other support to some 68,000 participants at
118 centers. In accordance with the Workforce Investment Act, DOL continues to
expand Job Corps scope to provide career support services to program
graduates for up to 12 months after graduation.
Analysis of Results: In Program Year 2001, the Department
succeeded in placing Job Corps graduates into employment or further education.
The graduate placement rate exceeded its target by five percentage points.
Similarly, the average hourly wage rate exceeded the target by 71 cents per
hour, virtually mirroring the prior years hourly rate of $7.97. Although
placement and wage results for both program years were similar, the results are
reflective of consistent strong performance in these areas.
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Job retention six months after initial placement did not reach the 70
percent target. The Department established an indicator for the first time in
Program Year 2001 to measure the six-month retention of Job Corps graduates in
employment or education. Results from a 13-week retention period were relied
upon for a baseline, on the assumption that six-month retention results would
be comparable. For the previous year, the Department had measured retention for
a 90-day period, and 67 percent of graduates remained in employment or
educational programs for this length of time, below the target of 70
percent.
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Several factors may have contributed to the placement retention
results. Actual baseline data was not available to establish the six-month
placement retention goal. The Department developed a new data collection system
for this measure, and refined it during this first year of implementation.
Further, DOL may have set a high target in light of economic conditions that
could have influenced new hire activity among employers. DOL has
restructured the service delivery system for Job Corps graduates, enhancing
services to meet their broader career transition needs. While the retention
results reflect a national average across all Job Corps centers, many centers
performed at or above the target. Job Corps efforts to improve placement
retention have placed greater focus on retaining students in the program to
maximize academic achievement and skills attainment; customizing service
delivery to meet individual student needs; and partnering with businesses to
meet labor market demands and expand career exploration, work-based learning,
and long-term employment opportunities.
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The Office of Job Corps Student Pay/Management Information System
serves as the source for this data. This comprehensive data collection system
is rigorously designed to ensure data reliability and integrity. Further, the
system is monitored and reviewed by Job Corps national management, an
independent research contractor retained to provide data verification services,
and the Office of Inspector General.
Strategies: To maximize the benefits of the Job Corps program,
the Department emphasizes a number of strategies to ensure students
long-term success. These strategies primarily focus on improving program
quality and providing individualized services to meet students needs. To
improve program quality, strategies include integrating performance measurement
into the competitive procurement process and maintaining partnerships with
employers, communities, and educational institutions to create growth
opportunities for graduates. Services to address individual needs include
academic programs (including high school diploma programs), competency-based
vocational training, work-based learning at employer sites, employability
skills development, information technology skills training, counseling/support
services, drivers education, child care support, and support for
placement and transitional services after departure.
In the future, to address graduates long-term attainment, the
Department will continue to emphasize academic and vocational credential
attainment, high quality placements and wages, enhanced career offerings that
better meet labor market demands, improved career transition services, and
strong partnerships to support graduates career advancement.
The quality and effectiveness of performance improvement strategies is
assured through formal on-site assessments, detailed action planning at the
service delivery level, and rigorous and frequent performance monitoring of
data and key activities. For example, vocational training programs are
evaluated continuously and intensively to ensure the highest quality of
instruction and the incorporation of state-of-the-art equipment and industry
standards. DOL, along with private consultants and industry, regularly assesses
the Job Corps programs vocational outcomes and continues to make changes
in vocational offerings where performance is less than satisfactory. Moreover,
new, innovative vocational offerings that are identified through labor market
research and/or business advisory groups continue to be offered to enhance the
job placement and job retention results of Job Corps graduates.
Academic performance is being enhanced by Job Corps High School
Diploma Initiative. The positive relationship between labor market success and
the attainment of a high school diploma is well documented. Since the inception
of this initiative, the number of high school diplomas attained has already
increased.
Goal Assessment and Future Plans: In Program Year 2002, the
targeted performance levels for placement in employment or education will
increase to 90 percent and for average hourly wages at placement to $8.20,
while the six-month employment retention target will be 65 percent. A new
indicator will also be introduced pertaining to the attainment of high school
diplomas by Job Corps students, to measure the outcomes of an interagency
agreement with the Department of Education.
(Goal 1.2C FY 2001 Annual Performance
Plan)
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Wendy was born in McAllen, Texas but raised
across the border in Reynosa, Mexico until she was sixteen. Her brother
Christian was enrolled at the Gary Job Corps center and suggested to Wendy that
she might like to go to school there as well. She spoke little English, but was
positive and determined to succeed. After earning her G.E.D. in the Business
Office Technology program, Wendy accepted a Work Based Learning assignment with
RS Information Systems, which led to a permanent job as their webmaster.
Although Wendy went on from there to earn a bachelors degree and launch
her own IT company, she still states enthusiastically, Everything I am
and everything I have is through Job Corps. |
Job Corps students attend classes leading to a high school
diploma. Photo: Michael Carpenter |
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