## PARTICIPANT PACKET

***Employment and Training***

***For Court-Involved Youth***

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## A Live National Satellite Broadcast

######## 

######## 

######## Produced by the

**Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention**

#### U.S. Department of Justice

######## And the

### U.S. Department of Labor

**Employment and Training Administration**

######## And the

**Juvenile Justice Telecommunications Assistance Project**

**Eastern Kentucky University---Training Resource Center**

**TABLE OF CONTENTS**

Agenda\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_3

Broadcast Overview\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ 4

Career Exploration Project (CASES) \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_8

Fresh Start Program
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_10

Avon Park Youth Academy Project Craft\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_12

Home Builders Institute Fact Sheet
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_14

Workforce Investment Act Fact Sheet\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_16

Resources\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_18

Program Panelists
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ 19

Previous OJJDP Videoconferences­­­­­­\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_21

*This document was prepared by the Eastern Kentucky University's
Training Resource Center under grant #98-MU-MU-0005 from the Office of
Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Office of Justice Programs,
U.S. Dept. of Justice. Points of view or opinions stated in this
document are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the
official position or policies of the U.S. Dept. of Justice.*

**[AGENDA]{.underline}**

**Employment and Training for Court-Involved Youth**

**February 1, 2001**

\*All times listed are EST and approximate

-   1:00-1:30 PM Pre-conference Site Activities; Test Slate

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-   1:30-1:35 PM Overview Videotape

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-   1:35-1:38 PM Welcome/Introductions/Overview

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-   1:38-1:45 PM Panel Discussion-The National Perspective

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-   1:45-1:55 PM Video-*Center for Alternative Sentencing and
    Employment*

*Services (CASES)*

-   1:55-2:18 PM Panel Discussion-Participant Call-in

-   2:18-2:28 PM Video-*Avon Park Youth Academy*

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-   2:28-2:50 PM Panel Discussion/Participant Call-in

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-   2:50-3:00 PM Video-*Fresh Start Maritime Program*

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-   3:00-3:20 PM Panel Discussion/Participant Call-in

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-   3:20-3:30 PM Closing Comments

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-   3:30 PM OJJDP Coming Events/Sign Off

**[Broadcast Overview]{.underline}**

**Employment and Training for Court-Involved Youth**

**[Statement of the Problem]{.underline}**

Court-involved youth are youth who come in contact with the juvenile
justice system for committing a status offense or delinquent act. More
than 2.8 million arrests of persons under the age of 18 were made in
1997, representing about 9.3 percent of the U.S. population between the
ages of 10 and 17. African American youth constitute a relatively high
proportion of court-involved youth, compared with their proportion of
the total youth population.

Some of the characteristics typically associated with court-involved
youth include the following:

-   Lack of a stable family environment and support system

-   Poor school performance

-   Poverty

-   Poor communication skills

-   Persistent alcohol and drug use

-   Mental health issues

-   Absence of positive role models

-   Delayed developmental issues

Often disenfranchised by the education system and under the jurisdiction
of the juvenile justice system, these youth find it difficult to learn
marketable skills and compete for jobs. Yet research demonstrates that
employability is critical to the success of high-risk youth. The link
between crime and lack of economic opportunity requires the country's
concerted attention through collaboration among employers, the juvenile
justice system, and the workforce development system. A major hindrance
to this collaboration is the fact that each of these groups has a unique
form of governance, mission and vocabulary that is not clearly
understand by persons outside each respective field.

**[Formation of Task Force]{.underline}**

In recognition of the need to develop effective strategies to address
the problem, the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training
Administration (ETA), and the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of
Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), funded the Home
Builders Institute of the National Association of Home Builders to
convene a Task Force on Employment and Training for Court-Involved
Youth. The Task Force consisted of researchers, program experts, market
analysts, and individuals representing businesses, corporations,
foundations and Federal, State, and local agencies.

Recognizing that the operational processes and purposes of the juvenile
justice and workforce development systems are significantly different,
the Task Force analyzed the vocabulary, governance structure, and
programmatic nuances of each system. The findings of the Task Force are
summarized in a recently released OJJDP Report, *Employment and Training
for Court-Involved Youth.* The report, designed for policymakers and
practitioners from each of these fields, provides an overview of the
juvenile justice system, the workforce development system, connections
to the labor market, and other major systems that must work together to
provide services to court-involved youth. It also offers examples of
effective practices, promising programs, and system collaboration to
help policymakers and service providers prepare court-involved youth for
the job market.

**[Promising Programs]{.underline}**

A key challenge for both policymakers and service providers is
developing programs that prepare court-involved youth for jobs while
also meeting developmental needs of youth, labor market requirements of
employers, and safety and security needs of communities. According to
the Task Force's report, programs that successfully link court-involved
youth to the labor market share the following elements:

-   Age-appropriate and comprehensive youth development

-   Involvement of an adult advocate and the family

-   Work-based learning and academic development

-   Close attention to career development and job placement

-   Long-term follow- up

Programs that service court-involved youth can be divided into three
categories: early intervention, residential, and aftercare.

**[Early Intervention Programs]{.underline}**

Early intervention programs are typically designed as prevention
programs\--either to divert youth from entering the juvenile justice
system or to prevent youth from continuing their involvement with the
system. The most effective early intervention programs use a variety of
approaches, including mentoring, after school support, employment and
training, school-to-work, and college access services. Intermediaries,
such as community-based organizations, nonprofits, and job brokers, can
provide consistent contacts for court-involved youth who are in the
juvenile justice system or returning to the community after confinement.
Similarly, a comprehensive, front-end assessment of a youth's needs when
he or she enters the juvenile justice system can both facilitate
referral to appropriate services and initiate tracking of the youth's
progress.

**[Residential Programs]{.underline}**

Approximately thirty percent of adjudicated delinquents are committed to
residential facilities due to the severity of their needs or their
threat to public safety. To provide quality job training and employment
services, residential facilities must address the behavioral,
educational, and social profiles of confined youth; the geographic
isolation of many residential facilities; public safety concerns; and
the belief by employment and training agencies and employers that
confined youth will not meet performance standards. Effective
residential employment and training programs include those that operate
onsite businesses and employ youth at competitive wages, engage youth in
community service and restitution projects, prepare youth for employment
using an entrepreneurship or a service learning model, or training youth
for specific jobs using industry-approved curricula. These programs
enable youth to develop practical skills they can use in the workforce
after their release from residential facilities.

**[Aftercare Programs]{.underline}**

Following their release from residential facilities, youth often remain
the responsibility of the State juvenile justice or corrections agency
and continue to require support services. Aftercare can provide critical
services and support a youth's reintegration into the community.
Aftercare programs that emphasize employment and training tend to be the
most effective when youth are in the community, are of legal working
age, and have benefited from earlier services (i.e., counseling, basic
skills, and interpersonal skills development). The most effective
aftercare programs typically involve formal partnerships between the
juvenile justice system and other institutions or organizations. Some
programs create and tailor slots for court-involved youth in a job
training program or impart academic skills and knowledge through
practical applications and "real work" projects. These programs create
support networks that help youth develop appropriate attitudes and
behaviors for participation in the community and the workforce.

**[Systems Collaboration]{.underline}**

The Task Force identified six primary systems that affect court-involved
youth: juvenile justice, workforce development, education, social
services, community-based organizations, and the labor market. Effective
job preparation requires the engagement of each of these systems.

There are some promising models of systems collaboration that
effectively counter the seemingly vast number of obstacles and barriers
that contribute to limited involvement of court-involved youth in labor
market activities. During today's videoconference, you will learn about
three such promising programs**.**

**[Workforce Investment Act]{.underline}**

The Workforce Investment Act, enacted in 1998, is an excellent example
of a federal program that requires collaboration and systems-level
cooperation among diverse, federally funded workforce development
initiatives. Under the Act, formula funds are distributed to each state
as well as local areas for separate adult and youth job training
programs. The youth formula funds can be used for used for a variety of
activities to serve both in school and out-of-school youth ages 14 to
21.

The Act establishes State Workforce Investment Boards, which establish
local workforce investment areas, a key component of which are youth
councils. These youth councils are established as a subgroup of the
local boards to guide the development and operation of programs for
youth. Members include local board members with expertise on youth
issues and representatives from youth service agencies, public housing
authorities, Job Corp, and parents. Duties of youth council include
development of the youth portion of the local plan, recommending youth
providers and grant awards, and conducting oversight of the local
workforce board.

Local areas must develop a service strategy for each participant based
on an individual assessment of basic skills, occupational skills, prior
work experience, aptitudes, support service needs, and developmental
needs. The local area must have an array of services available for
youth, including tutoring and dropout prevention, alternative schools,
summer jobs, work experience, occupational skills training, leadership
development, support services, adult mentors, follow-up services for at
least 12 months, and counseling that includes drug and alcohol abuse
counseling and referral. These services can be provided by a variety of
agencies, including the public school system, community colleges,
community-based organizations, and trade schools.

**[Home Builders Institute]{.underline}**

An initiative of the Home Builders Institute, the education and training
arm of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), is another
example of systems collaboration. The Institute operates the Community
Restitution and Apprenticeship Focused Training project or Project
CRAFT, that is designed to train and place high risk youth and juvenile
offenders in employment in the home building industry. Students receive
pre-apprenticeship certificate training, an industry-validated
curriculum, which includes 840 hours of hands-on training and classroom
instruction in the use of tools, safety, work habits, and trades-related
mathematics. After graduating from the program, participants are placed
in industry-related jobs and receive long-term follow-up services. The
program works in partnership with private juvenile and corrections
facilities, juvenile judges, juvenile justice system personnel,
education agencies, community-based organizations and other human
service agencies. It currently operates in five states.

**[Promising and Effective Practices Network (PEPNet)]{.underline}**

PEPNet was developed by the National Youth Employment Coalition (NYEC),
a network of over 100 youth employment/development organizations
dedicated to promoting policies and programs which help youth succeed in
becoming lifelong learners, productive workers, and self sufficient
citizens. This was developed in 1995, in response to a misconception
that nothing works in preparing in and out of school youth for jobs,
careers, and self-sufficiency

PEPNet is a

-   nationwide network of youth employment/development initiatives that
    are (1) recognized by PEPNet for high standards of
    effectiveness; (2) committed to continuous improvement; and (3)
    dedicated to sharing information about effective practice.

-   a set of criteria of effective practice, developed by a working
    group of professionals from throughout the youth
    employment/development field.

-   an information source on effective practice for practitioners,
    policy makers, educators, employers and the general public.

PEPNets framework for selecting promising and effective practices fall
into five broad categories: purpose and activities; organization and
management; youth development; workforce development; and evidence of
success. To date, PEPNet has recognized 58 exemplary initiatives in the
U.S. and Canada. These programs receive the prestigious PEPNet Award and
their practices are a key part of the information that PEPNet
disseminates.

For information about NYEC and PEPNET visit
**[http://www.nyec.org.]{.underline}**

**[Steps for the Future]{.underline}**

Enhancing collaboration, improving communications, and increasing the
various systems' knowledge of each other are among the challenges that
will continue to confront policymakers, program personnel, and
court-involved youth. The next step is for youth-serving systems to work
together and complement one another so an integrated and effective
service delivery system, appropriate for all parts of the juvenile
justice continuum, can be implemented.

**CAREER EXPLORATION PROJECT (CExP)**

**OF THE**

**CENTER FOR ALTERNATIVE SENTENCING AND EMPLOYMENT SERVICES (CASES)**

**OVERVIEW**

The mission of the Center for Alternative Sentencing and Employment
Services (CASES) is to help young offenders gain the skills and
self-confidence they need to exit the justice system as responsible,
productive members of their communities.

The Career Exploration Project (CExP) is a specialized initiative within
CASES Court Employment Project (CEP). Through CEP, judges sentence teen
felony offenders to six months of intensive supervision that combines
education, vocational and job training and support services. CEP
participants may apply to CExP by writing a personal essay and
participating in an interview process. In order to be accepted a youth
must be enrolled in an educational program, attend school regularly, and
demonstrate motivation, an interest in learning, and readiness for
intensive training and work experience.

Participants are first-time felony offenders, ages 15 to 19, who reside
in low-income neighborhoods in New York City. A typical participant
lives in a low-income household headed by a single mother or grandparent
who often receives support from public assistance or disability
benefits. Sixty percent of participants are African-American and
thirty-eight percent are Latino; approximately ten percent are females.
Most of the youth have little or no work experience.

CExP begins with a one-month pre-internship course to help participants
develop skills and good habits for the workplace. Topics include
employability skills (interviewing, resume writing, job search), "soft"
skills (communications, conflict resolution, team building, problem
solving), and other developmental work. Participants who maintain a
ninety percent attendance rate, positive attitude and a high level of
effort are sent to interviews and then selected for a 10-week, part-time
internships at small businesses or non-profit organizations where they
can earn a weekly stipend.

CExP staff carefully selects work sites based on the quality of
supervision and work experience they can provide to youth, as well as
the youth's career interests. Staff maintains regular contact with
supervisors through site visits and telephone calls. During their
internships, participants meet every Friday for two hours to discuss
their experiences and concerns, hear guest speakers, and develop their
goals. Near the end of the internships, participants begin meeting with
CASES Employment Unit staff who advise and assist them with their
transition. After graduation from CExP, participants become "alumni",
are invited back for regularly scheduled events, and can continue to
take advantage of all CASES services.

Staff understands that an important element of program effectiveness is
the continuity they provide to participants and employers. A hallmark of
the program is the development of strong relationships between adult
staff and participants, and post-program surveys of participants
indicate that knowing that staff was available to help them after
graduation was key to the success of the program. The program assistant
position was established for a CExP graduate, demonstrating that
participants can reach the goals they set. His presence is important
since participants rely on him for the kind of mentoring and support
that only someone who has shared similar experiences can provide.

CExP staff promote cultural awareness at two key levels: 1) helping
young people learn how to work with individuals from diverse
backgrounds, and 2) helping participants learn to appreciate their own
cultural backgrounds as part of their personal development. On the first
level, the pre-internship training course includes discussions of
stereotypes and participants are encouraged to address these issues
through discussion, role-playing, and developing communications skills.
On the second level, seeing people of color in positions of leadership
and success has a particularly positive impact on participants. Staff
develops internship sites in accordance with participants' interests and
cultural backgrounds to afford them positive role models with similar
cultural orientations. Staff also develops culturally targeted events
such as tours of businesses owned or staffed primarily by people of
color and tours of historically black colleges.

Participants develop bonds with one another during the pre-internship
course and CExP reinforces these positive group dynamics in weekly
sessions. Staff sustains a positive peer influence through alumni
activities that draw youth back to an environment in which they can
receive support from staff and peers for their efforts.

CExP employers are very involved with the students during their
internship, providing an important adult relationship. Staff seeks out
employers who want to interact with and support young people as well as
employers who understand the goals of the program and are willing to
extend themselves to the interns. The employers provide regular and
consistent supervision of participants, monitor their performance and
behavior, become resources around issues of work and life, and provide a
variety of tasks so participants can acquire skills and learn about that
field of work.

All students have service plans that address their educational needs.
One staff member helps participants navigate the public school system
and facilitates their return to school. Another staff person assists
participants interested in attending classes outside the public school
systems, such as community-based GED programs. CExP integrates academic
skills throughout program activities, including writing, reading, public
speaking, and math. The program also provides information about college
including the application process and financial aid.

Research is conducted in-house by a research associate who is assisted
by two CexP graduates. A comprehensive Management Information System
enables staff to maintain data on participants and track their progress
throughout the program. Through the end of 1999, seventy-seven percent
of those accepted into the program completed the training phase and
fifty-three percent completed both the training and internship phases.
Results from the first two years of operation indicate that all CExP
graduates pursued educational goals by enrolling or remaining in a GED
program, high school, or college or passing a GED exam. Nearly
two-thirds have gone on to other jobs or internships, and almost half
were working six months after program completion. Additionally,
employers have expressed satisfaction with the performance of the
interns.

**For more information contact: Center for Alternative Sentencing and
Employment Services, 346 Broadway, 6^th^ Floor, New York, NY 10013.
Phone 212-559-6650, Fax 212-571-2973**

[**www.cases.org**](http://www.cases.org/)

**FRESH START PROGRAM**

**OVERVIEW**

In 1989, the Living Classrooms Foundation entered into a partnership
with the Maryland State Department of Juvenile Justice to create a
program that enables young people in trouble to get their lives back on
track. The program, called Fresh Start, focuses on career development,
cooperative learning, community service, and increased self-esteem for
at-risk youth. The 40-week program provides youth with training in the
areas of vocational, academic, and social skills development.

Fresh Start serves 16 to 19 year olds from economically disadvantaged
neighborhoods who have not completed high school. Most have been victims
of sexual, physical and /or emotional abuse and nearly all have been
arrested more than once. Prior to acceptance, a youth must participate
in a two-part interview process. The first interview is designed to
acquaint the youth with the program, discuss its benefits, and answer
any questions the youth may have. The second interview emphasizes
punctuality and gives the youth an opportunity to talk about what he
wants to achieve in the program.

The program emphasizes the development of meaningful work and life
skills through an integrated curriculum that includes personal
development, team building, problem solving, and critical thinking
skills. During the course of the program, students participate in
job-search seminars and conduct videotaped "mock" interviews and
construct a resume. In addition, youth learn computer skills including
word processing and Internet use as well as receive remedial education
so they can obtain a GED. Part of their hands-on training includes
building a personal toolbox and earning hand tools as they master their
use. They also build a line of outdoor furniture that they can sell to
the public to earn money.A 1:5 staff to student ratio allows for intense
support and intervention. Staffing also includes a GED teacher and a
social worker.

The vocational program includes building and repairing boats and
engines, developing carpentry and wood-working skills, and working in a
real marina and crewing aboard Living Classrooms Foundation vessels in
Baltimore's Inner Harbor. The initiative is divided into five modules,
each focusing on different work projects and new skills. The last two
months of the program are designed to help students' transition into
internships and jobs while maintaining the support of the program.

Cultural exploration components expose youth, who are predominantly
African-American, to Baltimore's African-American maritime heritage. The
Living Classrooms Maritime Institute, located on the Baltimore
waterfront, is close to a former workspace of Frederick Douglass, and to
the shipyard owned and operated by Isaac Myers, the first African
American to own a shipyard in the U.S. The program uses Black Maritime
History as a springboard to help youth identify ways to relate to the
maritime field as well as gain a sense of pride in their heritage.

Staff use daily activity self-evaluations completed by the students to
track their progress in meeting program goals. Management also uses pre
and post-level scores and quarterly technical skills tests to track the
effectiveness of the initiative in terms of student outcomes.

Living Classrooms has a full time counselor who tracks each Fresh Start
graduate for three years with assistance from the Department of Juvenile
Justice. Project staff also continue to provide support and graduates
have been hired to bridge the gap between Fresh Start graduation and
entry-level jobs.

Data on program participants for the past three years demonstrate that
Fresh Start achieved the following goals: 1) students increased their
GED scores by 26 points, with increases in reading, writing and math
scores, 2) sixty-five percent of graduates found employment at average
hourly wages of \$6.93, and 3) thirty-two percent continued their
education after graduation. Only fifteen percent of the graduates were
re-arrested and only three percent were incarcerated.

**For more information, contact: Maritime Institute, Fresh Start-Living
Classrooms, 802 S. Caroline St., Baltimore, MD 21231, Phone
410-685-0295, Fax 410-752-8433,
[www.livingclassrooms.org](http://www.livingclassrooms.org/)**

**AVON PARK YOUTH ACADEMY**

**OVERVIEW**

Avon Park Youth Academy, a 212 bed private residential facility in
Florida, is operated by Securicor and serves 16 to 18 year old male
offenders committed to the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice. The
nine-month program is designed to simulate a real work experience as
much as possible in order to prepare youth for transition to the
community and employment opportunities at a living wage.

The goal of the Academy is to provide education and job training, as
well as life and community living skills in order to facilitate
self-sufficiency and permanency planning. In order to achieve this goal,
the program uses a holistic approach that combines career training,
support services such as social skills training and case management, and
community service activities. The program attempts to balance security
concerns against the need to provide a real world experience and a sense
of normalcy by housing the youth in a non-institutionalized setting.
Housing units are designed to hold eight to ten youth in order to
facilitate a small intimate community. In an attempt to empower the
youth and encourage personal responsibility, a student-run town council
with elected officials governs the Academy.

The youth are responsible for their cooking, cleaning, laundry, and
grounds maintenance at the Academy. By demonstrating good behavior, they
have the opportunity to schedule activities within their housing unit
such as trips to the movies and picnics. Avon Park operates on a token
economy system in which youth earn credits that can be used to purchase
activities and items in the campus store or on off campus outings.
Students are responsible for budgeting the credits, enabling them to
learn an important life skill, managing resources. The goal of the daily
routines and token system is to foster personal responsibility and teach
social and other skills needed to live and succeed on their own.

Project CRAFT (Community Restitution and Apprenticeship Focused
Training) is an integral component of Avon Park Youth Academy
operations. CRAFT, sponsored by the Home Builders Institute, the
education and training arm of the National Association of Home Builders,
in partnership with Securcor-New Century, is an industry supported and
nationally recognized vocational training and job placement model for
juvenile offenders. APYA/CRAFT students, under the tutelage of HBI's
journey level trade instructors receive 840 hours of hands-on and
classroom instruction in the use of tools, safety, positive work habits,
and trade related mathematics. HBI training focuses on skills
achievement. Students must master Several trade-specific skills related
to the residential construction industry before they are eligible for
industry validated certification, graduation and job placement services.
Each student's performance is evaluated weekly by Project CRAFT staff,
including instructors, employment specialists, and administrators to
determine job readiness. Successful trainees enter the workforce in the
home building industry.

The certified courses at Avon Park include plumbing, electricity,
carpentry, building maintenance, masonry, flooring, business, auto
machinery, horticulture and culinary arts. Each youth has an employment
counselor and case manager who helps them explore careers, identify
their strengths and weaknesses, and develop a career path. Each youth
also develops a career portfolio, which includes completion of a resume,
a job search, and interview and practice of job readiness skills. In the
last third of their stay, participants earn wages in a real work
experience either on or off site, depending on their behavioral
performance. In order to begin their work experience, the youth must
apply for the desired job, be interviewed and accepted. During their
time at work, students are required to comply with normal workplace
standards in terms of their behavior, punctuality, and job performance.

The vocational training program is supplemented with academic work
accomplished by using an innovative computer software program that
tailors a curriculum to each student's educational needs.

The program recognized the need to provide support to the youth after
graduation from the program and has established a 9 to 12 months
aftercare program. In the last two months of the program, youth work
with a variety of staff members to develop a transitional plan, secure
employment, obtain a driver's license, and make suitable living
arrangements. Each youth receives up to a \$500 stipend upon release to
enable them to begin the independent living phase. Transition
specialists and community staff provide support to the youth and
facilitate referrals to community resources that will increase each
person's standard of living.

Outcome data of the Academy indicate that seventy-eight percent of the
youth successfully complete the program. Forty percent receive GEDs or
high school diplomas and seventy-eight percent receive vocational
certification. Following release, eighty-one percent remain employed
after 6 months.

**For more information, contact: Avon Park Youth Academy, 242 South
Blvd., Avon Park, FL 33825, Phone 863-452-3815, Fax 863-452-4302**

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**Home Builders Institute**

The Education and Training Arm of the

National Association of Home Builders

**Overview**

The Home Builders Institute (HBI), the education and training arm of the
200,000-member National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) was
incorporated in 1983. Since its inception, HBI has helped more than
250,000 people enter careers in the home building industry. Its programs
help young men and women seeking skills in the building trades and
foster the industry as a career choice. In addition, HBI offers advanced
education to builders and contractors through home builders associations
(HBAs) nationwide and through its partnership with [Professional
Builder]{.underline} magazine.

**Programs**

**Academic Services**

The NAHB Student Chapters program helps enrich the educational
experience of students enrolled in construction-related fields at more
than 200 high schools, technical schools, colleges and universities. The
program allows students to enjoy the many benefits of membership in NAHB
through participation in competitions, professional networks,
conferences and industry exhibits.

**Continuing Education**

For people already in the industry, HBI has the advanced Certified
Graduate Builder (CGB), Certified Graduate Associate (CGA) and Graduate
Master Builder (GMB) programs, which offer courses on the industry's
newest business management techniques, marketing approaches and
financial strategies. These offerings have recently become available in
[Professional Builder]{.underline} magazine, with each segment running
over six issues.

**Craft Skills**

Other HBI training programs include "Craft Skills" which help thousands
of young men and women, older workers, welfare recipients, as well as
juvenile and adult offenders, start new careers in the building industry
every year. The 25/75 split between class time and hands-on application
in community projects is part of the Craft Skills' curriculum, and has
earned its youth offender program, Project CRAFT (Community,
Restitution, Apprenticeship-Focused Training), kudos from the U.S.
Department of Justice and the vocational education community.

**Job Corps**

HBI trains and places 4,000 youths enrolled in the Department of Labor's
Job Corps program, annually. Through real-life, hands-on training, young
people acquire the three pieces of the employment puzzle; trade
training, basic academic training and employability skills. Upon
graduation, their hard work and perseverance pays off with a career in
the building industry, where a shortage of labor makes their skills
highly desirable. HBI has programs in eight trades --- carpentry,
facilities maintenance, electrical wiring, painting, plumbing, brick
masonry, landscaping and solar installation --- on 67 Job Corps campuses
across the country.

HBI and Job Corps work closely with industry, and in many cases,
employers are participating in the formation of curriculum or providing
training opportunities for students. Through initiatives such as
internships, employers and students share a mentoring experience and an
employment tryout period. Students fine-tune their skills while
employers provide the final training that makes a student a "perfect
fit" at that company.

**School-to-Work**

Under \"Building a House to Build Careers,\" local home builder
associations and schools are partnering to design curricula focused on
all the elements of home construction. The program introduces students
to the many career options in the building industry, while at the same
time enhances their overall school performance. The three pilot sites
are in Tallahassee, Indianapolis and Kansas City.

**Workforce Development**

The NAHB Task Force on Labor Shortages, established by the NAHB Board of
Directors in January 1999, is another HBI program designed to address
the labor needs of the industry. The Task Force focuses on four key
areas: education and training, industry image, wages and benefits and
legislative and regulatory relief, as those of paramount importance to
solving the industry's dearth of qualified labor.

For information on the Home Builders Institute and its programs, call
800-795-7955.

Or visit www.hbi.org.

![](media/image6.png){width="0.9208333333333333in"
height="0.8993055555555556in"}

Workforce Investment Act of 1998

Signed into law on August 7, 1998

Replaces the Job Training Partnership Act

-   Title I of the Act authorizes the new Workforce Investment System.
    Goal is to increase the employment, retention and earnings of
    participants, and increase occupational skill attainment by
    participants, and, as a result improve the quality of the workforce,
    reduce welfare dependency and enhance the productivity and
    competitiveness of the Nation.

-   Major component is the creation of a "one-stop delivery system with
    career centers in neighborhoods where people can access core
    employment services and be referred directly to job training,
    education and other services.

-   Several new features are included in the law to ensure the full
    involvement of business, labor and community organizations in
    designing the new workforce investment system.

-   Establishes State Workforce Investment Boards comprised of the
    Governor, two members of each chamber of the state legislature and
    others as selected by Governor; Board assists the Governor in
    developing a five year strategic plan.

-   Governor to designate local workforce investment areas (must approve
    requests from local governments in excess of 500,000 people) and
    oversee local workforce investment boards. Composition of board
    appointed by Chief Local Elected Officials and include members of
    businesses, community based organizations, one stop partners, etc.

-   The act specifics three funding streams to states and local areas:
    adults, dislocated workers and **youth**.

**YOUTH**

-   Youth councils established as a subgroup of the local boards to
    guide the development and operation of programs for youth. Members
    include local board members with expertise on youth issues and
    representatives from youth service agencies, public housing
    authorities, Job Corp, and parents; duties of youth council include
    development of youth portion of local plan, recommend youth
    providers and grant awards, and conducts oversight of local
    workforce board.

-   Eligible youth are low income - ages 14 through 21 - although up to
    5% who are not low-income may receive services if they face certain
    barriers to school completion or employment.

-   Other eligibility requirements include youth who face one or more of
    the following challenges to successful workforce entry: 1) school
    dropout; 2) basic literacy skills deficiency; 3) homeless, runaway,
    or foster child; 4) pregnant or a parent; 5) an offender; or 6) need
    help completing an educational program or securing and holding a
    job.

-   Youth will be prepared for post-secondary educational opportunities
    or employment. Programs will link academic and occupational
    learning. Service providers to have strong ties to employers.

-   Programs to also include tutoring, study skills training and
    instruction leading to completion of secondary school; alternative
    school services; adult mentoring; paid and unpaid work experience
    (includes internships and job shadowing); occupational skills
    training; leadership development; and appropriate supportive
    services to include follow-up services for not less than 12 months.

-   Programs must provide summer employment opportunities linked to
    academic and occupational learning. (In contrast to previous
    legislation, no separate appropriation is set aside for summer
    employment programming. Mix of year-round and summer activities is
    left to local discretion

-   85% of youth funding stream is allocated to local areas; 15%
    allocated to statewide activities as designated by the state board;
    Funds of over \$250 million to be used for Youth Opportunity
    grants - helps youth in high poverty areas within Empowerment
    Zones/Enterprise Communities or on Indian reservations.

-   **At least 30% of local youth funds must help those who are not in
    school.**

***[Publications]{.underline}***

***Employment and Training for Court-Involved Youth: An Overview***
(Fact Sheet). April 1999. 2 pp. FS 99102. FREE.

Provides an overview of the forthcoming OJJDP Report, Employment and
Training for Court-Involved Youth. This Fact Sheet introduces the Task
Force on Employment and Training for Court-Involved Youth, jointly
funded by the U.S. Departments of Justice and Labor and convened by the
Home Builders Institute, and lists the Task Force\'s goals. *Available
from the Juvenile Justice Clearinghouse* 1-800-638-8736 or
[www.ojjdp.ncjrs.org](http://www.ojjdp.ncjrs.org/)

***Employment and Training for Court-Involved Youth*** (Report)
November, 2000 112 pp. NCJ 182787 Free

Presents the findings of the Task Force on Employment and Training for
Court-Involved Youth that was convened by the Home Builders Institute
and funded by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training
Administration, and the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile
Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP).

*Available from the Juvenile Justice Clearinghouse* 1-800-638-8736 or
[www.ojjdp.ncjrs.org](http://www.ojjdp.ncjrs.org/)

***Youth Opportunity Grant (YOG) Operations Handbook*** Free

A "how to" guide to assist YOG sites on all phases of program
implementation.

*Available for download from the Dept. of Labor Employment and Training
Administration website:*
[www.doleta.gov/youth_services](http://www.doleta.gov/youth_services).

***Youth Can Work! Chartering Youth Councils Under the Workforce
Investment Act,*** 1999, 32 pp., John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce
Development

Offers an initial framework for setting up a Youth Council under the
Workforce Investment Act

  ------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------
  *Available for free         <http://wdrrich.rutgers.edu/publications/ACF615E.pdf>
  download at*              

  ------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------

***[Resources on the Internet]{.underline}***

**Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration**
[**www.doleta.org**](http://www.doleta.org/)

**Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention**
[**www.ojjdp.ncjrs.org**](http://www.ojjdp.ncjrs.org/)

**National Youth Employment Coalition**
[**www.nyec.org**](http://www.nyec.org/)

**Home Builders Institute** [**www.hbi.org**](http://www.hbi.org/)

**Center for Alternative Sentencing and Employment Services**
[**www.cases.org**](http://www.cases.org/)

**Fresh Start Program**
[**www.livingclassrooms.org**](http://www.livingclassrooms.org/)

**[Program Panelists]{.underline}**

**David Brown, Executive Director**

**National Youth Employment Coalition, 1836 Jefferson Place NW,
Washington, DC 20036, Phone 202-659-1064, Fax 202-659-0399,
<db@nyec.org>**

David E. Brown became the executive director of the National Youth
Employment Coalition on July 1, 2000. Prior to being appointed executive
director, Brown served as the Deputy Director of NYEC. Prior to joining
NYEC he was a senior policy analyst with the National Governors'
Association Center for Best Practices. During his six-year tenure at NGA
he focused on youth-related state policy issues, including youth
development, school-to-work, employment and training, national and
community service and juvenile justice. Over the past twenty years,
Brown has benefited from a range of youth policy and program experiences
within both public and nonprofit youth-serving organizations at the
national, state and local levels. In the early 1980's, Brown
administered federally-funded youth employment programs in Peekskill,
New York and later launched and coordinated two education/work
experience projects that served disadvantaged out-of school youth in New
York City. Later he worked with both the State of Maryland and District
of Columbia juvenile justice systems. He received his B.S. in Political
Science and Urban Affairs from the American University and his Masters
in Public Administration from Baruch College, which he attended as a
National Urban Fellow.

**John Dillow, Executive Director**

**Maritime Institute, Fresh Start-Living Classrooms, 802 S. Caroline
St., Baltimore, MD 21231, Phone 410-685-0295, Fax 410-752-8433,
<John@livingclassrooms.org>**

John enters his eighth year with LCF as the Director of the Maritime
Institute. The Maritime Institute is home to many programs, such as,
Fresh Start and other intervention, prevention and job readiness
programs. John has also been an instructor and Director of Shipboard
Education for LCF. John's undergraduate degree came from University of
Maryland College Park. His degree took him to New England to work at a
research center for whales, but returned home to Baltimore to work with
students in need of assistance.

**Lorenzo Harrison, Administrator**

**Office of Youth Services, Employment and Training Administration, US
Dept. of Labor, 200 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20210, Phone
202-693-3528, <lharrison@doleta.gov>**

Lorenzo D. Harrison is the Administrator of the Office of Youth Services
at the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
Harrison has worked over the past sixteen years in the employment and
training system. Originally from New York, Harrison joined the Dept. of
Labor after serving as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating
Officer of STRIVE, a privately funded, nationally acclaimed non-profit
employment, training and placement organization He was a Sloan Fellow at
New York University's Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service, was
honored by the United Way of New York City for his work helping under
served New York residents secure jobs, and was awarded a fellowship to
the prestigious Kellogg National Leadership Program. This, after earning
a Bachelor's degree in sociology from the College of New Rochelle's
school of New Resources and a Master's degree in Public
Administration/Non-profit Management from New York University's Robert
F. Wagner School of Public Service.

**Mark Hite, Academy Administrator**

**Avon Park Youth Academy, 242 South Blvd., Avon Park, FL 33825, Phone
863-452-3815,**

**Fax 863-452-4302**

Mark Hite attended Norfolk State University. He was able to capitalize
on his academic experience by working in various professional
capacities. In 1988, he joined the Virginia Department of Corrections,
Juvenile Division. In 1993 he joined Friends for Families, Inc, an
agency serving youth and families that were separated due to
institutional placements, as Executive Director. In 1996 Mark joined the
Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice and assisted in the development
of the Leader Program. This program was established to address
appropriate discipline strategies along with structuring residential
programs designed for juveniles who were classified as serious habitual
offenders. During this same period, he was also involved in developing
the statewide protocols for interviewing and hiring entry level juvenile
correction employees. Mark currently serves as the Academy Administrator
at Avon Park Youth Academy in Avon Park, Florida.

**Joe McLaughlin, Deputy Director**

**Center for Alternative Sentencing and Employment Services, 346
Broadway, 6^th^ Floor, New York, NY 10013. Phone 212-559-6650, Fax
212-571-2973, <jgm57@hotmail.com>**

Joe McLaughlin is a native of Boston, Massachusetts. Prior to attending
college, he worked as a union organizer for a Service Employee
International Union local in Boston. Joe is a 1988 graduate of Boston
College with a degree in economics. Upon graduating he was accepted as a
New York City Urban Fellow where he worked as a Special Assistant to the
Executive Director of the New York City Board of Correction. In 1989 Joe
began working for the Vera Institute of Justice as a Planner in their
Community Service Sentencing Project. This project was later spun off
from Vera and merged with the Court Employment Project to form the
Center for Alternative Sentencing and Employment Services (CASES).
Shortly thereafter, Joe designed and implemented a drug relapse
prevention program, which he managed for the next two years before
accepting a position as Executive Assistant to the Director of the Court
Employment Project. In 1995 Joe left CASES and moved to Pennsylvania to
work for VisionQuest where he managed the Chester County HomeQuest
Program. In 1996 he returned to CASES in his current position as Deputy
Director of Specialized Services, overseeing all program services for
650 felony offenders each year

John Wilson, Acting Administrator

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, U.S. Department
of Justice, 810 7^th^ Street NW, Washington, DC 20531; Phone
202-307-5911; Fax 202-514-6382

John J. Wilson is the Acting Administrator for the Office of Juvenile
Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) within the U. S. Department
of Justice, Office for Justice Programs. Mr. Wilson joined the
Department in 1974 as an attorney advisor in the office of the General
Counsel for the Law Enforcement Assistance Administration. He served as
Senior Counsel to OJJDP from the program's inception in 1974 until 1992,
when he joined the Office as its full-time Legal Counsel. He is now in
his second stint as Acting Administrator for the Office. He also serves
as a member of the U.S. Advisory Board on Child Abuse and Neglect.

**Alexa Gromko, Moderator**

Ms. Gromko serves as anchor of WTVQ-TV\'s evening newscast. WTVQ is an
ABC affiliate located in Lexington, Kentucky. Prior to joining WTVQ in
1996 she was an anchor/reporter at KOIN-TV in Portland, Oregon and at
KRDO-TV in her hometown of Colorado Springs, Colorado. She has won
several awards during her career including an Emmy for her series "When
Women Kill". Ms Gromko is a graduate of Mount Holyoke College with a BA
in International Relations and Russian.

**Previous Satellite Videoconferences**

**Produced by the**

#### Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

***Conditions of Confinement in Juvenile Corrections and Detention
Facilities***

September 1993

***Community Collaboration***

June 1995

***Effective Programs for Serious, Violent, and Chronic Juvenile
Offenders***

October 1995

***Youth-Oriented Community Policing***

December 1995

***Juvenile Boot Camps***

February 1996

***Conflict Resolution for Youth***

May 1996

***Reducing Youth Gun Violence***

August 1996

***Youth Out of the Education Mainstream***

October 1996

***Has the Juvenile Court Outlived Its Usefulness?***

December 1996

***Youth Gangs in America***

March 1997

***Preventing Drug Abuse Among Youth***

June 1997

***Mentoring for Youth in Schools and Communities***

September 1997

***Juvenile Offenders and Drug Treatment:***

***Promising Approaches***

December 1997

***Comprehensive Juvenile Justice in State Legislatures***

February 1998

***Protecting Children Online***

March 1998

***Youth Courts: A National Movement***

May 1998

***Risk Factors and Successful Interventions for***

***Serious and Violent Juvenile Offenders***

September 1998

***White House Conference on School Safety:***

***Causes and Prevention of Youth Violence***

October 1998

######## **Juveniles and the Criminal Justice System**

December 1998

***Females and the Juvenile Justice System***

May 1999

***Promising Practices for Safe and Effective Schools***

September 1999

***Online Safety for Children: A Primer for Parents and Teachers***

November 1999

***Model Court Practices in Abuse and Neglect Cases***

February 2000

***Crowding in Juvenile Detention: A Problem Solving Approach***

April 2000

***"How Shall We Respond to the Dreams of Youth?" A National Juvenile
Justice Summit***

June 2000

***"Combating Underage Drinking"***

September 2000

***Child Delinquency: Early Intervention and Prevention***

November, 2000

**[For Further Information]{.underline}**

For videos of previous OJJDP videoconference, please contact the
Juvenile Justice Clearinghouse, P.O. Box 6000, Rockville, MD 20849-6000;
call 800-638-8736; fax 301-251-5212; or email askncjrs@ncjrs.org.

**For information on future OJJDP videoconferences, contact Jenny
McWilliams, Juvenile Justice Telecommunications Assistance Project,
Eastern Kentucky University, 301 Perkins Bldg., 521 Lancaster Ave.,
Richmond, KY 40475-3102; call 859-622-6671; Fax 859-622-4397; or email
ekujjtap@aol.com.**