Title 20—Employees' Benefits--Volume 1
PART 681—YOUTH ACTIVITIES UNDER TITLE I OF THE WORKFORCE INNOVATION AND OPPORTUNITY ACT
§ 681.100   What is a standing youth committee?
The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) eliminates the requirement for Local Workforce Development Boards (WDBs) to establish a youth council. However, the Department encourages Local WDBs to establish a standing committee to provide information and to assist with planning, operational, oversight, and other issues relating to the provision of services to youth. If the Local WDB does not designate a standing youth committee, it retains responsibility for all aspects of youth formula programs.
§ 681.110   Who is included on a standing youth committee?
(a) If a Local WDB decides to form a standing youth committee, the committee must include a member of the Local WDB, who chairs the committee, members of community-based organizations with a demonstrated record of success in serving eligible youth, and other individuals with appropriate expertise and experience who are not members of the Local WDB.
(b) The committee must reflect the needs of the local area. The committee members appointed for their experience and expertise may bring their expertise to help the committee address the employment, training, education, human and supportive service needs of eligible youth including out-of-school youth (OSY). Members may represent agencies such as secondary and postsecondary education, training, health, disability, mental health, housing, public assistance, and justice, or be representatives of philanthropic or economic and community development organizations, and employers. The committee may also include parents, participants, and youth.
(c) A Local WDB may designate an existing entity such as an effective youth council as the standing youth committee if it fulfills the requirements above in paragraph (a) of this section.
§ 681.120   What does a standing youth committee do?
Under the direction of the Local WDB, a standing youth committee may:
(a) Recommend policy direction to the Local WDB for the design, development, and implementation of programs that benefit all youth;
(b) Recommend the design of a comprehensive community workforce development system to ensure a full range of services and opportunities for all youth, including disconnected youth;
(c) Recommend ways to leverage resources and coordinate services among schools, public programs, and community-based organizations serving youth;
(d) Recommend ways to coordinate youth services and recommend eligible youth service providers;
(e) Provide on-going leadership and support for continuous quality improvement for local youth programs;
(f) Assist with planning, operational, and other issues relating to the provision of services to youth; and
(g) If so delegated by the Local WDB after consultation with the chief elected official (CEO), oversee eligible youth providers, as well as other youth program oversight responsibilities.
§ 681.200   Who is eligible for youth services?
Both in-school youth (ISY) and OSY are eligible for youth services.
§ 681.210   Who is an “out-of-school youth”?
An OSY is an individual who is:
(a) Not attending any school (as defined under State law);
(b) Not younger than age 16 or older than age 24 at time of enrollment. Because age eligibility is based on age at enrollment, participants may continue to receive services beyond the age of 24 once they are enrolled in the program; and
(c) One or more of the following:
(1) A school dropout;
(2) A youth who is within the age of compulsory school attendance, but has not attended school for at least the most recent complete school year calendar quarter. School year calendar quarter is based on how a local school district defines its school year quarters. In cases where schools do not use quarters, local programs must use calendar year quarters;
(3) A recipient of a secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent who is a low-income individual and is either basic skills deficient or an English language learner;
(4) An offender;
(5) A homeless individual aged 16 to 24 who meets the criteria defined in sec. 41403(6) of the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (42 U.S.C. 14043e-2(6)), a homeless child or youth aged 16 to 24 who meets the criteria defined in sec. 725(2) of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11434a(2)) or a runaway;
(6) An individual in foster care or who has aged out of the foster care system or who has attained 16 years of age and left foster care for kinship guardianship or adoption, a child eligible for assistance under sec. 477 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 677), or in an out-of-home placement;
(7) An individual who is pregnant or parenting;
(8) An individual with a disability; or
(9) A low-income individual who requires additional assistance to enter or complete an educational program or to secure or hold employment.
§ 681.220   Who is an “in-school youth”?
An ISY is an individual who is:
(a) Attending school (as defined by State law), including secondary and postsecondary school;
(b) Not younger than age 14 or (unless an individual with a disability who is attending school under State law) older than age 21 at time of enrollment. Because age eligibility is based on age at enrollment, participants may continue to receive services beyond the age of 21 once they are enrolled in the program;
(c) A low-income individual; and
(d) One or more of the following:
(1) Basic skills deficient;
(2) An English language learner;
(3) An offender;
(4) A homeless individual aged 14 to 21 who meets the criteria defined in sec. 41403(6) of the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (42 U.S.C. 14043e-2(6)), a homeless child or youth aged 14 to 21 who meets the criteria defined in sec. 725(2) of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11434a(2)), or a runaway;
(5) An individual in foster care or who has aged out of the foster care system or who has attained 16 years of age and left foster care for kinship guardianship or adoption, a child eligible for assistance under sec. 477 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 677), or in an out-of-home placement;
(6) An individual who is pregnant or parenting;
(7) An individual with a disability; or
(8) An individual who requires additional assistance to complete an educational program or to secure or hold employment.
§ 681.230   What does “school” refer to in the “not attending or attending any school” in the out-of-school and in-school eligibility criteria?
In general, the applicable State law for secondary and postsecondary institutions defines “school.” However, for purposes of WIOA, the Department does not consider providers of adult education under title II of WIOA, YouthBuild programs, the Job Corps program, high school equivalency programs, or dropout re-engagement programs to be schools. Therefore, in all cases except the one provided below, WIOA youth programs may consider a youth to be an OSY for purposes of WIOA youth program eligibility if he or she attend adult education provided under title II of WIOA, YouthBuild, Job Corps, high school equivalency programs, or dropout re-engagement programs regardless of the funding source of those programs. Youth attending high school equivalency programs funded by the public K-12 school system who are classified by the school system as still enrolled in school are an exception; they are considered ISY.
§ 681.240   When do local youth programs verify dropout status?
Local WIOA youth programs must verify a youth's dropout status at the time of WIOA youth program enrollment. An individual who is out of school at the time of enrollment, and subsequently placed in any school, is an OSY for the purposes of the 75 percent expenditure requirement for OSY throughout his/her participation in the program.
§ 681.250   Who does the low-income eligibility requirement apply to?
(a) For OSY, only those youth who are the recipient of a secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent and are either basic skills deficient or an English language learner, and youth who require additional assistance to enter or complete an educational program or to secure or hold employment, must be low-income. All other OSY meeting OSY eligibility under § 681.210(c)(1), (2), (4), (5), (6), (7), and (8) are not required to be low-income.
(b) All ISY must be low-income to meet the ISY eligibility criteria, except those that fall under the low-income exception.
(c) WIOA allows a low-income exception where five percent of WIOA youth may be participants who ordinarily would be required to be low-income for eligibility purposes and meet all other eligibility criteria for WIOA youth except the low-income criteria. A program must calculate the five percent based on the percent of newly enrolled youth in the local area's WIOA youth program in a given program year who would ordinarily be required to meet the low-income criteria.
(d) In addition to the criteria in the definition of “low-income individual” in WIOA sec. 3(36), a youth is low-income if he or she receives or is eligible to receive a free or reduced price lunch under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq. or if he or she lives in a high poverty area.
§ 681.260   How does the Department define “high poverty area” for the purposes of the special regulation for low-income youth in the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act?
A youth who lives in a high poverty area is automatically considered to be a low-income individual. A high poverty area is a Census tract, a set of contiguous Census tracts, an American Indian Reservation, Oklahoma Tribal Statistical Area (as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau), Alaska Native Village Statistical Area or Alaska Native Regional Corporation Area, Native Hawaiian Homeland Area, or other tribal land as defined by the Secretary in guidance or county that has a poverty rate of at least 25 percent as set every 5 years using American Community Survey 5-Year data.
§ 681.270   May a local program use eligibility for free or reduced price lunches under the National School Lunch Program as a substitute for the income eligibility criteria under title I of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act?
Yes, WIOA sec. 3(36) defines a low-income individual to include an individual who receives (or is eligible to receive) a free or reduced price lunch under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act.
§ 681.280   Is a youth with a disability eligible for youth services under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act if his or her family income exceeds the income eligibility criteria?
Yes, for an individual with a disability, income level for eligibility purposes is based on the individual's own income rather than his or her family's income. WIOA sec. 3(36)(A)(vi) states that an individual with a disability whose own income meets the low-income definition in clause (ii) (income that does not exceed the higher of the poverty line or 70 percent of the lower living standard income level), but who is a member of a family whose income exceeds this income requirement is eligible for youth services. Furthermore, only ISY with a disability must be low income. OSY with a disability are not required to be low-income.
§ 681.290   How does the Department define the “basic skills deficient” criterion in this part?
(a) As used in § 681.210(c)(3), a youth is “basic skills deficient” if he or she:
(1) Have English reading, writing, or computing skills at or below the 8th grade level on a generally accepted standardized test; or
(2) Are unable to compute or solve problems, or read, write, or speak English at a level necessary to function on the job, in the individual's family, or in society.
(b) The State or Local WDB must establish its policy on paragraph (a)(2) of this section in its respective State or local plan.
(c) In assessing basic skills, local programs must use assessment instruments that are valid and appropriate for the target population, and must provide reasonable accommodation in the assessment process, if necessary, for individuals with disabilities.
§ 681.300   How does the Department define the “requires additional assistance to enter or complete an educational program, or to secure and hold employment” criterion in this part for OSY?
Either the State or the local level may establish definitions and eligibility documentation requirements for the “requires additional assistance to enter or complete an educational program, or to secure and hold employment” criterion of § 681.210(c)(9). In cases where the State WDB establishes State policy on this criterion, the State WDB must include the definition in the State Plan. In cases where the State WDB does not establish a policy, the Local WDB must establish a policy in its local plan if using this criterion.
§ 681.310   How does the Department define the “requires additional assistance to complete an educational program, or to secure and hold employment” criterion in this part for ISY?
(a) Either the State or the local level may establish definitions and eligibility documentation requirements for the “requires additional assistance to complete an educational program, or to secure and hold employment” criterion of § 681.220(d)(8). In cases where the State WDB establishes State policy on this criterion, the State WDB must include the definition in the State Plan. In cases where the State WDB does not establish a policy, the Local WDB must establish a policy in its local plan if using this criterion.
(b) In each local area, not more than five percent of the ISY newly enrolled in a given program year may be eligible based on the “requires additional assistance to complete an educational program or to secure or hold employment” criterion.
§ 681.320   Must youth participants enroll to participate in the youth program?
(a) Yes, to participate in youth programs, participants must enroll in the WIOA youth program.
(b) In order to be a participant in the WIOA youth program, all of the following must occur:
(1) An eligibility determination;
(2) The provision of an objective assessment;
(3) Development of an individual service strategy; and
(4) Participation in any of the 14 WIOA youth program elements.
§ 681.400   What is the process used to select eligible youth service providers?
(a) The grant recipient/fiscal agent has the option to provide directly some or all of the youth workforce investment activities.
(b) However, as provided in WIOA sec. 123, if a Local WDB chooses to award grants or contracts to youth service providers to carry out some or all of the youth workforce investment activities, the Local WDB must award such grants or contracts on a competitive basis, subject to the exception explained in paragraph (b)(4) of this section:
(1) The Local WDB must identify youth service providers based on criteria established in the State Plan (including such quality criteria established by the Governor for a training program that leads to a recognized postsecondary credential) and take into consideration the ability of the provider to meet performance accountability measures based on the primary indicators of performance for youth programs.
(2) The Local WDB must procure the youth service providers in accordance with the Uniform Guidance at 2 CFR parts 200 and 2900, in addition to applicable State and local procurement laws.
(3) If the Local WDB establishes a standing youth committee under § 681.100 it may assign the committee the function of selecting of grants or contracts.
(4) Where the Local WDB determines there are an insufficient number of eligible youth providers in the local area, such as a rural area, the Local WDB may award grants or contracts on a sole source basis.
§ 681.410   Does the requirement that a State and local area expend at least 75 percent of youth funds to provide services to out-of-school youth apply to all youth funds?
Yes. The 75 percent requirement applies to both statewide youth activities funds and local youth funds with 2 exceptions.
(a) Only statewide funds spent on direct services to youth are subject to the OSY expenditure requirement. Funds spent on statewide youth activities that do not provide direct services to youth, such as most of the required statewide youth activities listed in WIOA sec. 129(b)(1), are not subject to the OSY expenditure requirement. For example, administrative costs, monitoring, and technical assistance are not subject to OSY expenditure requirement; while funds spent on direct services to youth such as statewide demonstration projects, are subject to the OSY expenditure requirement.
(b) For a State that receives a small State minimum allotment under WIOA sec. 127(b)(1)(C)(iv)(II) for youth or WIOA sec. 132(b)(1)(B)(iv)(II) for adults, the State may submit a request to the Secretary to decrease the percentage to not less than 50 percent for a local area in the State, and the Secretary may approve such a request for that program year, if the State meets the following requirements:
(1) After an analysis of the ISY and OSY populations in the local area, the State determines that the local area will be unable to use at least 75 percent of the local area WIOA youth funds to serve OSY due to a low number of OSY; and
(2) The State submits to the Secretary, for the local area, a request including a proposed percentage decreased to not less than 50 percent to provide workforce investment activities for OSY.
(c) In the exercise of discretion afforded by WIOA sec. 129(a)(4), the Secretary has determined that requests to decrease the percentage of funds used to provide youth workforce investment activities for OSY will not be granted to States that received 90 percent of the allotment percentage for the past year. Therefore, when the Secretary receives such a request from a State, the request will be denied.
(d) For local area funds, the administrative costs of carrying out local workforce investment activities described in WIOA sec. 128(b)(4) are not subject to the OSY expenditure requirement. All other local area youth funds beyond the administrative costs are subject to the OSY expenditure requirement.
§ 681.420   How must Local Workforce Development Boards design Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act youth programs?
(a) The design framework services of local youth programs must:
(1) Provide for an objective assessment of each youth participant that meets the requirements of WIOA sec. 129(c)(1)(A), and includes a review of the academic and occupational skill levels, as well as the service needs and strengths, of each youth for the purpose of identifying appropriate services and career pathways for participants and informing the individual service strategy;
(2) Develop, and update as needed, an individual service strategy based on the needs of each youth participant that is directly linked to one or more indicators of performance described in WIOA sec. 116(b)(2)(A)(ii), that identifies career pathways that include education and employment goals, that considers career planning and the results of the objective assessment and that prescribes achievement objectives and services for the participant; and
(3) Provide case management of youth participants, including follow-up services.
(b) The local plan must describe the design framework for youth programs in the local area, and how the 14 program elements required in § 681.460 are to be made available within that framework.
(c) Local WDBs must ensure appropriate links to entities that will foster the participation of eligible local area youth. Such links may include connections to:
(1) Local area justice and law enforcement officials;
(2) Local public housing authorities;
(3) Local education agencies;
(4) Local human service agencies;
(5) WIOA title II adult education providers;
(6) Local disability-serving agencies and providers and health and mental health providers;
(7) Job Corps representatives; and
(8) Representatives of other area youth initiatives, such as YouthBuild, and including those that serve homeless youth and other public and private youth initiatives.
(d) Local WDBs must ensure that WIOA youth service providers meet the referral requirements in WIOA sec. 129(c)(3)(A) for all youth participants, including:
(1) Providing these participants with information about the full array of applicable or appropriate services available through the Local WDBs or other eligible providers, or one-stop partners; and
(2) Referring these participants to appropriate training and educational programs that have the capacity to serve them either on a sequential or concurrent basis.
(e) If a youth applies for enrollment in a program of workforce investment activities and either does not meet the enrollment requirements for that program or cannot be served by that program, the eligible training provider of that program must ensure that the youth is referred for further assessment, if necessary, or referred to appropriate programs to meet the skills and training needs of the youth.
(f) In order to meet the basic skills and training needs of applicants who do not meet the eligibility requirements of a particular program or who cannot be served by the program, each youth provider must ensure that these youth are referred:
(1) For further assessment, as necessary; and
(2) To appropriate programs, in accordance with paragraph (d)(2) of this section.
(g) Local WDBs must ensure that parents, youth participants, and other members of the community with experience relating to youth programs are involved in both the design and implementation of its youth programs.
(h) The objective assessment required under paragraph (a)(1) of this section or the individual service strategy required under paragraph (a)(2) of this section is not required if the program provider determines that it is appropriate to use a recent objective assessment or individual service strategy that was developed under another education or training program.
(i) The Local WDBs may implement a WIOA Pay-for-Performance contract strategy for program elements described at § 681.460, for which the Local WDB may reserve and use not more than 10 percent of the total funds allocated to the local area under WIOA sec. 128(b). For additional regulations on WIOA Pay-for-Performance contract strategies, see § 683.500 of this chapter.
§ 681.430   May youth participate in both the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) youth and adult programs concurrently, and how do local program operators track concurrent enrollment in the WIOA youth and adult programs?
(a) Yes, individuals who meet the respective program eligibility requirements may participate in adult and youth programs concurrently. Such individuals must be eligible under the youth or adult eligibility criteria applicable to the services received. Local program operators may determine, for these individuals, the appropriate level and balance of services under the youth and adult programs.
(b) Local program operators must identify and track the funding streams which pay the costs of services provided to individuals who are participating in youth and adult programs concurrently, and ensure no duplication of services.
(c) Individuals who meet the respective program eligibility requirements for WIOA youth title I and title II may participate in title I youth and title II concurrently.
§ 681.440   How does a local youth program determine if an 18 to 24 year old is enrolled in the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) youth program or the WIOA adult program?
A local program must determine the appropriate program for the participant based on the service needs of the participant and if the participant is career-ready based on an assessment of their occupational skills, prior work experience, employability, and the participant's needs.
§ 681.450   For how long must a local Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act youth program serve a participant?
Local youth programs must provide service to a participant for the amount of time necessary to ensure successful preparation to enter postsecondary education and/or unsubsidized employment. While there is no minimum or maximum time a youth can participate in the WIOA youth program, programs must link participation to the individual service strategy and not the timing of youth service provider contracts or program years.
§ 681.460   What services must local programs offer to youth participants?
(a) Local programs must make each of the following 14 services available to youth participants:
(1) Tutoring, study skills training, instruction and evidence-based dropout prevention and recovery strategies that lead to completion of the requirements for a secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent (including a recognized certificate of attendance or similar document for individuals with disabilities) or for a recognized postsecondary credential;
(2) Alternative secondary school services, or dropout recovery services, as appropriate;
(3) Paid and unpaid work experiences that have academic and occupational education as a component of the work experience, which may include the following types of work experiences:
(i) Summer employment opportunities and other employment opportunities available throughout the school year;
(ii) Pre-apprenticeship programs;
(iii) Internships and job shadowing; and
(iv) On-the-job training opportunities;
(4) Occupational skill training, which includes priority consideration for training programs that lead to recognized postsecondary credentials that align with in-demand industry sectors or occupations in the local area involved, if the Local WDB determines that the programs meet the quality criteria described in WIOA sec. 123;
(5) Education offered concurrently with and in the same context as workforce preparation activities and training for a specific occupation or occupational cluster;
(6) Leadership development opportunities, including community service and peer-centered activities encouraging responsibility and other positive social and civic behaviors;
(7) Supportive services, including the services listed in § 681.570;
(8) Adult mentoring for a duration of at least 12 months, that may occur both during and after program participation;
(9) Follow-up services for not less than 12 months after the completion of participation, as provided in § 681.580;
(10) Comprehensive guidance and counseling, which may include drug and alcohol abuse counseling, as well as referrals to counseling, as appropriate to the needs of the individual youth;
(11) Financial literacy education;
(12) Entrepreneurial skills training;
(13) Services that provide labor market and employment information about in-demand industry sectors or occupations available in the local area, such as career awareness, career counseling, and career exploration services; and
(14) Activities that help youth prepare for and transition to postsecondary education and training.
(b) Local programs have the discretion to determine what specific program services a youth participant receives, based on each participant's objective assessment and individual service strategy. Local programs are not required to provide every program service to each participant.
(c) When available, the Department encourages local programs to partner with existing local, State, or national entities that can provide program element(s) at no cost to the local youth program.
§ 681.470   Does the Department require local programs to use Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act funds for each of the 14 program elements?
No. The Department does not require local programs to use WIOA youth funds for each of the program elements. Local programs may leverage partner resources to provide some of the readily available program elements. However, the local area must ensure that if a program element is not funded with WIOA title I youth funds, the local program has an agreement in place with a partner organization to ensure that the program element will be offered. The Local WDB must ensure that the program element is closely connected and coordinated with the WIOA youth program.
§ 681.480   What is a pre-apprenticeship program?
A pre-apprenticeship is a program designed to prepare individuals to enter and succeed in an apprenticeship program registered under the Act of August 16, 1937 (commonly known as the “National Apprenticeship Act”; 50 Stat. 664, chapter 663; 29 U.S.C. 50 et. seq. ) (referred to in this part as a “registered apprenticeship” or “registered apprenticeship program”) and includes the following elements:
(a) Training and curriculum that aligns with the skill needs of employers in the economy of the State or region involved;
(b) Access to educational and career counseling and other supportive services, directly or indirectly;
(c) Hands-on, meaningful learning activities that are connected to education and training activities, such as exploring career options, and understanding how the skills acquired through coursework can be applied toward a future career;
(d) Opportunities to attain at least one industry-recognized credential; and
(e) A partnership with one or more registered apprenticeship programs that assists in placing individuals who complete the pre-apprenticeship program in a registered apprenticeship program.
§ 681.490   What is adult mentoring?
(a) Adult mentoring for youth must:
(1) Last at least 12 months and may take place both during the program and following exit from the program;
(2) Be a formal relationship between a youth participant and an adult mentor that includes structured activities where the mentor offers guidance, support, and encouragement to develop the competence and character of the mentee; and
(3) While group mentoring activities and mentoring through electronic means are allowable as part of the mentoring activities, at a minimum, the local youth program must match the youth with an individual mentor with whom the youth interacts on a face-to-face basis.
(b) Mentoring may include workplace mentoring where the local program matches a youth participant with an employer or employee of a company.
§ 681.500   What is financial literacy education?
The financial literacy education program element may include activities which:
(a) Support the ability of participants to create budgets, initiate checking and savings accounts at banks, and make informed financial decisions;
(b) Support participants in learning how to effectively manage spending, credit, and debt, including student loans, consumer credit, and credit cards;
(c) Teach participants about the significance of credit reports and credit scores; what their rights are regarding their credit and financial information; how to determine the accuracy of a credit report and how to correct inaccuracies; and how to improve or maintain good credit;
(d) Support a participant's ability to understand, evaluate, and compare financial products, services, and opportunities and to make informed financial decisions;
(e) Educate participants about identity theft, ways to protect themselves from identify theft, and how to resolve cases of identity theft and in other ways understand their rights and protections related to personal identity and financial data;
(f) Support activities that address the particular financial literacy needs of non-English speakers, including providing the support through the development and distribution of multilingual financial literacy and education materials;
(g) Support activities that address the particular financial literacy needs of youth with disabilities, including connecting them to benefits planning and work incentives counseling;
(h) Provide financial education that is age appropriate, timely, and provides opportunities to put lessons into practice, such as by access to safe and affordable financial products that enable money management and savings; and
(i) Implement other approaches to help participants gain the knowledge, skills, and confidence to make informed financial decisions that enable them to attain greater financial health and stability by using high quality, age-appropriate, and relevant strategies and channels, including, where possible, timely and customized information, guidance, tools, and instruction.
§ 681.510   What is comprehensive guidance and counseling?
Comprehensive guidance and counseling provides individualized counseling to participants. This includes drug and alcohol abuse counseling, mental health counseling, and referral to partner programs, as appropriate. When referring participants to necessary counseling that cannot be provided by the local youth program or its service providers, the local youth program must coordinate with the organization it refers to in order to ensure continuity of service.
§ 681.520   What are leadership development opportunities?
Leadership development opportunities are opportunities that encourage responsibility, confidence, employability, self-determination, and other positive social behaviors such as:
(a) Exposure to postsecondary educational possibilities;
(b) Community and service learning projects;
(c) Peer-centered activities, including peer mentoring and tutoring;
(d) Organizational and team work training, including team leadership training;
(e) Training in decision-making, including determining priorities and problem solving;
(f) Citizenship training, including life skills training such as parenting and work behavior training;
(g) Civic engagement activities which promote the quality of life in a community; and
(h) Other leadership activities that place youth in a leadership role such as serving on youth leadership committees, such as a Standing Youth Committee.
§ 681.530   What are positive social and civic behaviors?
Positive social and civic behaviors are outcomes of leadership opportunities, which are incorporated by local programs as part of their menu of services. Positive social and civic behaviors focus on areas that may include the following:
(a) Positive attitudinal development;
(b) Self-esteem building;
(c) Openness to work with individuals from diverse backgrounds;
(d) Maintaining healthy lifestyles, including being alcohol- and drug-free;
(e) Maintaining positive social relationships with responsible adults and peers, and contributing to the well-being of one's community, including voting;
(f) Maintaining a commitment to learning and academic success;
(g) Avoiding delinquency; and
(h) Positive job attitudes and work skills.
§ 681.540   What is occupational skills training?
(a) The Department defines occupational skills training as an organized program of study that provides specific vocational skills that lead to proficiency in performing actual tasks and technical functions required by certain occupational fields at entry, intermediate, or advanced levels. Local areas must give priority consideration to training programs that lead to recognized postsecondary credentials that align with in-demand industry sectors or occupations in the local area. Such training must:
(1) Be outcome-oriented and focused on an occupational goal specified in the individual service strategy;
(2) Be of sufficient duration to impart the skills needed to meet the occupational goal; and
(3) Lead to the attainment of a recognized postsecondary credential.
(b) The chosen occupational skills training must meet the quality standards in WIOA sec. 123.
§ 681.550   Are Individual Training Accounts permitted for youth participants?
Yes. In order to enhance individual participant choice in their education and training plans and provide flexibility to service providers, the Department allows WIOA Individual Training Accounts (ITAs) for OSY, ages 16 to 24 using WIOA youth funds when appropriate.
§ 681.560   What is entrepreneurial skills training and how is it taught?
Entrepreneurial skills training provides the basics of starting and operating a small business.
(a) Such training must develop the skills associated with entrepreneurship. Such skills may include, but are not limited to, the ability to:
(1) Take initiative;
(2) Creatively seek out and identify business opportunities;
(3) Develop budgets and forecast resource needs;
(4) Understand various options for acquiring capital and the trade-offs associated with each option; and
(5) Communicate effectively and market oneself and one's ideas.
(b) Approaches to teaching youth entrepreneurial skills include, but are not limited to, the following:
(1) Entrepreneurship education that provides an introduction to the values and basics of starting and running a business. Entrepreneurship education programs often guide youth through the development of a business plan and also may include simulations of business start-up and operation.
(2) Enterprise development which provides supports and services that incubate and help youth develop their own businesses. Enterprise development programs go beyond entrepreneurship education by helping youth access small loans or grants that are needed to begin business operation and by providing more individualized attention to the development of viable business ideas.
(3) Experiential programs that provide youth with experience in the day-to-day operation of a business. These programs may involve the development of a youth-run business that young people participating in the program work in and manage. Or, they may facilitate placement in apprentice or internship positions with adult entrepreneurs in the community.
§ 681.570   What are supportive services for youth?
Supportive services for youth, as defined in WIOA sec. 3(59), are services that enable an individual to participate in WIOA activities. These services include, but are not limited to, the following:
(a) Linkages to community services;
(b) Assistance with transportation;
(c) Assistance with child care and dependent care;
(d) Assistance with housing;
(e) Needs-related payments;
(f) Assistance with educational testing;
(g) Reasonable accommodations for youth with disabilities;
(h) Legal aid services;
(i) Referrals to health care;
(j) Assistance with uniforms or other appropriate work attire and work-related tools, including such items as eyeglasses and protective eye gear;
(k) Assistance with books, fees, school supplies, and other necessary items for students enrolled in postsecondary education classes; and
(l) Payments and fees for employment and training-related applications, tests, and certifications.
§ 681.580   What are follow-up services for youth?
(a) Follow-up services are critical services provided following a youth's exit from the program to help ensure the youth is successful in employment and/or postsecondary education and training. Follow-up services may include regular contact with a youth participant's employer, including assistance in addressing work-related problems that arise.
(b) Follow-up services for youth also may include the following program elements:
(1) Supportive services;
(2) Adult mentoring;
(3) Financial literacy education;
(4) Services that provide labor market and employment information about in-demand industry sectors or occupations available in the local area, such as career awareness, career counseling, and career exploration services; and
(5) Activities that help youth prepare for and transition to postsecondary education and training.
(c) All youth participants must be offered an opportunity to receive follow-up services that align with their individual service strategies. Furthermore, follow-up services must be provided to all participants for a minimum of 12 months unless the participant declines to receive follow-up services or the participant cannot be located or contacted. Follow-up services may be provided beyond 12 months at the State or Local WDB's discretion. The types of services provided and the duration of services must be determined based on the needs of the individual and therefore, the type and intensity of follow-up services may differ for each participant. Follow-up services must include more than only a contact attempted or made for securing documentation in order to report a performance outcome.
§ 681.590   What is the work experience priority and how will local youth programs track the work experience priority?
(a) Local youth programs must expend not less than 20 percent of the funds allocated to them to provide ISY and OSY with paid and unpaid work experiences that fall under the categories listed in § 681.460(a)(3) and further defined in § 681.600.
(b) Local WIOA youth programs must track program funds spent on paid and unpaid work experiences, including wages and staff costs for the development and management of work experiences, and report such expenditures as part of the local WIOA youth financial reporting. The percentage of funds spent on work experience is calculated based on the total local area youth funds expended for work experience rather than calculated separately for ISY and OSY. Local area administrative costs are not subject to the 20 percent minimum work experience expenditure requirement.
§ 681.600   What are work experiences?
(a) Work experiences are a planned, structured learning experience that takes place in a workplace for a limited period of time. Work experience may be paid or unpaid, as appropriate. A work experience may take place in the private for-profit sector, the non-profit sector, or the public sector. Labor standards apply in any work experience where an employee/employer relationship, as defined by the Fair Labor Standards Act or applicable State law, exists. Consistent with § 680.840 of this chapter, funds provided for work experiences may not be used to directly or indirectly aid in the filling of a job opening that is vacant because the former occupant is on strike, or is being locked out in the course of a labor dispute, or the filling of which is otherwise an issue in a labor dispute involving a work stoppage. Work experiences provide the youth participant with opportunities for career exploration and skill development.
(b) Work experiences must include academic and occupational education. The educational component may occur concurrently or sequentially with the work experience. Further academic and occupational education may occur inside or outside the work site.
(c) The types of work experiences include the following categories:
(1) Summer employment opportunities and other employment opportunities available throughout the school year;
(2) Pre-apprenticeship programs;
(3) Internships and job shadowing; and
(4) On-the-job training (OJT) opportunities as defined in WIOA sec. 3(44) and in § 680.700 of this chapter.
§ 681.610   Does the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act require Local Workforce Development Boards to offer summer employment opportunities in the local youth program?
No, WIOA does not require Local WDBs to offer summer youth employment opportunities as summer employment is no longer its own program element under WIOA. However, WIOA does require Local WDBs to offer work experience opportunities using at least 20 percent of their funding, which may include summer employment.
§ 681.620   How are summer employment opportunities administered?
Summer employment opportunities are a component of the work experience program element. If youth service providers administer the work experience program element, they must be selected by the Local WDB according to the requirements of WIOA sec. 123 and § 681.400, based on criteria contained in the State Plan. However, the summer employment administrator does not need to select the employers who are providing the employment opportunities through a competitive process.
§ 681.630   What does education offered concurrently with and in the same context as workforce preparation activities and training for a specific occupation or occupational cluster mean?
This program element reflects an integrated education and training model and describes how workforce preparation activities, basic academic skills, and hands-on occupational skills training are to be taught within the same time frame and connected to training in a specific occupation, occupational cluster, or career pathway.
§ 681.640   Are incentive payments to youth participants permitted?
Yes, incentive payments to youth participants are permitted for recognition and achievement directly tied to training activities and work experiences. The local program must have written policies and procedures in place governing the award of incentives and must ensure that such incentive payments are:
(a) Tied to the goals of the specific program;
(b) Outlined in writing before the commencement of the program that may provide incentive payments;
(c) Align with the local program's organizational policies; and
(d) Are in accordance with the requirements contained in 2 CFR part 200.
§ 681.650   How can parents, youth, and other members of the community get involved in the design and implementation of local youth programs?
Local WDBs and programs must provide opportunities for parents, participants, and other members of the community with experience working with youth to be involved in the design and implementation of youth programs. Parents, youth participants, and other members of the community can get involved in a number of ways, including serving on youth standing committees, if they exist and they are appointed by the Local WDB. They also can get involved by serving as mentors, serving as tutors, and providing input into the design and implementation of other program design elements. Local WDBs also must make opportunities available to successful participants to volunteer to help participants as mentors, tutors, or in other activities.
§ 681.700   What is the connection between the youth program and the one-stop delivery system?
(a) WIOA sec. 121(b)(1)(B)(i) requires that the youth program function as a required one-stop partner and fulfill the roles and responsibilities of a one-stop partner described in WIOA sec. 121(b)(1)(A).
(b) In addition to the provisions of part 678 of this chapter, connections between the youth program and the one-stop delivery system may include those that facilitate:
(1) The coordination and provision of youth activities;
(2) Linkages to the job market and employers;
(3) Access for eligible youth to the information and services required in § 681.460;
(4) Services for non-eligible youth such as basic labor exchange services, other self-service activities such as job searches, career exploration, use of one-stop center resources, and referral as appropriate; and
(5) Other activities described in WIOA sec. 129(b)-(c).
(c) Local WDBs must either colocate WIOA youth program staff at one-stop centers and/or ensure one-stop centers and staff are trained to serve youth and equipped to advise youth to increase youth access to services and connect youth to the program that best aligns with their needs.
§ 681.710   Do Local Workforce Development Boards have the flexibility to offer services to area youth who are not eligible under the youth program through the one-stop centers?
Yes. However, Local WDBs must ensure one-stop centers fund services for non-eligible youth through programs authorized to provide services to such youth. For example, one-stop centers may provide basic labor exchange services under the Wagner-Peyser Act to any youth.