I 
114TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6117 
To provide at-risk and disconnected youth with subsidized summer and year- 
round employment and to assist local community partnerships in improv-
ing high school graduation and youth employment rates, and for other 
purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 22, 2016 
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Education and the Workforce 
A BILL 
To provide at-risk and disconnected youth with subsidized 
summer and year-round employment and to assist local 
community partnerships in improving high school grad-
uation and youth employment rates, and for other pur-
poses. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Opening Doors for 
Youth Act of 2016’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
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(1) The time between the early teens and mid- 
twenties represents a critical developmental period in 
which individuals can gain the education and train-
ing, entry-level work experiences, work-readiness 
skills, and social networks needed to smoothly tran-
sition into the labor market and build towards fu-
ture professional success. 
(2) Yet, in 2014, 5.25 million young adults be-
tween the ages of 16 and 24 were out of school and 
unemployed, leaving them disconnected from the sys-
tems and institutions critical for developing the 
building blocks of independence and self-sufficiency. 
(3) According to research by Measure of Amer-
ica, the overwhelming number of youth disconnected 
from school and work come from disconnected com-
munities marked by high adult unemployment, pov-
erty, and racial segregation, as well as low levels of 
adult education attainment. These communities 
often lack the resources and supports needed to pre-
vent and reverse youth disconnection. 
(4) Communities of color experience the highest 
rates of youth disconnection: 27.8 percent of Native 
American youth, 21.6 percent of Black youth, and 
16.3 percent of Latino youth between the ages of 16 
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and 24 were disconnected from school and work in 
2013. 
(5) Disconnection from school and work can 
have significant consequences for youth, including 
decreased earning power and fewer future employ-
ment opportunities. According to the 2012 report, 
‘‘The Economic Value of Opportunity Youth’’, dis-
connected youth will, on average, earn $392,070 less 
than the average worker over their lifetimes. 
(6) Failure to successfully connect young people 
to employment and educational opportunities also re-
sults in a significant loss in productivity for the 
overall economy, as well as increases in government 
spending. According to a recent report from Meas-
ure of America, in 2013, youth disconnection re-
sulted in $26.8 billion in public expenditures, includ-
ing spending on health care, public assistance, and 
incarceration. 
(7) These young people are commonly referred 
to as ‘‘opportunity youth’’ because of their tremen-
dous potential, despite being out of school and work. 
Given the appropriate supports and resources, op-
portunity youth would add great social and economic 
value to our communities and the economy. Accord-
ing to the Opportunity Index, an annual measure-
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ment of opportunity in a geographic region, the 
number of opportunity youth, along with educational 
attainment and poverty rates, are strongly linked to 
overall opportunity in communities. When young 
adults do well, communities do well. 
(8) Despite their talent and motivation, many 
opportunity youth lack access to the training, edu-
cation, and entry-level jobs that can help them gain 
the work experience and credentials needed to suc-
cessfully transition into the labor market. 
(9) Lack access to entry-level jobs can limit a 
young adult’s ability to accrue early work experience 
and demonstrate productivity and work readiness to 
potential employers. 
(10) Summer and year-round youth employ-
ment programs that connect young adults with 
entry-level jobs give youth the work experience and 
opportunity for skill development needed to transi-
tion into the labor market and prevent points of dis-
connection, such as involvement in the criminal and 
juvenile justice systems. 
(11) Evidence suggests that summer youth em-
ployment programs may help in-school youth remain 
connected to the education system. A study of the 
New York City Summer Youth Employment Pro-
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gram (SYEP) found that after program participa-
tion, youth older than 16 increased their school at-
tendance by four or five additional days compared to 
their previous fall semester attendance. This attend-
ance increase represented 25 percent of the total 
days students were permitted to miss school and still 
continue on to the next grade. 
(12) Evidence shows that participation in sum-
mer youth employment programs also reduces the 
rate of violent crimes arrests. For example, studies 
of Chicago’s One Summer Plus program show that 
the program reduced violent crime arrests among at- 
risk youth by approximately 43 percent, with crime 
reduction benefits lasting over a year after the pro-
gram had ended. This reduction can have significant 
impact for young people, given the impact of a 
criminal record on future employment prospects and 
wages. 
(13) Despite the benefits of summer employ-
ment, summer youth employment has declined by 
more than 40 percent during the past 12 years, at 
a loss of more than 3 million summer jobs for young 
Americans. A J.P. Morgan Chase study of 14 major 
U.S. cities found that summer youth employment 
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programs were only able to provide opportunities for 
46 percent of applicants in 2014. 
(14) Young adults of color are less likely to be 
employed during summer months. According to a 
My Brother’s Keeper Task Force Report, White 
male teenagers were employed at twice the rate of 
Black male teenagers during the summer of 2013. 
(15) Labor market shifts have also limited op-
portunities for young adults without a high school 
diploma or with limited postsecondary credentials. 
According to a 2013 Georgetown University Center 
on Education and the Workforce report, by the year 
2020, an estimated 65 percent of all U.S. jobs will 
require postsecondary education and training. 
(16) Many at-risk or opportunity youth, finding 
that traditional pathways to educational attainment 
or employment are ill-matched to their individual 
needs, struggle to remain connected or reconnect to 
school and work. 
(17) For some youth, individual barriers—such 
as unstable housing, lack access to affordable child 
care or transportation, or involvement in the juvenile 
or criminal justice system—make it difficult to take 
advantage of existing employment and education 
pathways. 
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(18) According the 2016 report, ‘‘Supportive 
Services in Job Training and Education: A Research 
Review’’, studies suggest that education and training 
programs that offer supportive services, such as 
child care, transportation, and financial assistance, 
are associated with improved outcomes. 
(19) Community-based preventions and inter-
ventions can address the distinct problems oppor-
tunity youth may face in the local community and 
provide a connection to the education and training, 
re-engagement, and supportive services needed to 
help these young people succeed. 
(20) Previous Federal grant programs targeting 
communities with high rates of poverty have been 
successful in building such communities’ capacity to 
improve labor market participation and education at-
tainment rates for young adults. 
SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF FUNDS. 
There are authorized to be appropriated to the Sec-
retary of Labor $5,500,000,000 to carry out this Act. 
SEC. 4. AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Of the amounts available under 
section 3, the Secretary of Labor shall— 
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(1) allot $1,500,000,000 in accordance with 
section 5 to provide eligible youth with subsidized 
summer employment opportunities; 
(2) allot $2,000,000,000 in accordance with 
section 6 to provide eligible youth with partially sub-
sidized year-round employment opportunities; and 
(3) award $2,000,000,000 in competitive grants 
in accordance with section 7 to assist local commu-
nity partnerships in improving high school gradua-
tion and youth employment rates. 
(b) RESERVATION.—The Secretary of Labor may re-
serve— 
(1) not more than 5 percent of amounts avail-
able under each of paragraphs (1) through (3) of 
subsection (a) for the costs of technical assistance 
and Federal administration of this Act; and 
(2) not more than 2 percent of amounts avail-
able under each of paragraphs (1) through (3) of 
subsection (a) for the costs of evaluations conducted 
under section 10. 
(c) PERIOD OF AVAILABILITY.—The amounts appro-
priated under this Act shall be available for obligation by 
the Secretary of Labor until the date that is 4 years after 
the date of enactment of this Act. 
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SEC. 5. SUMMER EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR OP-
PORTUNITY YOUTH. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Of the amounts available under 
section 4(a)(1) that is not reserved under section 4(b), the 
Secretary of Labor shall, for the purpose of carrying out 
summer employment programs under this section— 
(1) make an allotment in accordance with sec-
tion 127(b)(1)(C)(ii) of the Workforce Innovation 
and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3162(b)(1)(C)(ii)) 
to each State that meets the requirements of section 
102 or 103 of such Act (29 U.S.C. 3112, 3113); and 
(2) reserve not more than one-quarter of 1 per-
cent of such amounts to provide assistance to the 
outlying areas. 
(b) WITHIN STATE ALLOCATIONS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Governor of a State, in 
accordance with the State plan developed under sec-
tion 102 or 103 of the Workforce Innovation and 
Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3112, 3113), shall allo-
cate the amounts that are allotted to the State 
under subsection (a)(1) to eligible local areas in ac-
cordance with section 128(b)(2)(A) of the Workforce 
Innovation 
and 
Opportunity 
Act 
(29 
U.S.C. 
3163(b)(2)(A)) for the purpose of carrying out sum-
mer employment programs under this section. 
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(2) LOCAL RESERVATION.—Of the amounts al-
located to a local area under paragraph (1), not 
more than 7 percent of such amounts may be used 
for the administrative costs of carrying out a sum-
mer employment program under this section, includ-
ing the costs of conducting outreach for such pro-
gram. 
(c) ELIGIBLE LOCAL AREA.—In order for a local 
area to be eligible for funds under this section, the local 
board of the local area shall submit to the Governor a plan 
for the summer employment program at such time, in such 
manner, and containing such information as the Governor 
may reasonably require. At a minimum, each plan shall 
be consistent with the local plan submitted by the local 
board under section 108 of the Workforce Innovation and 
Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3123) and include— 
(1) a description of how the local area will carry 
out the activities described in subsection (d); 
(2) the number of individuals expected to par-
ticipate in the summer employment program; 
(3) a description of the services, including sup-
portive services, that the summer employment pro-
gram is expected to provide; 
(4) an assurance that the summer employment 
program will be aligned with the youth services pro-
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vided under the Workforce Innovation and Oppor-
tunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3101 et seq.); and 
(5) an assurance that the local area will adhere 
to the labor standards outlined in section 8. 
(d) LOCAL USE OF FUNDS.— 
(1) YOUTH PARTICIPANT ELIGIBILITY.—To be 
eligible to participate in activities carried out under 
this section during any program year, an individual 
shall, at the time the eligibility determination is 
made, be— 
(A) not younger than age 14 or older than 
age 24; and 
(B) one of the following: 
(i) An out-of-school youth. 
(ii) An in-school youth. 
(iii) An unemployed individual. 
(2) MANDATORY USES.—The local area, from 
the amounts allocated under this section, shall carry 
out, for eligible youth, a summer employment pro-
gram that— 
(A) matches each youth participant with 
an appropriate employer, based on factors in-
cluding the needs of the employer and the age, 
skill, and informed aspirations of the youth par-
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(G) provides each youth participant with 
educational programs related to the summer 
employment opportunity to enhance the sum-
mer employment opportunity; 
(H) if applicable, provides each youth par-
ticipant with supportive services to enable par-
ticipation in the program; 
(I) develops a plan to create unsubsidized 
summer employment opportunities, increase 
summer employment opportunities in the pri-
vate sector, and gradually increase the number 
of unsubsidized or partly subsidized summer 
employment opportunities; and 
(J) connects each youth participant with a 
provider of youth, adult, and adult education 
and literacy services under the Workforce Inno-
vation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3101 et 
seq.), including those provided at one-stop cen-
ters. 
(3) DISCRETIONARY USES.—The amounts allo-
cated under this section may be used to carry out, 
for eligible youth, a summer employment program 
that— 
(A) integrates the services provided by the 
program with existing year-round youth devel-
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opment programs and secondary school pro-
grams, including any service provided by a pro-
vider of youth services under the Workforce In-
novation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3101 
et seq.) and skills training programs funded by 
the State or Federal Government; 
(B) provides each youth participant with 
career planning services to facilitate success 
after the program ends; and 
(C) provides each youth participant with 
high-quality financial literacy education, includ-
ing education on the use of credit and financing 
higher education, and access to safe and afford-
able banking accounts with consumer protec-
tions. 
(e) PROGRAM
PRIORITIES.—In allocating funds 
under this section, priority shall be given to summer em-
ployment opportunities— 
(1) in existing or emerging in-demand industry 
sectors or occupations; or 
(2) that meet community needs in the public, 
private, or nonprofit sector. 
(f) PERFORMANCE ACCOUNTABILITY.—For activities 
funded under this section, the primary indicators of per-
formance shall include the performance metrics described 
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in sections 116(b)(2)(A)(i)(V) and 116(b)(2)(A)(ii)(I) of 
the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 
3141(b)(2)(A)(i)(V), 3141(b)(2)(A)(ii)(I)) and a work- 
readiness indicator established by the local area or out-
lying area pursuant to any regulation or guideline issued 
by the Secretary of Labor. 
(g) REPORTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—For each year that a local 
area or outlying area administers a summer employ-
ment program under this section, the local area or 
outlying area shall submit to the Secretary of Labor 
and, if applicable, the State a report on— 
(A) the number of youth participants in 
the program, including the number of in-school 
and out-of-school youth; 
(B) the number of youth participants who 
completed the summer employment opportunity; 
(C) the expenditures made from the 
amounts allocated under this section, including 
expenditures made to provide youth participants 
with supportive services; 
(D) a description of the supportive services 
offered to youth participants, including the 
number of youth participants accessing such 
services; 
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(E) information specifying the levels of 
performance achieved with respect to the pri-
mary indicators of performance described in 
subsection (f) for the program; 
(F) the source and amount of funding for 
the wages of each youth participant; 
(G) any other information that the Sec-
retary of Labor determines necessary to mon-
itor the effectiveness of the program; and 
(H) at the discretion of the local area or 
outlying area, the number of hours and weeks 
worked and the amount of wages earned by 
youth participants in the program. 
(2) DISAGGREGATION.—The information re-
quired to be reported pursuant to subparagraphs 
(A), (B), and (E) of paragraph (1) shall be 
disaggregated by race, ethnicity, sex, age, and sub-
populations described in section 129(a)(1)(B)(iii)(I)– 
(VI) of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity 
Act (29 U.S.C. 3164(a)(1)(B)(iii)(I)–(VI)). 
SEC. 6. YEAR-ROUND EMPLOYMENT FOR OPPORTUNITY 
YOUTH. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Of the amounts available under 
section 4(a)(2) that is not reserved under section 4(b), the 
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Secretary of Labor shall, for the purpose of carrying out 
year-round employment programs under this section— 
(1) make an allotment in accordance with sec-
tion 127(b)(1)(C)(ii) of the Workforce Innovation 
and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3162(b)(1)(C)(ii)) 
to each State that meets the requirements of section 
102 or 103 of such Act (29 U.S.C. 3112, 3113); and 
(2) reserve not more than one-quarter of 1 per-
cent of such amounts to provide assistance to the 
outlying areas. 
(b) WITHIN STATE ALLOCATIONS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Governor of a State, in 
accordance with the State plan developed under sec-
tion 102 or 103 of the Workforce Innovation and 
Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3112, 3113), shall allo-
cate the amounts that are allotted to the State 
under subsection (a)(1) to eligible local areas in ac-
cordance with section 128(b)(2)(A) of the Workforce 
Innovation 
and 
Opportunity 
Act 
(29 
U.S.C. 
3163(b)(2)(A)) for the purpose of carrying out year- 
round employment programs under this section. 
(2) LOCAL RESERVATION.—Of the amounts al-
located to a local area under paragraph (1), not 
more than 7 percent of such amounts may be used 
for the administrative costs of carrying out a year- 
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round employment program under this section, in-
cluding the costs of conducting outreach for such 
program. 
(c) ELIGIBLE LOCAL AREA.—In order for a local 
area to be eligible for funds under this section, the local 
board of the local area shall submit to the Governor a plan 
for the year-round employment program at such time, in 
such manner, and containing such information as the Gov-
ernor may reasonably require. At a minimum, each plan 
shall be consistent with the local plan submitted by the 
local board under section 108 of the Workforce Innovation 
and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3123) and include— 
(1) a description of how the local area will carry 
out the activities described in subsection (d); 
(2) the number of individuals expected to par-
ticipate in the year-round employment program; 
(3) a description of the services, including sup-
portive services, that the year-round employment 
program is expected to provide; 
(4) an assurance that the year-round employ-
ment program will be aligned with the youth services 
provided under the Workforce Innovation and Op-
portunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3101 et seq.); and 
(5) an assurance that the local area will adhere 
to the labor standards outlined in section 8. 
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(d) USE OF FUNDS.— 
(1) YOUTH PARTICIPANT ELIGIBILITY.—To be 
eligible to participate in activities carried out under 
this section during any program year, an individual 
shall, at the time the eligibility determination is 
made— 
(A) be not younger than age 16 or older 
than age 24; and 
(B) meet the definition of an out-of-school 
youth and unemployed individual for a period of 
120 days preceding the date on which the eligi-
bility determination is made. 
(2) PROGRAM
REQUIREMENTS.—The amounts 
allocated under this section shall be used to carry 
out, for eligible youth, a year-round employment 
program that— 
(A) matches each youth participant with 
an appropriate employer, based on factors in-
cluding the needs of the employer and the age, 
skill, and informed aspirations of the youth par-
ticipant, for high-quality year-round employ-
ment, which may not— 
(i) be less than 180 days and not 
more than 1 year; 
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(G) if applicable, provides each youth par-
ticipant with supportive services to facilitate 
participation in the program; 
(H) provides each youth participant with 
career planning services to facilitate success 
after program completion; 
(I) develops a plan to create unsubsidized 
year-round employment opportunities, increase 
year-round employment opportunities in the pri-
vate sector, and gradually increase the number 
of unsubsidized or partly subsidized year-round 
employment opportunities; 
(J) connects each youth participant with a 
provider of youth, adult, and adult education 
and literacy services under the Workforce Inno-
vation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3101 et 
seq.), including those provided at one-stop cen-
ters; and 
(K) provides each youth participant with 
high-quality financial literacy education, includ-
ing education on the use of credit and financing 
higher education, and access to safe and afford-
able banking accounts with consumer protec-
tions. 
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(e) PROGRAM
PRIORITIES.—In allocating funds 
under this section, priority shall be given to— 
(1) year-round employment with employers who 
commit to retaining, willing youth participants who 
meet pre-determined, reasonable work performance 
standards for unsubsidized employment for not less 
than 90 days after the end of the year-round em-
ployment; and 
(2) year-round employment— 
(A) in existing or emerging in-demand in-
dustry sectors or occupations; or 
(B) that meet community needs in the 
public, private, or nonprofit sector. 
(f) PERFORMANCE ACCOUNTABILITY.—For activities 
funded under this section, the primary indicators of per-
formance shall include the performance metrics described 
in sections 116(b)(2)(A)(i)(III), 116(b)(2)(A)(i)(V), and 
116(b)(2)(A)(ii)(I)–(II) of the Workforce Innovation and 
Opportunity 
Act 
(29 
U.S.C. 
3141(b)(2)(A)(i)(III), 
3141(b)(2)(A)(i)(V), 3141(b)(2)(A)(ii)(I)–(II)) and a 
work-readiness indicator established by the local area or 
outlying area pursuant to any regulation or guideline 
issued by the Secretary of Labor. 
(g) REPORTS.— 
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(1) IN GENERAL.—For each year that a local 
area or outlying area administers a year-round em-
ployment program under this section, the local area 
or outlying area shall submit to the Secretary of 
Labor and, if applicable, the State a report on— 
(A) the number of youth participants in 
the program, including the number of in-school 
and out-of-school youth; 
(B) the number of youth participants who 
completed the year-round employment; 
(C) the expenditures made from the 
amounts allocated under this section, including 
any expenditures made to provide youth partici-
pants with supportive services; 
(D) a description of the supportive services 
offered to youth participants, including the 
number of youth participants accessing such 
services; 
(E) information specifying the levels of 
performance achieved with respect to the pri-
mary indicators of performance described in 
subsection (f) for the program; 
(F) the source and amount of funding for 
the wages of each youth participant; 
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(G) the number of youth participants who 
are asked to remain, and the number of youth 
participants actually retained, after the end of 
the year-round employment for not less than 90 
days; 
(H) the average number of hours worked 
per week and the average amount of wages 
earned by youth participants in the program; 
and 
(I) any other information that the Sec-
retary of Labor determines necessary to mon-
itor the effectiveness of the program. 
(2) DISAGGREGATION.—The information re-
quired to be reported pursuant to subparagraphs 
(A), (B), and (E) of paragraph (1) shall be 
disaggregated by race, ethnicity, sex, age, and sub-
populations described in section 129(a)(1)(B)(iii)(I)– 
(VI) of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity 
Act (29 U.S.C. 3164(a)(1)(B)(iii)(I)–(VI)). 
SEC. 7. CONNECTING-FOR-OPPORTUNITIES COMPETITIVE 
GRANT PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Of the amounts available under 
section 4(a)(3) that is not reserved under section 4(b), the 
Secretary of Labor shall, in consultation with the Sec-
retary of Education, award grants on a competitive basis 
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to assist local community partnerships in improving high 
school graduation and youth employment rates. 
(b) LOCAL COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS.— 
(1) MANDATORY PARTNERS.—A local commu-
nity partnership shall include at a minimum— 
(A) one unit of general local government; 
(B) one local educational agency; 
(C) one institution of higher education; 
(D) one local workforce development board; 
(E) one community-based organization; 
(F) one public agency serving youth under 
the jurisdiction of the juvenile justice system or 
criminal justice system; 
(G) a State or local child welfare agency; 
and 
(H) an agency administering programs 
under part A of title IV of the Social Security 
Act (42 U.S.C. 601 et seq.). 
(2) OPTIONAL PARTNERS.—A local community 
partnership may also include within the partner-
ship— 
(A) American job centers; 
(B) employers or employer associations; 
(C) representatives of labor organizations; 
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(D) programs that receive funding under 
the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Preven-
tion Act (42 U.S.C. 5601 et seq.); 
(E) public agencies or community-based 
organizations with expertise in providing coun-
seling services, including trauma-informed and 
gender-responsive counseling; 
(F) public housing agencies, collaborative 
applicants, as defined by the McKinney-Vento 
Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11301 et 
seq.), or private nonprofit organizations that 
serve homeless individuals and households or 
foster youth; and 
(G) and other appropriate State and local 
agencies. 
(c) APPLICATION.—A local community partnership 
desiring a grant under this section shall submit to the Sec-
retary of Labor an application at such time, in such man-
ner, and containing such information as the Secretary may 
reasonably require. At a minimum, each application shall 
include a comprehensive plan that— 
(1) demonstrates sufficient need for the grant 
in the local population (indicators of need may in-
clude high rates of high school dropouts and youth 
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unemployment and a high percentage or number of 
low-income individuals in the local population); 
(2) demonstrates the capacity of each local 
community partnership to carry out the activities de-
scribed in subsection (d); 
(3) is consistent with the local plan submitted 
by the local board under section 108 of the Work-
force Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 
3123), the local plan for career and technical edu-
cation programs authorized under the Carl D. Per-
kins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 
(20 U.S.C. 2301 et seq.) (if not part of the Work-
force Innovation and Opportunity Act local plan) 
and the State plan for programs under part A of 
title IV of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 601 
et seq.); and 
(4) includes an assurance that the local commu-
nity partnership will adhere to the labor standards 
outlined in section 8. 
(d) USE OF FUNDS.—A local community partnership 
receiving a grant under this section shall use the grant 
funds— 
(1) to target individuals not younger than age 
14 or older than age 24; 
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(2) to make appropriate use of existing edu-
cation, child welfare, social services, and workforce 
development data collection systems to facilitate the 
local community partnership’s ability to target the 
individuals described in paragraph (1); 
(3) to develop comprehensive pathways to high-
er education and employment, including— 
(A) using not less than 50 percent of the 
grant funds to help individuals described in 
paragraph (1) complete their secondary school 
education through various alternative means, 
including through high-quality, flexible pro-
grams that utilize evidence-based interventions 
and provide differentiated services (or path-
ways) to students returning to education after 
exiting secondary school without a regular high 
school diploma or who, based on their grade or 
age, are significantly off track to accumulate 
sufficient academic credits to meet high school 
graduation requirements, as established by the 
State; 
(B) creating career pathways focused on 
paid work-based learning, consisting of on-the- 
job training and classroom instruction, that will 
lead to credential attainment, where appro-
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priate, and prioritize connections to registered 
apprenticeship programs and pre-apprenticeship 
programs; 
(C) finding and securing for individuals de-
scribed in paragraph (1) work-based learning 
opportunities that pay not less than the highest 
of the Federal, State, or local minimum wage; 
(D) connecting individuals described in 
paragraph (1) with providers of youth services 
(who will connect the individuals to labor mar-
ket information), adult services, and adult edu-
cation and literacy services, under the Work-
force Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 
U.S.C. 3101 et seq.), career planning services, 
and federally funded programs that provide ca-
reer counseling and skills training; and 
(E) ensuring that such individuals success-
fully transition into pre-apprenticeship pro-
grams, registered apprenticeship programs, or 
programs leading to recognized postsecondary 
credentials in in-demand industry sectors or oc-
cupations; 
(4) to provide a comprehensive system of sup-
port for the individuals described in paragraph (1), 
including— 
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(A) connecting such individuals with pro-
fessionals who can— 
(i) provide case management and 
counseling services; and 
(ii) assist such individuals in— 
(I) developing achievable short- 
term goals and long-term goals; and 
(II) overcoming any social, ad-
ministrative, or financial barrier that 
may hinder the achievement of such 
goals; and 
(B) providing or connecting participants 
with available supportive services; and 
(5) to provide a comprehensive system aimed at 
preventing the individuals described in paragraph 
(1) from disconnecting from education, training, and 
employment and aimed at re-engaging any such indi-
vidual who has been disconnected by— 
(A) providing school-based dropout preven-
tion and community-based dropout recovery 
services, including establishing or improving 
school district early warning systems that— 
(i) connect such systems to existing 
data gathering and reporting systems es-
tablished under the Workforce Innovation 
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and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3101 et 
seq.) for the purpose of identifying the in-
dividuals described in paragraph (1); and 
(ii) engage any such identified indi-
vidual using targeted, evidence-based inter-
ventions to address the specific needs and 
issues of the individual, including chronic 
absenteeism; and 
(B) providing the individuals described in 
paragraph (1) with access to re-engagement 
services for training programs and employment 
opportunities and using providers of youth serv-
ices under the Workforce Innovation and Op-
portunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3101 et seq.) to con-
duct intake and refer such individuals and their 
families to the appropriate re-engagement serv-
ice. 
(e) PRIORITY
IN AWARDS.—In awarding grants 
under this section, the Secretary of Labor shall give pri-
ority to applications submitted by local community part-
nerships that include a comprehensive plan that— 
(1) serves and targets communities with a high 
percentage or high numbers of low-income individ-
uals and high rates of high school dropouts and 
youth unemployment; 
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