YOUTH OPPORTUNITY GRANT INITIATIVE

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YOUTH OPPORTUNITY GRANT INITIATIVE

• U.S. Department of Labor
• Employment and Training Administration

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YOUTH OPPORTUNITY GRANTINITIATIVE

• Youth Opportunity Grants
• Technical Assistance Conference
• June, 1999

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At the Department of Labor, We Have A Clear
Vision

• Vision
• All youth, particularly those out-of-school,
  acquire the necessary skills and work experience
  to successfully transition into adulthood,
  careers, and further education and training.

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Several Core Principles Underline An Effective
Youth StrategyBased on Research and Experience
Comprehensive Services
Caring Adults
Commitment to Excellence
Long-term follow-up

• Academic skill acquisition, with
  individualization of programs as appropriate,
  leading to a high-school diploma must be a
  priority
• Workplace connections must be created to ensure
  youth are placed in jobs, trained on jobs, and
  find support for continued employment
• Leadership development and soft skills should be
  a part of all programs
• Supportive services must be provided (e.g., child
  care, health care, transportation, emergency
  housing, counseling, etc)

• Each youth needs one adult that he/she can
  identify with
• Mentoring and other continuing adult influences
  in a youths life are critical

• There must be a commitment to high-quality
  services
• Most effective programs have commitment to
  excellence that engenders a corps spirit among
  all involved
• Local capacity and commitment are critical to
  program success and leveraging resources

• Each young adult should receive follow-up support
  for a sustained time after program completion

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Helping All Young Adults, Particularly Those
Out-of-School, Realize Their Full Potential is a
Critical Issue for the NationWe Have Based Our
Plan of Action on Research and Are Using Old Data
in New Ways
Despite rising economic prosperity for the nation
as a whole, many youth risk being left behind
The benefits of addressing the youth challenge
are widespread
The opportunity to act is now
There are 15 million out-of-school youth 70
have a high school diploma or less.(1) For all
races, less educated youth are less likely to
find employment and earn secure wages. African
Americans, Hispanics, and youth with disabilities
face particular challenges to finding work and
high wages. Disadvantaged youth are also more
likely to experience social problems (crime, drug
and alcohol abuse, teen pregnancy, fatherhood,
welfare dependency).
Communities Helps eliminate many of the ills of
our urban areas. Employers Gives American
businesses the workers they need to stay
competitive. Taxpayers Raises total tax
receipts and reduces government payouts and
social burdens. Currently, the average class of
dropouts cost America 88 billion per year in
lost earnings and 32 billion a year in the costs
of crime.
With the tightest labor market in 30 years, we
need to ensure that all Americans can be
productive members of our economy. Additionally,
with declining crime, drug use, and poverty
rates, the opportunity for truly striking at the
causes of many of these social ills is ripe.
(1) Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current
Population Survey, 1998
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Connecting the Dots...
Business Organizations e.g. Chambers
Public Housing Authorities
WIA Youth Programs
Apprenticeship Programs
YOUNG PEOPLE
Juvenile Justice
Schools
STW Local Partnerships
One-Stop
Post-Secondary -Community Colleges -4-years
Community Based Organizations
Libraries
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THE WORKFORCEINVESTMENT ACTOF 1998 (WIA)

• The Foundation for
• Youth Opportunity Grants

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Legislative History ofFederal Youth Programs

• 1962--Manpower Development Training Act
• 1964-- Economic Opportunity Act (Job Corps)
• 1973--Comprehensive Empl. Training Act
• 1982--Job Training Partnership Act
• 1994--School-to-Work Opportunities Act
• 1997--Welfare-to-Work Legislation
• 1998--Workforce Investment Act

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Youth Program Principles

• Provides a single funding stream for all local
• areas and additional resources for areas with
• high-poverty and unemployment
• Responsibility for design placed under guidance
• of local Youth Council
• Strong business involvement
• Moves from one-time short-term interventions
• to consolidated approach
• Features a broad array of Youth services.
• Performance accountability

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Program Activities Design

• Includes WIA Required Framework for Local Youth
  Programs
• Individual needs assessments
• Individual service strategies
• Preparations for post-secondary education and/or
  employment linkages between academic
  vocational learning connections to
  intermediaries
• Menu of Program Elements
• Access to information referrals

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Youth Services DeliveryFour Major Themes in the
Act
Improvements in Educational Attainment
Preparation for Success in Employment
?
?
?
Services to Help Youth Develop as Citizens
Leaders
Supports for Youth
?
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WIA Program Elements

• Leadership development opportunities activities
• Follow-Up Services
• Adult mentoring for at least 12 months
• (may occur both during after program
  participation)
• Comprehensive guidance counseling including
• drug alcohol abuse counseling also counseling
• referrals appropriate to individual youth needs
• Supportive services

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WIA Program Elements

• Paid unpaid work experiences, including
• internships job shadowing
• Tutoring, study skills training, instruction
• leading to secondary school completion including
• dropout prevention strategies
• Alternative secondary school offerings
• Occupational skill training
• Summer employment opportunities directly linked
• to academic occupational learning.

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New Program RequirementsOpportunities for Reform

• Leadership development and soft skills
• Follow-Up services
• Summer employment activities
• Requirements for providing services to
  Out-of-School Youth (OSY)

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Linking with One-Stop SystemsConnections with
Youth Program Facilities

• Coordination of youth activities
• Connections to the job market AND to employers
• Access to youth program information and services

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Grant Application Requirements

• Solicitation for Grant Applications (SGA) was
  published in the Federal Register on June 2,
  1999
• Copy of the SGA on DOL-ETA Home Page at
  http//www.doleta.gov
• Closing September 30, 1999 at 4 pm EDT
• Submit four (4) copies. ALL copies must have
  original signatures

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Section 1Financial Proposal

• Required Elements
• (1) Cover Sheet
• (2) Application for Federal Assistance, SF-424
• (3) Budget Information Form Budget Breakout
• (4) Executive Summary/Project

Applications that do not meet the
requirements set forth in the SGA will not
be considered
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Cover Sheet
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SF 424
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Budget Information Form
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Government Requirements

• Technical proposal must be limited to 30 pages
• double-spaced
• single-sided
• with 1 inch margins
• Text type must be at least 12-point type
• Attachments may not exceed 10 pages

No Three Ring Binders!!!
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REMINDER

• Applications must be mailed/hand-delivered to
• U.S. Dept. of Labor
• Employment and Training Administration
• Division of Federal Assistance
• Attention Yvonne Harrell
• Reference SGA/DFA 99-015
• 200 Constitution Ave. NW Rm S-4203
• Washington, DC 20210
• Closing Date for receipt of applications is
• Sept. 30, 1999 by 4 pm EDT

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Youth Opportunity Grants Initiative
VISION To help all youth, particularly
out-of-school youth, acquire the necessary
academic, technical, and workplace skills and
experience to transition into adulthood,
careers, and further education and training.
GOAL To create a youth
movement involving partnerships with
local education agencies, the private sector,
local colleges, community-based organizations
and foundations.
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Youth Opportunity Grants

• Available for 1 year and may be renewed for each
  of the 4 succeeding years

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Grant Requirements

• Eligible applicants include Workforce Investment
  Act Section 166 Native American Grantees who
• Meet the poverty rate criteria established in
  Section 1392 (a)(4),(b), and (d) of the Internal
  Revenue Code
• Are located on an Indian
  reservation or serve
  Oklahoma Indians,
  
  Alaska Native villages,
  or Native
  groups (such as
  those defined in section 3
  of the
  Alaska Native Claims
  Settlement Act

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Available Funds for Native American Grantees
Populations of 5,000 to 70,000, apply for up
to 5 million
Populations over 70,000, apply for up to 12
million
Populations less than 5,000, apply for up to 2
million
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Targeting Eligible Participants
Youth, ages 14 to 21, in target communities
In-school AND out-of-of school youth. Largest
share of funds go towards serving out-of-school
youth
Focus on decreasing dropout rates and increasing
college enrollment of in-school youth
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Criteria for Native American Awards

• I. Need in target area/reservation
• (up to 10 bonus points)
• II. Project design service strategy
• (40 points)
• III. Youth development Community service
  activities
• (20 points)

• IV. Dropout Prevention Plans
• (20 points)
• V. Management Accountability
• (20 points)

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I. Target Project Area(up to 10 bonus points)

• Description of target area
  or reservation
• Native American population of the
  reservation or target area
• Youth population, poverty rates high school
  dropout rates
• List of area schools, organizations serving youth
  total youth served
• Map of the reservation or target community
• Use data from the 1990 Census, the Bureau of
  Indian Affairs, the Department of Education, and
  the Department of Health and Human Services

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II. Core Principlesof an EffectiveYouth Strategy
Ensures Participation of Caring Adults
Provides Comprehensive Services to Youth
Professes a Commitment to Excellence
(40 points)
Instills in Youth Sense of Personal Responsibilit
y Accountability for Actions
Guarantees Long term Follow-up to all Youth
Participants
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II. Critical Components of Program Designs
Development of Youth Opportunity Community
Centers

• Centers or satellite offices located on the
  reservation or in target area

• Centers or satellite offices can be located at a
  tribal college
• Youth receive a variety of training, employment,
  educational, vocational, career
  information, support services
• Discuss location of center
• Include anticipated renovations and costs

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II. Critical Components of Program Designs
Core Staff of Youth Development Specialists

• Case Managers Job Developers conduct series of
  work activities including
• intake
• assessment
• intensive placement
• follow-up services

• Reservations with population of 5,000 to 12,000
  have core staff of 25 to 35
• Indicate number of In-School staff and
  Out-of-School staff

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II. Work Experience Job Training

• Describe how work experience will be provided to
  youth
• YouthBuild or Youth Conservation/Service Corps
  programs
• Youth work on community service environmental
  projects
• discuss vocational training
  on-the-job training opportunities

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II. Career Development

• Describe new expanded fields of study at the
  tribal college
• Discuss student interest in degrees such as
  forestry conservation
• Include linkages with state universities

DOL is interested in proposals linking new fields
of study such as forestry land management
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II. Addressing the Diverse Needs of Youth...

• Describe how your project would address the needs
  of the 3 case studies

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III. Youth Development Community Service(20
points)

• Youth development activities can include
• UNITY service projects
• Leadership development programs
• Peer tutoring
• Sports, cultural recreational programs
• Outdoor groups conservation project activities

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IV. Dropout Prevention College Enrollment
Plans(20 points)

• Describe plans to decrease
  dropout rates increase college enrollments
• Involve tribal colleges in prevention plans
  college bound efforts
• Develop dropout prevention activities in target
  area schools

Prevention efforts in elementary middle schools
must be paid for through other funding sources
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V. Management Accountability(20 points)

• Program Structure
• Fiscal Management
• Staffing and staff development
• Accountability Expected Performance Levels
• Community Involvement

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Flow of Youth Services
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Program Structure

• Diagram of sequence flow of Youth Opportunity
  services
• Show coordination between sub-grantees for
• recruitment
• assessment
• referrals
• Indicate links with existing services for youth
  in target area

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Fiscal Management

• Describe current fiscal management systems
• Indicate fiscal management experience of your
  organization
• Discuss process for fiscal oversignt of
  sub-grantees

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Staffing Staff Development

• Describe selection process for Project Director
  the qualifications for the position
• Indicate the number of youth assigned to each
  caseworker
• Indicate total number of Out-of-School Youth
  staff In-School Youth staff
• Discuss plans for staff recruitment, retention
  compensation

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Accountability Expected Performance Levels

• Lead agency for the project--why it was selected
  (include agencys background current/previous
  projects
• Which agency or agencies will hire case managers,
  job developers and other core program staff
• Indicate the number of 14-18 year olds 19-21
  year olds planned for enrollment during the 1st
  year of the project

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Community Involvement
Community advisory board to plan
oversee project
Discuss role of community advisory board
Participation of partner agencies,
residents, and youth on board
Involvement of residents families
in program efforts
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Putting the Pieces Together...
How will the Board hold the staff accountable?
How will local elected officials provide
oversight direction?
What will be the relationship between the Board
the Youth Opportunity Center?
How will the Board work to promote sustainment of
the project?
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Suggested Month-by-Month Proposal Development
Activities

• Month 1
• Identify lead organization
• Create steering committee
• Define local landscape
• youth population, current projected labor
  market, services available, successful providers
• Conduct initial community-wide meeting
• Hold Youth Focus groups
• Write initial draft proposal

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Suggested Month-by-Month Proposal Development
Activities

• Month 2
• Determine partners
• Coordinate services
• Draft MOUs

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Suggested Month-by-Month Proposal Development
Activities

• Month 3
• Complete second draft
• Submit for comments

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Suggested Month-by-Month Proposal Development
Activities

• Month 4
• Review comments
• Complete final draft
• Hold final community-wide meeting
• Finalize submit proposal

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Qs As

• A copy of the compiled Qs and As from all the
  technical assistance conferences will be made
  available on the website at www.doleta.gov
• If you do not have email access Call
  Karen Clark
  Office of Job Training Programs
  202-219-6236 x 150
• or Christina Lo
  Office of Job Training Programs
  202-219-5305 x 145

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For SGA Questions

• Fax to
• Ms. Yvonne Harrell
• Fax [phone]
• Please include name, phone , and point of contact

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Department of Labor Employment
TrainingAdministrationWebsite

• http//www.doleta.gov