Narrative: c. 2.

Minnesota supports partnerships that help young people – the future workforce – attain the skills, knowledge and aptitudes to become productive workers in the 21st century economy. Minnesota is committed to providing the highest quality programming for youth. Program quality increases participant satisfaction and retention of youth which increases the positive impact that youth workforce programs have on our young people, their families and communities. Investments in quality youth programs reduce future costs of out–of–home placements, public assistance and the juvenile justice system. Minnesota’s vision for providing quality services to youth includes:

• Coordinate resources at the state and local level;
• Connect youth with quality educational, experiential learning and work–based learning opportunities;
• Introduce youth to career pathways and in–demand jobs important to regional economies;
• Performance accountability; and
• Improving services to the neediest youth.

Outreach and recruitment of out-of-school youth focuses on eligible youth ages 18-24 interested in pursuing occupational skill training and/or other postsecondary credentials. Interagency partnerships are established between the WDA, local technical colleges, universities and adult basic education (ABE) to identify and connect with youth who can benefit from case management, education, financial and transitional supports of the WIOA Youth Program. Youth program staff directly interface with and recruit potential youth candidates from ABE programs and look for co-enrollment opportunities. The WDA’s on-site presence at the technical colleges and ABE centers promotes communication with Student Disability Specialists and Financial Aid Officers who identify individuals who qualify for and could potentially benefit from WIOA Youth services. Out of school youth in need of occupational skills training are also recruited from the Disability Employment Initiatives underway in six Minnesota sites and other career pathway programs which serve as a referral source for Vocational Rehabilitation Services, the Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP), and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). New marketing materials focus on older, out-of-school youth and are used to recruit out of school youth who visit the local WorkForce Centers. WIOA Youth service providers maintain regular communication with representatives from county social services foster care units, juvenile corrections, homeless youth service providers and drop-in centers, and other community based organizations serving out of school youth. Enhanced recruitment efforts of Out of school youth include closer ties with local Area Learning Centers (ALCs). ALC’s include WIOA Youth applications in senior student portfolios. WDA youth counselors receive referrals of out-of-school youth from community-based organizations such as: United Way, Lutheran Social Services, Salvation Army, community action agencies and local libraries. Youth counselors work with these organizations to partner and provide a variety of WIOA Youth services that help the youth re-connect with educational opportunities and move towards economic self-sufficiency and work readiness.

Minnesota’s commitment to improving services to at–risk youth, especially out of school youth, is reflected in its Shared Vision for Youth (SVY) vision statement: "By age 25, Minnesota’s young people will be ready for the responsibilities and rewards of economic self–sufficiency, health, family and social relationships, community involvement, stable housing and lifelong learning." This vision is supported by an interagency workgroup whose mission is: "State agencies will collaborate to assure that Minnesota’s neediest youth, especially out of school youth, acquire the talents, skills, and knowledge necessary to ensure their healthy transition to successful adult roles and responsibilities." Minnesota supports partnerships at the state and local levels so that a variety of funding sources can be leveraged to address the needs of opportunity youth (e.g., youth who are disconnected from both schools and jobs). For example, there are partnerships to recruit out of school youth with Adult Basic Education, Drop-in Centers, community centers, and with other agencies where out of school youth gather.

DEED posted a Shared Vision for Youth web page to provide the contact information for the state–level interagency workgroup and to provide information on ongoing interagency projects which further the goals of serving opportunity youth and achieving successful, shared outcomes (see Minnesota Shared Vision for Youth). The web page features samples of interagency projects underway at the Local Workforce Development Area (LWDA) level to improve transition outcomes for all at–risk youth with a particular emphasis on: dropouts and potential dropouts; youth aging out of foster care; youth with disabilities; and homeless youth and runaways.

Through the leadership of the Local Workforce Development Boards and Youth Committees, Minnesota’s WIOA Young Adult Program provides comprehensive services to youth who are experiencing an opportunity gap. Minnesota’s youth unemployment rate was 13 percent for all youth in 2015, and double that for youth of color, youth with disabilities and economically disadvantaged youth. Minnesota’s Local Workforce Development Areas provide high quality services for youth and young adults beginning with career exploration and guidance, support for educational attainment, opportunities for skills training in in–demand industries and occupations, and a job along a career pathway or enrollment in post–secondary education.

The WIOA Young Adult Program serves at–risk youth, ages 16–24, who are not attending any school, and in–school youth, ages 14–21, who are low–income and at–risk. WIOA improves job and career options for youth through an integrated, job–driven workforce system that supports the development of strong regional economies. WIOA Youth program elements include: dropout recovery and prevention; paid and unpaid work experience; tutoring; occupational skills training; leadership development, mentoring; comprehensive guidance and counseling; financial literacy education; entrepreneurial skills training; tutoring; study skills training; entrepreneurial skills training; labor market information on in–demand industry sectors/occupations; alternative secondary school services; education offered with workforce preparation activities and training; support services and follow up.

Services for out of school youth involve partnerships with multidisciplinary teams that consist of community action agency staff, school personnel (where appropriate), probation officers, county social workers, mental health professionals, chemical dependency counselors, rehabilitation workers, interpreters, youth, and youths’ parents or guardians. These teams develop action plans to support the OSY. For example, a community action worker will assist youth with work experience, a probation officer will ensure the youth is getting to work and/or an educational experience, and a chemical dependency counselor will ensure that the youth is going to therapy.

The State is pursuing a waiver to support co–enrollment of WIOA youth participants in other federally funded youth programs to increase the quality and flexibility of services to in–school and out–of–school youth (see Section XX). Given that WIOA broadens the required program elements and focuses on a more difficult to serve population, local workforce development boards (LWDBs) will partner with:

1. Vocational Rehabilitation Services (VRS) to provide Pre–Employment Transition Services to assist In–School Youth with disabilities. Three pilot sites will be established in Rural Minnesota CEP, Anoka County and Southwest Minnesota in April of 2016 (will expand to other Local Workforce Development Areas at later date). The pilot sites will provide direct services in the form of work experience, introduction to career pathways and support services to VRS–eligible youth ages 14–21, who are attending secondary school (including alternative schools). The pilot sites will demonstrate effective intra–agency collaboration and local partnerships, best practices and co–enrollment strategies that can be shared across states and local youth workforce system providers and youth–serving agencies.
2. Department of Human Services (DHS) to provide youth employment services to Teen Parents, 16 through 24 years of age, who are receiving Minnesota Family Investment (MFIP) benefits; and Youth ages 14 through 18, who are on the grant in the MFIP household. Thirteen Local Workforce Development Areas will participate projects that focus on work readiness, work experience, introduction to career pathways and preparation of youth for long–term employment.

As indicated above, many WIOA Young Adult participants come into our system through one-stop partner programs (such as MFIP, Vocational Rehabilitation and/or ABE) so, in general additional resources and services can be tailored to meet the needs of the participant across these programs. Some participants also find their way into these programs through referrals from their local one-stop, while others learn about available services from friends, family and other acquaintances.

The WIOA Young Adult Program is designed to support the shift under Title I of WIOA to expend at least 75 percent of funds on Out–of–School Youth. The cost per participant under WIOA will increase as many Out–of–School Youth require more intensive and costly services, potentially over a longer period of time.. Consequently, fewer participants will be served under the WIOA Young Adult Program due to the more intensive and costly services for the increased emphasis on the Out–of–School Youth population.

In addition to the potential of co-enrolling WIOA youth participants in other federally-funded programs outside of the Department of Labor, many local Workforce Development Boards will also pursue co-enrolling youth into the WIOA Adult program where feasible. Leveraging these additional resources will increase the potential for more positive outcomes in both youth and adult programs at the local level