Adult, Dislocated Worker, and Youth Activities

The vision for Youth Services in Kansas is described below in the Youth Services Work Group report.

Specific Strategy (Operational Element/Method/Activity) Recommended for Implementation: Collaborative youth services based on individual service strategies focused on skill development and career pathways. Work-based learning addresses a broad range of skills needs—both “soft” skills and technical skills. While this strategy makes work-based learning a priority, we recognize that it is not a panacea for all youth, and even when it is included in a youth’s individual service strategy, it will be supplemented with other forms of learning. Key elements of this strategy include:

• Paid work-based experiences (Real Job)
• Summer employment partnerships
• Pre-apprenticeship opportunities
• Internships and job shadowing
• On the job training opportunities

A full range of work-based experiences should be available to customers. The specific solution will depend on the particular circumstances of the individual, including his/her career interests, level of skills and/or experience, and indications of employer willingness.

This emphasis on work-based learning opportunities for youth necessitates that youth employment issues be a central element of each local area’s employer engagement strategy. In developing this strategy, local areas must engage employers to develop opportunities that place a priority on paid opportunities. Work-based opportunities should include clearly defined learning objectives, skill acquisition (particularly transferable skills), should provide opportunities for both in-school and out-of-school youth, and should be appropriate for youth with multiple barriers to employment. Wherever possible, work-based learning opportunities should lead to attainment of industry-recognized credentials.

This will require capitalizing on existing linkages as well as developing new linkages with employers, for all forms of work-based learning. The strategy calls for taking advantage of existing pre-apprenticeship programs, and encourages core partners to collaborate with employers, training providers, and existing apprenticeship programs to develop new pre-apprenticeship opportunities. This must be a collaborate effort which must be driven by the needs of and developed with the active involvement of employers.

Local plans will be required to discuss how core and required partners will coordinate to prevent duplication and/or conflicts about which program serves particular individuals, including coordinating to ensure that supportive services and work supports are provided. Because the nature of individual needs will vary from individual to individual, the team recognizes that many of these decisions will need to be made on a case-by-case basis, requiring regular communication among core partner staff. We anticipate that general tendencies will emerge (out-of-school youth will be more likely to receive Title I funded work-based learning, while Pre-Employment Transition Services, or PETS, under Title IV, may be more likely to serve in-school youth). These decisions will also be shaped by individual program requirements (PETS can only serve youth with disabilities, for example).

• Education/Training
• Required education
• K-12
• Adult Education
• Post-secondary education/training
• Career and job training
• Approved job and career pathways (for example, Accelerating Opportunity: Kansas (AO-K))

Secondary Career Tech (SB 155, HB 2506) outreach to populations with multiple barriers to employment (base line data needed on participation rates of different populations now (KSDE might have this information). Strategies such as this can help increase access to activities leading to recognized postsecondary credentials.

Local plans must address coordination with education and training options available in the local area, particularly education and training offered through community and technical colleges throughout the state. Education and training opportunities must be tied to the attainment of industry-recognized credentials along career pathways for demand occupations.

Career pathways provide a sequence of education and training that give youth a clear line-of-sight to an industry recognized credential and a career. WIOA requires that career pathways meet the workforce needs of the region or state, offer individuals the opportunity to earn at least one recognized post-secondary credential, provide contextual education concurrently with workforce preparation and training, and include counseling to support individuals in achieving their education and career goals. Accelerating Opportunity: Kansas (AO-K) enhances these required elements with classes that are team-taught by basic skills and CTE instructors, transcripted post-secondary credit, wrap-around support services, and the opportunity to earn stackable credentials. Training (in all forms) must be tied to the types of job opportunities that are prevalent in the local area, and should be designed to develop skills that are in demand in the region. Skill development must be consistent with regional and statewide economic development strategies. Local areas’ employer engagement strategies should also include engaging economic development organizations.

All of these strategies, including the requirement for LWDBs to include how they will address the coordination of service delivery with Core, Required and other partners, will provide the specific methodology each Local Area will use to improve outcomes for this targeted population, coordinating supportive services such as transportation, housing and academic assistance or any other type of training or assistance needed for the individual to successfully obtain and maintain employment. Local Areas may employ integrated case management, a method of convening multiple service delivery professionals together to meet the needs of a single, common participant. Local Areas may leverage and coordinate resources through MOUs with partners to formally define services, resources, strategies and processes across partner programs to meet the needs of the individual, common participant. Local Youth Subcommittees will have K-12, postsecondary and other training and education expertise available both in person and electronically to determine how to best serve the needs of participants. As stated above, Local Area plans will detail how each local system will leverage and coordinate partner resources and services to help achieve improved outcomes for out-of-school youth.

Additionally, the state will improve outcomes of out-of-school youth by monitoring performance and providing technical assistance as requested or prescribed. The state workforce agency will also monitor Local Area expenditures to ensure 75% of available funds are used to support out-of-school youth.