Adult, Dislocated Worker, and Youth Activities

Every youth participant is to have an Individual Service Strategy, updated as needed, and directly linked to one or more indicators of performance, such as credential attainment, that identifies appropriate career pathways that include education and employment goals and activities, while considering career planning and the results of the objective assessment, and that prescribes appropriate achievement objectives and services for the participant.

The intent of the WIOA is not necessarily to use WIOA Youth funds for every youth element; rather, the WIOA Youth program is intended to act as an intermediary, partnering with various publicly and privately funded organizations to ensure that all 14 youth program elements are available to all youth participants. Local grant recipients can rely on partner programs to provide some of the elements if such services are available for all eligible youth in the local area. If an activity is not funded with WIOA Title I funds, the local area must ensure that those activities are closely connected and coordinated within the WIOA system. Ongoing relationships should be established with providers of non-WIOA funded activities either through coordinated case management strategies, memorandums of understanding, or an alternate, similar method.

Strong partnerships help to leverage resources and increase opportunities for youth. They can enhance the ability of the workforce investment areas to access information and data, improve services, and increase efficiencies with regard to recruitment processes, referrals, and case management. Creating strong partnerships is critical to providing the most effective, targeted, and appropriate services for youth to maintain progress along a successful career pathway.

The Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity has established partnerships to leverage and align core programs by establishing and strengthening partner relationships. For example, the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity has partnered with the Michigan Developmental Disabilities Council, Michigan Department of Education, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Bureau of Services for Blind Persons, Michigan Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities Administration to develop a ‘Super’ Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to implement a plan for seamless transition to employment for students and youth with disabilities. The parties to this agreement share a common responsibility, philosophy, and goal of increasing the number of transition age students and youth with disabilities who successfully transition to competitive integrated employment and recognize that Michigan starts with the presumption that everyone, with the appropriate preparation and support, can enter and succeed in competitive integrated employment.

Michigan has traditionally and will continue to provide Wagner-Peyser Employment Services alongside Title I programming within our one-stop centers. The Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity hosted multiple meetings with the Michigan Works! Association and the Michigan Association of Community and Adult Education (MACAE) to further establish effective referral, co-enrollment, and handoff processes for participants who may benefit from both Title I and Title II services. In these meetings, TIA outlined the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity's vision and expectations under WIOA; provided an overview of each of the core programs; discussed opportunities for collaboration, such as employer engagement, joint professional development, and integrated education and training; and share the status of local Memorandum of Understanding and infrastructure cost agreements. Regular meetings will be scheduled to continue the valuable conversation and foster the partnership both at the state level and local level among core programs.

Michigan utilizes Talent Tours to introduce young adults, parents, and educators to available career paths in their region by offering a behind-the-scenes look into in-demand businesses and industries. Talent Tours provide real-time information regarding employer, education, and training requirements necessary to secure employment. Impacts include relationship building, establishing a talent pipeline, talent retention, and the opportunity to see real life application of coursework. Over 5,000 of Michigan’s young adults have participated in Talent Tours.