Adult, Dislocated Worker, and Youth Activities

(c) Youth Program Requirements. With respect to youth activities authorized in section 129 of WIOA—

(1) Identify the State-developed criteria to be used by local boards in awarding grants for youth activities and describe how the local boards will take into consideration the ability of the providers to meet performance accountability measures based on primary indicators of performance for the youth program as described in section 116(b)(2)(A)(ii) of WIOA in awarding such grants.

WIOA outlines a broader youth vision that is grounded in evidence-based strategies to support a service delivery system that is dedicated to achieving high-levels of performance, accountability and quality in preparing young people for the workforce. Through the WIOA Title I Youth Program, WIOA places a greater emphasis on supporting the educational and career successes of out-of-school youth. A minimum of 75 percent of WIOA Title I Youth Program funds are required to be spent on out-of-school (Note: Maryland is requesting a waiver related to this threshold in the applicable part of this Combined Plan that would reduce this figure to 50 percent). The law also requires the Youth Program’s key elements to include dropout recovery strategies and services, education offered concurrently with workforce activities and training, financial literacy education, entrepreneurship, postsecondary transitional support, and Labor Market Information. Local Areas must spend at least 20 percent of WIOA Title I Youth Program funds on work experiences that incorporate academic and occupational education. The WIOA Youth Program is designed to support eligible youth in reaching their educational and career goals. To meet this aim, Local Areas and local provider that are awarded competitive contracts, must:

• Conduct an objective assessment of the participant’s skills;
• Develop an Individual Service Strategy (ISS) with the participant; and
• Utilize WIOA’s 14 Youth Program elements to support the participant in reaching their career and academic goals.

Selecting Service Providers

MD Labor encourages Local Boards to develop formal partnerships, through a competitive process, to select WIOA Youth Program service providers that will allow multiple agencies and organizations to fund different aspects of the WIOA Youth Program. Each local system of services can be coordinated through a combination of contracts and Memoranda of Understanding between the participating entities.

As a result of this strategy, funds from federal agencies like the Department of Justice (under programs for incarcerated youth on probation) or the Department of Health and Human Services (under programs for homeless or foster youth), or other USDOL programs (WIOA Title II Adult Education programs) could be leveraged to provide certain services for WIOA Youth Program participants to help them reach their educational and career goals.

In granting or contracting WIOA Youth Program services, Local Boards must award grants or contracts on a competitive basis to providers of youth activities identified based on the criteria identified in the State Plan and taking into consideration the ability of the providers to meet performance accountability measures. In an effort to foster WIOA partnerships, MD Labor has a preference for the Title II Adult Education service providers for instruction to help youth participants prepare for the GED^® and National External Diploma Program^®  programs.

A Local Board may award grants or contracts on a sole-source basis only if it determines there is an insufficient number of eligible providers of youth activities in the Local Area (such as a rural area) for grants and contracts to be awarded on a competitive basis. It is important to incorporate the major elements of WIOA into Requests for Proposals and youth provider contracts. For example, if a Local Area issues separate Requests for Proposals for in-school youth and Out-of-School Youth, they should be structured in a way to ensure local areas meet the 50 percent Out-of-School Youth expenditure minimum (figure aligns with Maryland’s waiver request).

Local Areas should similarly incorporate the 20 percent work experience expenditure minimum into RFPs and new service provider contracts. For MD Labor’s records, Local Areas must provide MD Labor with timely copies of the selected service providers’ contracts or grant agreements. MD Labor encourages Local Areas that grant or contract out Youth Program services to include MD Labor’s Youth & Disability Coordinator in the Requests for Proposal evaluation and selection process.

Option Year Contracts

Local Areas must incorporate WIOA requirements by amending or modifying the option years of current contracts, provided that such changes are permissible under the contract (i.e., if the contract includes legislation, regulation, or requirements). In competing new contracts, USDOL and MD Labor encourage Local Areas to employ one-year contracts, which may contain additional option years, rather than multi-year contracts.

Given how resource-intensive the Requests for Proposal process may be, option year contracts are a strategy to ensure maximum flexibility while final regulations are published and program guidance is issued. They also provide added flexibility to Local Areas during a time of transition when regulations and guidance will be issued that could provide information necessary for future service provider contracts.