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c. 2. Describe the strategies the State will use to achieve improved outcomes for out-of-school youth as described in 129(a)(1)(B), including how it will leverage and align the core programs, any Combined State Plan partner programs included in this Plan, required and optional one-stop partner programs, and any other resources available.

Current Narrative:

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.  Although the State allows the local areas flexibility to determine how to most efficiently provide youth services, the State expectation of local Workforce Development Boards is to use youth service providers best positioned to provide program elements resulting in strong outcomes.   

The intent of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (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 to support and overcome barriers to successfully transition to self-sufficient adulthood.  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 continues to partner with the Michigan Rehabilitation Services and the Bureau of Services for Blind Persons support competitive integrated employment and recognizes that Michigan starts with the presumption that everyone, with the appropriate preparation and support, can enter and succeed in competitive integrated employment. 

Michigan will be piloting a statewide summer young adult employment program in 2020.  The Summer Young Professionals Program aligns with the WIOA in support of an increased focus on work experience for youth and envisions a public-private partnership designed to reduce youth unemployment by introducing under-represented young adults ages 14-24 to the world of work while providing participants and their families with income.  Combined services will place young adults on the right path to gain the skills necessary to achieve life-long economic self-sufficiency.  Increased flexibility of Statewide Activities dollars will result in improved efficiency and effectiveness of services to at-risk youth in our local communities, despite their educational status.

 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 7,600 of Michigan’s young adults have participated in Talent Tours.

 Michigan also supports large-scale career exploration of multiple businesses and industries at a single, coordinated location instead of individual, on-site efforts at single institutions. Michigan Works! Agencies have and will continue to organize and coordinate multiple business and industry representatives at a single location, similar to “MiCareerQuestTM” style job fairs.  Over 25,000 young adults have attended these career exploration events.

 These strategies reflect Michigan’s commitment to provide evidence-based strategies to assist in achieving high levels of performance, accountability, and quality in preparing young people for the workforce.