Adult, Dislocated Worker, and Youth Activities

(3) Describe how the state will ensure that all 14 program elements described in WIOA section 129(c)(2) are made available and effectively implemented.

Local Areas must ensure that each WIOA Youth Program provider consistently conducts an objective assessment of each participant’s academic levels, skill levels, and service needs to properly identify the appropriate services and career pathways. The assessment must include a review of: basic skills; occupational skills; prior work experience; employability; interests; aptitudes, including interests and aptitudes for nontraditional jobs; supportive service needs; and developmental needs.

If the participant has been assessed by a provider to pursue another education or training program within the last year, the WIOA Youth Program provider may use that existing assessment to fulfill program requirements. When used, the provider must retain copies of previous assessment(s) and/or assessment result(s) in the participant’s case file.

The Individualized Service Strategy (ISS) serves as a guide for both the participant and staff by outlining the necessary and recommended next steps. Through the ISS, staff should aim to identify the appropriate combination and sequence of services to help the participant fulfill goals and program requirements. It is vital that staff interpret assessment results and incorporate those results into service planning and activities. This will help to ensure that youth achieve established goals and obtain desired career and educational outcomes. Taking into account individual needs, abilities and goals, the Individualized Service Strategy must map out anticipated progress.

Local Areas must ensure that each WIOA Youth Program provider develops an Individualized Service Strategy with each youth participant after he or she has been objectively assessed. When developing the Individualized Service Strategy, the Youth Program career planner and participant must jointly take the objective assessment results into account. The career planner must also take the performance measures into account when developing goals for the Individualized Service Strategy. In the Individualized Service Strategy, career pathways must be identified and must, at a minimum, include an examination of short-term and long-term:

• Education goals;
• Employment goals;
• Appropriate achievement objectives or benchmarks/milestones; and
• Appropriate services.

Once completed, Local Areas must ensure that the ISS is signed by the Youth Program career planner and the participant. Local Areas must ensure that each participant receives a signed copy of his or her Individualized Service Strategy as record. If an Individualized Service Strategy has been developed for a participant to pursue another education or training program within the last quarter, then the WIOA Youth Program provider may use the existing Individualized Service Strategy to fulfill program requirements. The Youth Program career planner must review the Individualized Service Strategy with each youth participant every 90 days, at a minimum, to review progress and make necessary adjustments.

As the Individualized Service Strategy is a living document that should be adjusted as the participant and case manager deem necessary, Youth Program career planners should update the document to reflect changes. Examples of updates include, but are not limited to: participant progress; completed activities or benchmarks, rewriting new goals once objectives have been met, outlining a clear direction or career pathway for the participant, changes to household status, legal name changes, address changes, and other updates to contact information.

Based on assessment results and the Individualized Service Strategy, Local Areas must ensure that providers offer youth participants access to WIOA Youth Program elements that will support attainment of a secondary school diploma, entry into postsecondary education, and career readiness. All activities must be documented within theMWE, MD Labor’s performance tracking and case management database system. The WIOA Youth Program consists of 14 key program elements:

1. Tutoring, skills training, and dropout prevention;

2. Alternative secondary school services;

3. Paid and unpaid work experiences;

4. Occupational skills training;

5. Leadership development opportunities;

6. Supportive services;

7. Mentoring;

8. Follow-up services;

9. Counseling;

10. Concurrent education and workforce preparation activities;

11. Financial literacy education;

12. Entrepreneurial skills training;

13. Labor Market Information (LMI); and

14. Preparing for Postsecondary Education and training.

MD Labor has provided policy guidance to Local Areas on each program element and will continue to offer support to help Local Areas achieve related goals. MD Labor’s policy on the WIOA Title I Youth Program clearly states that Local Areas must ensure that providers offer youth participants access to each of the 14 key program elements. If the WIOA Title I Youth Program provider does not directly offer all program elements, it must ensure that strong partnerships and referral mechanisms are in place to provide access to each element, as necessary. Through ongoing monitoring and technical assistance, MD Labor and the Local Areas will ensure that access is effectively provided to youth participants.