The National Youth Employment Coalition (NYEC) encourages Congress to recognize and prioritize the nation's dropout crisis by giving youth who are behind or disconnected from school a chance to get back on track on a pathway to a diploma.  In line with this aim, NYEC offers the following recommendations to be considered in reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), previously authorized as No Child Left Behind (NCLB).

On March 9, 2010, Amendment 3356, an amendment offered by Senators Murray (D-WA) and Kerry (D-MA) to provide $1.3 billion for summer and year-round youth employment funding,$1.3 billion for TANF emergency funding, and an extension of the TANF emergency fund through March 31, 2011, was defeated. It was unable to gain the necessary three-fifths majority of the Senate (60 votes if all Senators are in attendance) to overcome a budget point of order raised by Sen. Judd Gregg  (R-NH).  The final vote was 55 in favor and 45 against. Every Republican and four Democrats, Senators McCaskill (D-MO), Nelson (D-NE), Warner (D-VA), and Webb (D-VA), voted to defeat the amendment.  The underlying bill, H.R. 4213, would extend various tax provisions, unemployment insurance, and COBRA benefits through the end of the year.

Please consider signing on to the attached letter in support of the Youth Jobs Act of 2010 (S. 2923), introduced on December 22, 2009 by Senator Patty Murray (D-WA).  Enclosed is a letter to Senator Murray and a variation of the same letter that will be sent to key Senate Committees. A copy of the legislation is also enclosed.

The Youth Jobs Act of 2010 authorizes  $1.5 billion in new funds for summer and year-round employment and training for youth and young adults ages 14-24. The language in the legislation closely matches the language in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 and would allow organizations to extend and expand youth employment and training programs funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).  We expect a version of this legislation to be included in a Senate version of a jobs bill in upcoming months.  The deadline for signatures is COB Tuesday, January 19^th.   To sign-on please email Jonathan Larsen at jl@nyec.org or simply reply to this email.

We are actively working to include language in future versions of this bill which would expand eligibility requirements and allow any young person who has dropped out of high school to access these funds, regardless of income level, or allow a proxy, such as free and reduced lunch, to be used in those cases were verifying income is overly burdensome.  We are also working to include disconnected youth and young adults in potential investments in infrastructure, green jobs, and public service employment that may be included in a Jobs Bill.

We will collect signatures on an ongoing basis. However, with the expectation that the Senate will take up jobs legislation soon, to ensure that your organization is included in the letter of support, please sign-on as soon as possible.  Email Jonathan Larsen at jl@nyec.org or simply reply to this email if you would like to sign on.   

Many thanks for your consideration and support.

Call for the creation of jobs for youth and young adults through a national youth jobs initiative that would create jobs and provide paid work experiences in the public, not for profit and private sectors.  These jobs would provide youth with income and expose them to the occupational and work place skills, experiences, and training that would enhance their labor market competitiveness.  With the proper funding and support, programs that are already in place across the country would be able to ramp up to implement such a jobs program and provide the wrap-around education, work skills, and supports that this population needs. - December 4, 2009