DC Youth and Young Adult Update 6-7-2024

News at NYEC: 

• Register for NYEC’s 2024 Youth Days!: NYEC’s Youth Days will take place September 11-13, where we invite practitioners, community and organization leaders, and young people to join us in Washington, DC to advocate for Opportunity Youth at the federal level! This year’s event features a dynamic blend of virtual preparation and in-person engagement in Washington, DC. Whether you are new to policy and advocacy or a seasoned advocate, you will not want to miss this event! We have a limited number of slots, so please register soon! More details, including virtual preparation session descriptions and dates and a detailed agenda for the in-person event, can be found in the hyperlinked title! 

• Recruit Your Representative to the Bipartisan Opportunity Youth Caucus! We are calling on NYEC members to recruit your Representative to the Bipartisan Opportunity Youth Caucus (BOYC)! NYEC staff have met with key Congressional offices to ask that they join the BOYC, which will promote research and policies to support young people ages 16-24 who face barriers to employment or education and are at-risk of experiencing disconnection – also referred to as Opportunity Youth. As of this writing, there are three members of the Caucus: Co-chairs Rep. Michelle Steel (R-CA) and Rep. Troy Carter (D-LA), and Rep. Don Davis (D-NC). We need your help in building more momentum and support for the Caucus! Please ask your Representative to join the Bipartisan Opportunity Youth Caucus by using this template! If you would like assistance preparing for the meeting or would like to discuss it further, please contact nathan.hora@nyec.org. 

• NYEC Joins other National, State, and Local Organizations on Fiscal Year 2025 Appropriations Letter – Sign on Your Organization!: The letter, which will be sent to the leaders of the Senate and House Appropriations Committees, calls for Congress to provide at least a 10 percent increase to workforce programs in the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies appropriations bill. The letter includes two key NYEC priorities: 1) calling for an increase WIOA Title I Youth Funding to $1.14 billion and 2) calling for the inclusion of report language directing the Secretary of Labor to make competitive grants for subsidized summer and year-round employment opportunities targeted to opportunity youth or justice involved youth and those in high poverty areas under the Committee’s demonstration authority under section 169 of WIOA.  

Executive Branch: 

• Department of Health and Human Services Proposes Rule to Allow Federal Financial Participation for Employment and Training Services for Noncustodial Parents in the Child Support Program: To make the child support program more effective, the Health and Human Services Department is proposing to allow federal funds to go to employment and training services for noncustodial parents in the child support program. The proposed rule will allow for job development, job placement services, occupational training and more services to be funded through federal participation. The comment period ends July 30, 2024.  

Legislative Branch:  

• Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee to Hold Hearing on the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act: The HELP Committee will hold a hearing on WIOA next Wednesday, June 12. At the time of this writing, the witnesses have not been announced. This indicates that the Committee is getting closer to a WIOA reauthorization proposal. NYEC will be listening in to the hearing and will report to members about highlights from the hearing.  

• Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-VA) and Representative Elise Stefanik (R-NY) Push for Bipartisan Workforce Pell Act to be included in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA): The measure, a priority of House Education Chair Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.), would allow students to use Pell Grants to pay for job training programs as short as eight weeks long. As a reminder, the short-term Pell bill cleared the House education committee in a 37-8 bipartisan vote, but the House scrapped a floor vote on it earlier this year.   

• Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) Introduces Bill to Create Skills Training Grants in WIOA: At the time of this writing, the bill text for S. 4470 has not been published. The title of the bill, however, indicates that the bill would amend WIOA to provide training services linked to employment demand through skills training grants.  

• Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) Introduces a Bill to Provide Supplemental Appropriations to Increase the Number of Americorps Members and Increase Living Allowances for Members: Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton introduced a bill to provide appropriations funding to bolster the Americorps member base, enhance their living allowances, and for other purposes. As of June 4th, the bill has been referred to the House Committee on Appropriations and the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.  

• Representative Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ) Introduces a Bill to Require the Secretary of Labor to Establish a Program to Provide Grants for Job Guarantee Programs: With Representatives Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), Jamaal Bowman (D-NY), and Delia Ramirez (D-IL) as cosponsors, Representative Bonnie Watson Coleman introduced a bill to create a program to ensure funding for job guarantee programs through the Secretary of Labor.  

• Representative John James (R-MI) Introduces a Bill to Award Grants to Local Educational Agencies to Operate After School Programs in Areas with High Rates of Juvenile Crime: The bill would award funds to local educational agencies to conduct after school programs in areas with high rates of juvenile crime.  

Federal Funding Opportunities: 

• Youth Homelessness Demonstration Grant Program: The Department of Housing and Urban Development will select up to 25 communities to participate in the Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program to develop and execute a coordinated community approach to preventing and ending youth homelessness. Applications due August 29, 2024.  

• OJJDP FY24 Child Victimization and Juvenile Justice Prosecution Training and Technical Assistance Grant Program: The Justice Department looks to provide technical assistance to select organizations that strengthen prosecution efforts regarding youth and children victimized in out-of-home placement, including foster care, group homes, shelter care or custodial settings. Applications are due July 6th, 2024.  

From The States: 

• WIOA Dollars Used to Expand Apprenticeship Offerings: Penn State (Pennsylvania) has officially launched its Butcher Apprenticeship Program. The curriculum covers a wide range of topics, including meat anatomy, food safety and sanitation, customer service, and business management. The program boasts a team of industry experts and experienced instructors who bring knowledge and experience to the classroom. Participants will benefit from direct mentoring and guidance from professionals who have a proven track record in the field. Upon completing the program, apprentices will have access to job placement assistance and networking opportunities. Penn State is dedicated to assisting graduates in launching their careers and contributing to the development of the meat processing industry. This is the state using WIOA dollars through their WIOA plans that prioritize expansion in different industries. Governor Shapiro also announced, due to Penn State’s pilot’s success, that his administration will provide $5M to programs like this to expand them.  

• HB 105 Creates Teacher Apprenticeship Program: Pinellas County (Florida) representatives passed HB 105 this past legislative session, which authorized the state to utilize WIOA funding to launch a teacher apprenticeship program. The bill creates a way for young people who are pursuing their bachelor’s degrees to be paid while they complete their degree, if they are interested in becoming teachers: upon completion, they then get on-ramped immediately into PCS schools. HB 105 is designed to address the teacher shortage in Florida. 

Resources & A Chance to Act: 

• Youth Voices: Homelessness, Hope, and The Road Ahead: This briefing is a facilitated discussion among eight youth and young adults from across the country who experienced homelessness in high school and throughout much of their childhoods. Participants will discuss the challenges they experienced in their K-12 education, those they are experiencing now in college or the workforce, and the people and programs that have helped them persist and achieve success. They will address the connection between homelessness and chronic absence and their experiences with the FAFSA. 

• SchoolHouse Connection Survey: The 2024-2025 FAFSA contains policies intended to remove barriers for youth who are unstably housed or involved with the foster care system. However, the FAFSA rollout has been complicated by multiple delays and missteps. These delays and missteps are particularly problematic for youth who have complex personal circumstances, such as youth experiencing homelessness and youth with experience in the foster care program. To inform their FAFSA advocacy and improve their FAFSA training and resources, SchoolHouse Connection is conducting a short survey of education professionals (high school and higher education), service providers, and others who assist youth experiencing homelessness and youth with experience in the foster care system to complete the FAFSA. 
• The Intersect Releases New Report: “Prioritizing Economic Justice: Findings and Implications from a Review of WIOA and TANF Systems Collaboration”: The report combines interviews with communities that are advancing collaboration strategies across the WIOA and TANF public systems alongside an analysis of national public workforce data. The report offers insights to better understand how individuals with low incomes, people participating in TANF programs or those who have exhausted benefits are faring in workforce programs and the shifts necessary to advance more just and equitable public systems.