DC Youth and Young Adult Update 6-21-2024

• Early Bird Registration for NYEC 2024 Youth Days in Washington D.C. Closes Tomorrow: 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 mix of virtual preparation and in-person interaction in Washington, DC. If you are new to policy and advocacy or a skilled advocate, you want to join us! 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! Early bird registration closes tomorrow! 

• 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, Co-chairs Rep. Michelle Steel (R-CA) and Rep. Troy Carter (D-LA), and Rep. Don Davis (D-NC) are the three members of the BYOC. 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. Deadline: TODAY! 

Executive Branch: 

• Department of Labor Fines State for Violating Child Labor Laws: After lobbying for looser teen work regulations in 2023, the Iowa Restaurant Association is now urging members to follow stricter federal rules for workers under 16. Federal regulators are cracking down on violations nationwide, including in Iowa, and imposing hefty fines on non-compliant businesses. The Labor Department insists it’s not targeting Iowa specifically. 

Legislative Branch:  

• Senate HELP (Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions) Committee Holds Hearing on The Need to Invest in Public Education: On Thursday, June 19th, the Senate HELP Committee held a hearing on the issues currently plaguing educators in our schools, and how the federal government can help to alleviate some of these concerns so that students can receive the education they deserve.  

Federal Funding Opportunities: 

Federal Funding Opportunities are getting their own eblast! Come back next THURSDAY for our first weekly member-only funding newsletter. 

From The States: 

• Labor Department Joins with US Army for New Career Pathway (Alaska): Soldiers and cadets looking for their next step after serving, or Alaska Army National Guard members in between deployments, now have a new pathway to employment. The Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development (DOLWD) recently joined the U.S. Army’s Partnership for Your Success (PaYS) program on June 14th. This partnership agreement, signed by the Alaska Army National Guard on behalf of the U.S. Army, ensures these service members will have access to interview opportunities with the DOLWD. 

• Updated Materials on Workplace Lactation Rights Released By Department of Labor (New York): In preparation for the June 19, 2024, transition to mandated paid lactation breaks in New York workplaces, the New York State Department of Labor has released updated resources, including a revised model policy. 

For The Youth: 

• The Summer Intern Program for Science and Technology (NSA): Young people ages 18-22 will have the opportunity to tackle the nation’s most pressing cyber challenges alongside leading computer scientists and engineers. They will be able to enhance their skills in a selected field of study through real-world assignments, and they will work closely with a project mentor on a specific mission-focused problem, all within a stimulating high-tech environment