Services for Youth With Disabilities Provided Under Title I of the Workforce Investment Act: Results From a Survey of Local Workforce Investment Boards
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Services for Youth With Disabilities Provided Under Title I of the Workforce Investment Act: Results From a Survey of Local Workforce Investment Boards
Issue
2015-02
Publication Info
Description
The road to employment and economic self-sufficiency is considerably steeper for those youth who face some type of physical, sensory, cognitive, mental health, or other disability. The U. S. Department of Labor is actively addressing the needs and interests of individuals with disabilities through policy guidance, research, staffing and program support as well as technical assistance and training. The Department conducted a study to examine the public workforce system’s current efforts to serve youth with disabilities. The study profiles the implementation of various practices intended to support this effort and identifies factors that may pose barriers to the provision of targeted services. Additionally, the study provides recommendations to help shape future programs, policies, technical assistance and research initiatives related to serving youth with disabilities.
The cornerstone of this research is a survey of representatives from LWIBs on a range of topics relating to serving youth with disabilities. The data were gathered via an on line survey and completed by 69 percent of the LWIB Executive Directors or designees. This report presents a summary of the survey results. In addition to gathering general perspectives and challenges inherent in serving youth with disabilities, the analyses examined the extent to which LWIBs:
• use customized assessments to identify participant needs and develop service plans;
• provide training to build staff capacity to better serve this population;
• expand their resource base through partnerships and combining funding streams;
• actively target the out-of-school population of youth with disabilities; and
• provide employment and community service opportunities.
This study is the first to describe the programmatic and environmental context that shapes the provision of services to youth with disabilities by the workforce development system at the local level. Gathering first hand insights from practitioners provides important information that can be used to improve policy and practices for this population.
Key Words: youth with disabilities. WIA, workforce development
The cornerstone of this research is a survey of representatives from LWIBs on a range of topics relating to serving youth with disabilities. The data were gathered via an on line survey and completed by 69 percent of the LWIB Executive Directors or designees. This report presents a summary of the survey results. In addition to gathering general perspectives and challenges inherent in serving youth with disabilities, the analyses examined the extent to which LWIBs:
• use customized assessments to identify participant needs and develop service plans;
• provide training to build staff capacity to better serve this population;
• expand their resource base through partnerships and combining funding streams;
• actively target the out-of-school population of youth with disabilities; and
• provide employment and community service opportunities.
This study is the first to describe the programmatic and environmental context that shapes the provision of services to youth with disabilities by the workforce development system at the local level. Gathering first hand insights from practitioners provides important information that can be used to improve policy and practices for this population.
Key Words: youth with disabilities. WIA, workforce development