1. Purpose. To announce the publication and distribution of "The Youth Council Toolkit."
2. Authorities and Reference. Training and Employment Information Notice No. 4-01, November 14, 2001, Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Readiness Workgroup Activities.
3. Background. The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) convened four groups of local, state, and federal subject-area experts to examine key issues identified in the WIA readiness report. These workgroups were tasked with suggesting strategies to assist the workforce investment system in addressing issues identified as barriers to the successful implementation of WIA. The Office of Youth Services hosted the Youth Services WIA Readiness Workgroups, bringing together state and local subject experts, along with federal regional and national office youth staff to address key youth-related implementation issues. The workgroup subdivided into two groups focusing on youth councils and youth program design. The Youth Council group concentrated on the need for strengthening youth council's capacity to address the issues raised in the WIA Readiness reviews. The WIA Readiness Reviews revealed that many youth councils experienced delays in implementing their strategic youth plans and faced challenges in becoming fully operational.
Four critical areas were identified as particularly challenging for emerging youth councils: planning-including retaining and sustaining members; training for youth council members and staff; implementation of a comprehensive service delivery system; and community outreach. The workgroup recommended developing a toolkit of quick reference guides to help youth councils members and other local workforce board staff address these critical areas. In addition, the group suggested the inclusion of key principles for effective operational practices to help youth councils fulfill their mandate under WIA.
The workgroup developed a Youth Council Toolkit. The toolkit offers a series of technical assistance resources, which are user friendly and generic, to allow local areas the flexibility to re-design them to meet their specific needs. This toolkit represents another technical assistance initiative in a series of resources provided by the Department to help states and Local Boards build the capacity of youth councils.
4. Toolkit. The toolkit contains six modules along with an introduction pamphlet acknowledging the authors of the tool. These modules may be used separately or combined depending on the specific needs of the local youth council. A description of the modules is listed below:
Module 1-Key Principles for effective Youth Councils offers principles that youth councils should consider for effective operation.
Module 2-Work Plan Template provides a format for youth councils to record, organize and plan work activities to carryout the responsibilities delegated to youth councils by the local workforce boards.
Module 3-Membership Scorecard for Retaining and Sustaining Members is designed for youth council leads to evaluate and rate their progress for retaining and sustaining members.
Module 4-Training Quick Start Guide represents a quick reference tool to train youth council members and other interested parties about youth councils.
Module 5-Implementation: An Operational Resource offers quickly accessible
information about the critical elements necessary for a youth council to operate successfully.
Module 6-Public Relations: A Guide to Community Outreach offers tips for
developing an outreach plan and sample correspondence to recruit community leaders and organizations to help in developing a local workforce development system.
5. Distribution. Copies of the guide are accessible on the Youth website at www.doleta.gov/youth_services. Hard copies will be distributed under separate cover through our regional offices.
6. Inquiries. Questions should be directed to the appropriate Regional Office.
EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20210