COVID-19 and WIOA Youth Program Resources Now Available!

COVID-19 and Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA)

Youth Resources for WIOA Youth Practitioners

 

The Division of Youth Services (DYS) within the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) understands the impact the coronavirus (COVID-19) is having on your programs and the youth you serve.  We know you are working hard to address the challenges you now face in serving young people due to COVID-19, and we thank you for continuing to serve youth (even if it’s not in person)!  By being innovative and creative with various forms of technology, your programs keep participants safe and engaged.

 

DYS has identified youth-related COVID-19 resources you may find useful, as well as new technical assistance resources to help support your work serving our nation’s most vulnerable young people.  Finally, we wanted to make sure you didn’t miss a new youth apprenticeship funding opportunity.  See below for details.

 

ETA COVID-19 Resources

 

ETA has created a COVID-19 Resources web page which includes a series of technical assistance resources and frequently asked questions (FAQs).  This page, with frequent updates, will help address grants management questions related to COVID-19 to help state and local workforce leaders during this crisis.  Please visit: https://www.workforcegps.org/resources/2020/03/18/23/35/Coronavirus-COVID-19-Resources.

 

 

IWGYP Economic Impact Payments for COVID-19 Webpage

• Economic Impact Payments for COVID-19: The Basics.  This webpage released by the Interagency Working Group on Youth Programs (IWGYP) is intended to answer questions young people have about the impact payment in clear language – what it is, who gets it, and how to get it.  It includes information on the IRS’s Get My Payment tool, how to file your taxes for free (and what to do if you don’t need to file taxes), and how to avoid scams right now.  To view the webpage, visit: https://engage.youth.gov/resources/economic-impact-payments-covid-19-basics.

 

WIOA Youth Policy Guidance

• TEN 22-19 Technical Assistance Resources for the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Youth Program. Training and Employment Notice (TEN) No. 22-19 provides technical assistance to states, local workforce areas, and other recipients of WIOA Title I youth formula funds to help address the needs of disconnected youth.  To obtain additional information, visit: https://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/corr_doc.cfm?DOCN=8754.

 

Apprenticeship Funding Announcement

• DOL Announced Availability of $42.5 Million In Youth Apprenticeship Grants.  The  U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL’s) Employment and Training Administration (ETA) announced the availability of $42.5 million in Youth Apprenticeship Readiness grants to support the enrollment of in-school or out-of-school youth apprentices (ages 16-24) into new or existing Registered Apprenticeship Programs (RAPs).  ETA intends to fund approximately 15 to 25 Youth Apprenticeship Readiness grants, with awards ranging from $1 million to $5 million.  The amount of grant funding an applicant can receive will depend on the proposed number of youth enrolled in RAPs.  Grant number: FOA-ETA-20-06. To view the press release, visit: https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/eta/eta20200406. Deadline: May 6.

 

WIOA Youth Technical Assistance Resources

• Resources on Trauma and Trauma-Informed Care.  Ensuring youth workforce system providers understand the impacts of trauma on the young people they serve is critical to achieving positive outcomes.  Integrating trauma-informed practices into service delivery can help youth feel safe, supported, and engaged while participating in education, training and employment.  You can find a number of resources to assist practitioners in better understanding and integrating trauma-informed care in their work at: https://youth.workforcegps.org/resources/2020/03/24/11/13/Resources-on-Trauma-and-Trauma-Informed-Care.
• First Step: A Youth Practitioner’s Resource Guide to Supportive Services.  This guide provides youth practitioners with the information needed to connect young adults to those supportive services their employing organizations may not offer and provides quick and easy access to programs and services at the state or local level.  To view the guide visit: https://youth.workforcegps.org/resources/2020/03/06/09/38/Resource-Guide-to-Supportive-Services.
• Vocational Rehabilitation and WIOA Youth Programs Collaboration Opportunities.  This webcast series provides an overview of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Youth and Vocational Rehabilitation programs.  The webcast series will walk viewers through both programs and explain eligibility, services and other pertinent program information.  The series will also help state and local workforce leaders, youth program practitioners, and other youth stakeholders and partners better understand both programs and how to collaborate effectively to serve youth with disabilities.  To view the webcasts, visit: https://youth.workforcegps.org/resources/2020/03/26/16/49/Vocational-Rehabilitation-and-WIOA-Youth-Programs-Collaboration-Opportunities.

 

Join the Community

To access the TA resources mentioned above and learn about any new ones, become a member of the Youth Connections Community of Practice. 

 

Ask Questions and Share Best Practices

If you have any questions for us or wish to share any news or best practices, reach out to us at youth.services@dol.gov.