Background

Emerging Worker Sub-Committee: The Emerging Worker Sub-Committee met for the first time in March 2001 as one of four Sub-Committees of New York’s State Workforce Investment Board. The Sub-Committee is co-chaired by Richard P. Mills, Commissioner, New York State Education Department and Gerard Pierce, Director of Human Resources for Wegmans Food, Inc. Membership consists of 13 public and private members who were appointed to the New York State Workforce Investment Board in 2000. The Sub-Committee receives staff support from: N.Y.S. Education Department (SED), N.Y.S. Department of Labor (DOL), the N.Y.S. Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS), Wegmans Food, Inc., and the New York State Business Council.

The Sub-Committee’s mission is:

To ensure that all New York’s youth are better prepared for employment by:

• enabling them to meet New York’s educational/learning standards;
• providing them with the work skills, life skills and supports necessary to succeed in New York’s job market; and
• exposing them to a greater array of potential career opportunities, including demand occupations.

A list of members and additional information about the Sub-Committee can be found under the State Workforce Investment Board on DOL’s web-site: www.wdsny.org

Survey Purpose: In June, 2001, the Sub-Committee e-mailed a survey to New York’s 33 youth councils to obtain a comprehensive picture of implementation, successes, challenges, state policy issues and opportunities, technical assistance needs, and promising and effective practices. The results of the survey are being used to shape discussion at a statewide dialogue with the chairs of youth councils and local workforce investment boards that will take place from 1-3 p.m. on July 11, 2001. The survey is intended as a first step in developing a clear picture of implementation, technical assistance needs, and policy recommendations for state level support.

Response: Survey findings are based on responses from 20 youth councils listed in Appendix A. Responses represent all geographic areas of the State, big and small workforce investment areas, rural and urban. The results are preliminary and will evolve as staff work with all youth councils on an on-going basis.

Structure and Implementation

Implementing federal requirements
The federal Workforce Investment Act requires every local workforce investment board to appoint a youth council to advise the local workforce investment board on new requirements for youth, age 14 to 21. These requirements represent a dramatic change from provisions under the predecessor Job Training Partnership Act: year-round programming, greater emphasis on academics and credentials, 10 required program elements that must be made available to all eligible youth, connections with one-stop delivery systems being developed in every local workforce investment area, 12-month follow-up, and expenditure of at least 30% of federal Workforce Investment Act youth funding for out-of-school youth.

Diversity of youth councils
New York State is a diverse state with 33 local workforce investment areas. These encompass five large metropolitan areas as well as vast rural areas. The size and scope of New York’s youth councils which participated in the survey reflect this diversity:

• Size: Youth councils range in size from 9 to 38, with the average size of 27.

• Participation by local Workforce Investment Board members: Given the diversity of size and scope, youth councils include a range of local workforce investment board (LWIB) representatives as members. The vast majority (19) had 2 or more WIB members.

• Participation by private employers:
  
  • 7 of 20 were chaired by local employers
  • All listed private employers as members

• Youth council chairs: Youth councils in New York State are chaired by a full range of members, including:
  
  • Teacher
  • Director of housing development
  • CEOs of private industry
  • Community relations manager for private industry
  • Social services commissioner
  • Director of employment and training
  • Director of BOCES alternative education and adult education

• Frequency of meetings: The majority of youth councils (18) had met more than 6 times over the past 12 months. Nearly all had met recently in May or June, 2001.
  
  • 2 met 1-3 times
  • 6 met 4-6 times
  • 12 met more than 6 times

• Both policy and advisory roles: The majority act in an advisory role to the Workforce Investment Board with respect to development of youth programming. In most instances, the Board retains final policy-making authority.

Strengths and Successes

The survey found many encouraging results, particularly since many youth councils are less than one-year old:

• Broad mission: The vast majority of youth councils have adopted a vision and mission that is broader than required under the federal Workforce Investment Act (WIA).
  
  • 18 of 20 view their mission as developing a comprehensive workforce development system for all youth, not just those eligible under WIA
  • 8 identify their role as developing recommendations for WIA Title 1 funding for youth

• Comprehensive partnerships: The majority of youth councils (13) are involved in broad-based partnership building, including the following:
  
• 13 cited new collaborative relationships as a major strength
• 9 cited strong connections to schools and BOCES, including a network of schools in their region
• 9 had participation by VESID; 7 had agencies serving students with disabilities