The WIOA Title I youth program aims to equip young individuals facing significant barriers in achieving success with the necessary skills for employment or further education, fostering a strong connection between academic learning and practical skills. It offers assistance and resources to conquer these obstacles, facilitating a smooth transition into independent adulthood. Collaborating closely with IowaWORKS, local communities deliver a range of youth-focused activities and services, overseen by the Northeast Iowa Workforce Development Board.
Title I of WIOA outlines a broad youth vision that supports an integrated service delivery system and provides a framework through which states and local areas can leverage other Federal, state, local, and philanthropic resources to support in-school youth (ISY) and out-of-school youth (OSY).
Youth program career planners should deliver services in a customer-centered, high-quality manner which seeks to advance the following for participants:
- Enhanced skill sets
- Increased likelihood of entry into meaningful employment
- Enhanced chances of retaining employment leading to self-sufficiency, and
- Removal and reduction in barriers to employment
Iowa shares the commitment to providing high-quality services for all youth and young adults through the following activities:
- Career exploration and guidance
- Continued support for educational attainment
- Opportunities for skills training for in-demand industries and occupations, such as pre-apprenticeships or internships, and
- Job placement assistance in a field that supports a career pathway, enrollment in postsecondary education, or a Registered Apprenticeship
Iowa’s youth program connects eligible youth to a continuum of services and activities, aimed at teaching the youth to navigate the appropriate educational and workforce systems based on an established career pathway. Services based on the unique needs of each individual participant are applied program wide.
The Title I Youth Program includes 14 elements for Service Delivery
- Tutoring
- Alternative secondary school services
- Experiential learning opportunities such as paid or unpaid work experiences, pre-apprenticeship programs, internships or job shadowing, on-the-job training opportunities
- Occupational skills training
- Education offered concurrently with workforce preparation and training
- Leadership development opportunities
- Supportive services
- Mentoring
- Follow-up services
- Comprehensive guidance and counseling
- Financial literacy education
- Entrepreneurial skills training
- Services that provide labor market and employment information
- Postsecondary education and training preparation activities
Eligibility
Eligibility conditions depend on whether a youth is considered Out-of-School or In School.
Out-of-School Youth
Youth ages 16-24, Not attending school and meets one or more of the following conditions:
- School dropout
- Recipient of a secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent who is a low-income and is also either one of the following: Basic skills deficient or An English Language Learner
- Offender
- Homeless individual or a runaway
- Individual in foster care or has aged out of the foster care system
- Individual with a disability
- Low-income individual or person living in high-poverty area who requires additional assistance to enter or complete an educational program or to secure employment
- Pregnant or parenting
In-School Youth
Youth ages 14-21, Attending school, low-income, and meets one or more of the following conditions.
- Basic skills deficient
- English Language Learner
- Offender
- Homeless individual or a runaway
- Individual in foster care or has aged out of the foster care system
- Pregnant or parenting
- Individual with a disability
Enrollment
For youth to be considered a participant in the WIOA Title I Youth Program, all of the following must occur:
- An eligibility determination must be made
- The provision of an objective assessment
- Development of an individual service strategy; and
- Participation in any of the 14 WIOA program elements (listed above)
Get More Information
Call or visit your local IowaWORKS office to meet with a Career Planner to determine eligibility for the youth program.
Links & Resources
WIOA Program on Workforce.iowa.gov
WIOA Title I Youth Services Flyer