WIOA Youth Activities

To help low income youth, between the ages of 14 and 24, acquire the educational and occupational skills, training, and support needed to achieve academic and employment success and successfully transition into careers and productive adulthood.

The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Youth program under current law helps out-of-school youth and low-income in-school youth with barriers to employment by providing services that prepare them for employment and post-secondary education. WIOA authorizes services to 14-21 year-old low-income in-school youth and 16-24 year-old out-of-school youth who have barriers to employment. Youth Activities funds are allotted by formula to States that, after reserving up to 15 percent for State-wide activities, allocate funds to local areas to deliver an array of youth workforce investment activities. WIOA requires that not less than 75 percent of funds be used to serve out-of-school youth.

Under WIOA, 50 states, Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, and the outlying areas are identified as the recipients of youth training activities funds. For a state to be eligible to receive youth funds, the governor of the state will submit a Unified or Combined State Plan to the Secretary of DOL that outlines a 4-year strategy for the State's workforce development system.

To be eligible, an individual must be an Out-of-School Youth or an In-School Youth. Under WIOA, an out-of-school youth is an individual who is: (a) Not attending any school (as defined under State law); (b) Not younger than age 16 or older than age 24 at time of enrollment; and (c) One or more of the following: (1) A school dropout; (2) A youth who is within the age of compulsory school attendance, but has not attended school for at least the most recent complete school year calendar quarter; (3) A recipient of a secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent who is a low-income individual and is either basic skills deficient or an English language learner; (4) An offender; (5) A homeless individual or a runaway; (6) In foster care or aged out; (7) An individual who is pregnant or parenting; (8) An individual with a disability; or (9) A low-income individual who requires additional assistance to enter or complete an educational program or to secure or hold employment. Under WIOA, An in-school youth (ISY) is an individual who is: (a) Attending school (as defined by State law), including secondary and postsecondary school; (b) Not younger than age 14 or (unless an individual with a disability who is attending school under State law) older than age 21 at time of enrollment; (c) A low-income individual; and (d) One or more of the following: (1) Basic skills deficient; (2) An English language learner; (3) An offender; (4) A homeless individual or a runaway; (5) In foster care or aged out; (6) An individual who is pregnant or parenting; (7) An individual with a disability; or (8) An individual who requires additional assistance to complete an educational program or to secure or hold employment.

Title I of the Act authorizes the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act System and establishes state workforce development boards with oversight responsibility by the governors for local workforce development boards; and establishes the process by which eligible providers of training and youth activities are identified. The Act authorizes the use of funds for youth employment and training activities that will provide eligible youth assistance in achieving careers and academic and employment success; ensures ongoing mentoring opportunities; provides opportunities for training; provides continued supportive services; and provides opportunities for leadership, youth development, financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and community service. Funds must be used in accordance with the rules and regulations. Section 129(C)(4)(A) increases the minimum Out-of-School Youth expenditure rate for youth formula funded programs to 75 percent. Additionally, Section 129(c)(4) prioritizes work experiences with the requirement that local areas must spend a minimum of 20 percent of non-administrative local area funds on work experience.

Formula funds allotted to a state each year are available for expenditure by the State for that program year plus two succeeding program years.

Those portions of the State Plan over which the Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training exercises authority are reviewed and approved by the Employment and Training Administration. Formula funds are awarded to the states based on a statutory formula provided in the authorizing legislation.

In Section 102(c)(2)(B) of WIOA, a unified State plan shall be subject to the approval of both the Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of Education after approval of the Commissioner of the Rehabilitation Services Administration for the portion of the plan described in subsection (b)(2)(D)(ii). The plan shall be considered to be approved at the end of the 90-day period beginning on the day the plan is submitted, unless the Secretary of Labor of the Secretary of Education makes a written determination, during the 90-day period, that the plan is inconsistent with the provisions of this section or the provisions authorizing the core program as appropriate.

: Per 20 CFR 683.100, 105, and 110, fiscal year appropriations for a program year's youth activities, authorized under chapter 2, subtitle B, title I of WIOA may be made available for obligation beginning on April 1 of the fiscal year for which the appropriation is made. The Federal funds allotted to States and outlying areas each program year will be obligated by grant agreement. Funds allotted for any program year are available for expenditure only during that program year and the 2 succeeding program years.

Contact Headquarters Office to obtain information on appeal procedures.