October 19, 2021
Youth Employment and Training Programs Authorized by the
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act
The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA,
 YouthBuild is a competitive grant program that provides
P.L. 113-128) is the primary federal statute centrally
work experience, skills training, and educational
focused on workforce development. It authorizes a group of
services to eligible youth, with a focus on the
programs to assist workers and employers in the labor
construction trades.
market, with an emphasis on individuals with barriers to
employment. This In Focus describes the three programs
WIOA Formula Grants and Youth
authorized in WIOA that target youth and are administered
Activities
by the Department of Labor (DOL).
WIOA Youth Activities is one of six core formula grant
programs in WIOA. States are required to develop a unified
Most of the youth-targeted programs in WIOA define
plan that describes how each of the core funding streams
eligible youth as persons ages 16 to 24 who demonstrate
will be coordinated to meet local workforce needs.
specified barriers to employment. Some individuals served
by these programs could be eligible for both the youth
Youth Activities funds may be used for out-of-school or in-
programs in WIOA as well as other WIOA programs that
school youth, though at least 75% of funds must be used for
serve the general adult population (ages 18+).
out-of-school youth. Out-of-school youth are ages 16 to 24
and meet certain criteria such as being a high school
Table 1. Funding for Youth-Targeted Programs in the
dropout or low-income. In-school youth are ages 14 to 24;
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act
are attending school; are low-income; and meet specified
(dol ars in thousands)
criteria, such as being deficient in basic skills, pregnant or
parenting, homeless, or currently or formerly in foster care.
Youth
Youth-
Fiscal Year
Activities
Job Corps
Build
DOL allots funds to state workforce agencies based on a
formula that accounts for a state’s relative share of
2017
$873,416
$1,704,155
$84,534
unemployment and number of economically disadvantaged
2018
903,416
1,749,555
89,534
youth. States may reserve up to 15% of the funding for
specified statewide activities. The remaining funds are
2019
903,416
1,718,655
89,534
allocated to local workforce development boards (WDBs)
2020
913,130
1,743,655
94,534
that administer the services, typically through a local
partner such as a nonprofit organization or community
2021
921,130
1,748,655
96,534
college.
Source: DOL FY2022 Budget Summary Tables; funding levels include
any supplemental appropriations.
Each local WDB must use Youth Activities funds to offer
14 program elements that include tutoring, study skills
The design and funding levels of the youth-targeted
training, and other academic activities; alternative
programs in WIOA vary:
secondary school services or dropout recovery services;
paid and unpaid work experiences (including summer
 WIOA Youth Activities are formula grants to states that
employment opportunities, pre-apprenticeship programs,
are incorporated into a coordinated planning process
internships and job shadowing, and on-the-job training
with other workforce funding. Like other WIOA-
opportunities); supportive services; adult mentoring;
authorized formula funds, the allowable uses for these
follow-up services; and other specified activities. At least
funds are somewhat broad and include both employment
20% of the funds allocated to the local WDB must be used
activities (such as occupational skills training and work
to provide participating youth (whether they are in school
experience) as well as educational activities. Specific
or not) with paid and unpaid work experiences that have
programming decisions are made by state and local
academic and occupational education as a component.
grantees and subgrantees.
WIOA Youth grantees and subgrantees are subject to a
 Job Corps supports a network of residential centers that
performance accountability system that considers
participants’ subsequent
provide intensive services for participants. Centers
outcomes, including employment,
provide occupational training in a trade as well as
enrollment in education, and earnings.
appropriate academic and social supports. Jobs Corps
has the highest funding of the three youth-targeted
In program year (PY) 2019 (July 2019-June 2020), about
programs in WIOA.
137,000 participants received services under the program.
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Youth Employment and Training Programs Authorized by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act
In PY2018, about 154,000 participants received services
ranked in the lowest 10% of centers and fails to achieve an
under the program.
average of 50% or higher in the expected levels of
performance under each of the primary indicators of
Job Corps
performance for eligible youth in the program.
The Job Corps program supports a network of residential
centers throughout the country that, per statute, provide
Job Corps is not one of the six WIOA core programs and is
eligible youth with “intensive social, academic, career and
not required to be included in the state unified planning
technical education, and service learning opportunities.”
process. States have the option to develop a combined state
Most youth participants reside at the centers.
plan that includes Job Corps.
Job Corps participants must be ages 16 through 24, low-
In PY2019, Job Corps enrolled about 33,000 new
income, and facing one or more of the following barriers to
participants. In PY2018, the program enrolled about 50,000
education and employment: (1) basic skills deficient; (2) a
new participants.
school dropout; (3) homeless, a runaway, a foster child, or
aged out of foster care; (4) a parent; or (5) an individual
Job Corps was initially established by the Economic
who requires additional education, career and technical
Opportunity Act of 1964 (P.L. 88-452) and was most
education or training, or workforce preparation skills to be
recently reauthorized and amended by WIOA.
able to obtain and retain employment that leads to
economic self-sufficiency.
YouthBuild
YouthBuild is a competitive grant program with the
While at a Job Corps center, students receive
primary focus of enabling disadvantaged youth to obtain
comprehensive career development services, including
education, employment, and leadership skills. It focuses on
academic instruction, career and technical training, and
the construction trades, which supports the program’s
work readiness preparation. The program also provides
additional purpose of expanding the supply of permanent
housing, meals, health care services, and other support
affordable housing for the homeless and improving the
services.
quality of nonprofit and public facilities. DOL may also
approve requests from YouthBuild grantees to support
The career and technical training component of Job Corps
workforce development related to other in-demand industry
includes training in a specific trade. Nationwide, Job Corps
sectors or occupations in addition to construction.
supports training in approximately 100 trades, though each
center only provides training in a subset of these trades.
Individuals ages 16 through 24 are eligible for YouthBuild.
Commonly offered trades include office administration,
The program’s primary eligibility criteria target participants
carpentry (pre-apprentice), culinary arts, certified nursing
who have dropped out of school and demonstrate other
assistant, and welding.
specified barriers to employment, including being low-
income. Up to 25% of participants may qualify under
Job Corps has an open-entry, open-exit design and
alternative criteria.
instruction is individualized and self-paced. Participants
enter programs when there are openings and graduate
YouthBuild programs must be structured so that (1) at least
throughout the year. The most recent data on those who
40% of participants’ time in the program is spent on work
exited the program reported that the average length of stay
experience and skill development activities and (2) at least
was between seven and eight months. In most cases,
50% of participants’ time is spent on education and related
program participation may not exceed two years.
services, including counseling and leadership development.
Statute specifies that work experience and skill training
There are more than 100 Job Corps centers, and at least one
activities under YouthBuild shall be, to the maximum
in every state. About 23 of the centers are known as
extent practicable, coordinated with pre-apprenticeship and
Civilian Conservation Centers (CCCs), which are operated
registered apprenticeship activities.
by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest
Service. DOL transfers funding for these centers to USDA
A variety of public and nonprofit entities are eligible for
under an interagency agreement. The CCCs provide
YouthBuild grants. Program grantees must offer
education and training that focuses on preserving public
participants full-time participation in the program for not
natural resources. The other centers are operated by private
less than 6 months and not more than 24 months.
organizations, most of which are for-profit, through
contracts with DOL (which are governed by federal
Per the FY2022 DOL budget, there are approximately 220
procurement laws). WIOA specifies the contract is for a
DOL-funded YouthBuild programs active in 42 states,
two-year period, with up to three optional one-year
serving about 6,000 youth annually.
renewals.
The program was established by the Cranston-Gonzalez
Each center is subject to a performance accountability
National Affordable Housing Act (P.L. 101-625) and was
system that considers a number of metrics related to
most recently amended and reauthorized by WIOA.
participants’ credential attainment, outcomes following
exit, and earnings. In most cases, DOL may not renew the
Benjamin Collins, Analyst in Labor Policy
agreement with a center operator if in the most recent two
preceding years for which data are available the center is
IF11952
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Youth Employment and Training Programs Authorized by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act


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