Workforce Investment Act - Youth

The goal of WorkSource's Workforce Investment Act (WIA) - Youth program is to help young people complete their education and find and retain employment.

Through the coordination of the Youth Employment Partnership, low-income youth, ages 14 - 21, can receive work readiness and life skills through WIA that will help them achieve their career goals. Some of the services offered include:

• Career counseling
• GED or high school equivalency training
• Job readiness training
• Leadership skills development
• Tutoring
• Employment opportunities and paid work experience

The Youth Employment Partnership, a WorkSource - Funded Program, is a collaboration of four community partners whose goal is to help young people transition from high school to post-secondary education, training, or suitable employment. The partners are:

•American YouthWorks
AYW is a non-profit Charter School located in downtown Austin that incorporates job training and job placement services as part of their educational and project-based enrichment programs.
(512) 744-1918

•Communities in Schools
CIS enables young people to learn, stay in school and prepare for a successful life by providing school-based services and links to community resources.
(512) 464-9732

•Goodwill
Goodwill Industries of Central Texas, Inc. is committed to providing services that help participants overcome identified barriers to education and employment.
(512) 637-7181

•LifeWorks
LifeWorks' mission is to transition youth and families from crisis to safety and success . LifeWorks operates three multi-service centers in Austin and four sites dedicated to housing and serving homeless and runaway youth and youth exiting foster care.
(512) 735-2400

Ready by 21/Youth Advisory Group

In addition to the career and employment services for youth, WorkSource is also serving young people through the Youth Advisory Group (YAG) of Austin/Travis County, a collaborative group of youth service providers, educators, government agency representatives, and teen advisors who are concerned about the youth in our community, especially youth who face challenges to achieving self-sufficiency.

The YAG is focused on engaging youth and seeking their input, and working with educators, service providers, and other partners to facilitate:

• Mapping the services and resources committed to youth development;
• Identifying gaps in critical services;
• Leveraging, aligning, and seeking resources to address the gaps;
• Sharing information on effective practices;
• Collecting and sharing data on community needs and effectiveness (including the Return On Investment to taxpayers and other potential funders); and ultimately,
• Helping more youth to be successful in school and the transition to postsecondary education, work, and civic engagement.

One of YAG’s initiatives is Ready by 21, an effort to young people in the Austin/Travis County community to be:

• Ready for higher education and learning
• Ready for work and career advancement
• Ready to lead healthy lives, and
• Ready for positive social and civic connections and engagement

For more information on the YAG or Ready by 21, please visit www.readyby21austin.org.