Workforce Investment Act: Youth Provisions Promote New Service Strategies, but Additional Guidance Would Enhance Program Development.

摘要

The Workforce Investment Act (WIA) of 1998 provides states and local areas an unprecedented opportunity to substantially change the way youth workforce development services are configured and delivered. Historically, programs designed to assist at-risk youth to attain employment and self-sufficiency were a patchwork of short-term, stand alone services delivered by a loosely coordinated network of providers, often resulting in redundancies and inefficiencies. WIA aims to broaden the job training and placement focus of its predecessor, the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA), by requiring states and localities to create a more comprehensive workforce investment system that addresses youths many development needs. In addition, WIA requires states and localities to streamline the delivery of at least 17 federally funded employment and training services--most of which may include some youth services that are administered by the Departments of Labor, Education, and other agencies through one-stop centers, physical sites that serve as gateways to information and services found in communities.