Responding to Employment Challenges of At-Risk Youth: Federal Programs & an Advancement Framework

The Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA, P.L. 105-220) is the primary federal law that provides job training and related services to unemployed and underemployed individuals, including vulnerable young people with barriers to employment. All youth job training programs and related services are authorized under Title I of WIA and administered by the Department of Labor (DOL). These programs include the WIA Youth Activities formula program, Job Corps, and YouthBuild. This book provides an overview of issues that have been raised by stakeholders about youth programs authorized under WIA. It also presents a research-based framework for efforts to increase the likelihood that youth at greater risk of negative outcomes will enter a career trajectory and prepare to become well-functioning, self-sufficient adults.