YouthBuild

20190416T124252

Problem Based Learning

Problem Based Learning: Collaborative, Student-Driven Learning in Real-World Contexts

20200930T090955

Building Quality Work Experiences to Promote Strong Career Pathways

Meaningful, hands-on work experience is an integral part of developing a strong career pathway for YouthBuild participants.  These opportunities are an essential element of the YouthBuild program, a culmination of career preparation before the end of active programming. 

20210428T132559

Structuring and Implementing Virtual DOL YouthBuild Work Experiences

20170919T112032

WIOA in Year Three - What Do YouthBuild Programs Need to Know?

As September marks the start of yet another grant class of YouthBuild grants, it seems like a good time for us to provide a refresher on the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act and the requirements it places on YouthBuild grantees.

20190416T091125

Making Shifts for Reaching Higher levels of Learning

(Written by Jason Marshal, Director of Education at YouthBuild USA) YouthBuild instructors are working to help YouthBuild learners reach higher standards on GED (General Educational Development), HiSET (High School Equivalency Test), TASC (Testing Assessing Secondary Completion), and high school diploma assessments across the country.  New tests more closely aligned with Common Core State Standards(CCSS) require educators to incorporate a range of instructional shifts into their classrooms.

20180611T145907

North America’s Building Trades Unions’ Building Trades Multi-Craft Core Curriculum

By Guest Blogger Daryl Wright, Vice President of Partnerships at YouthBuild USA

20201120T142819

Evolving Apprenticeship Pathways at YouthBuild

When developing career pathways for YouthBuild participants, meaningful, hands-on work experience has always been integral to YouthBuild’s consistently evolving approach.  Apprenticeship, a form of work-based learning, provides this type of invaluable experience by integrating paid work experience, classroom instruction, and a nationally recognized, portable credential.

20181119T135512

Leveraging Relationships with Offices of Apprenticeships to Promote Partnerships and Pathways

The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) is designed, in part, to connect out-of-school youth to education and jobs. Under WIOA, YouthBuild programs are considered pre-apprenticeship models, with a goal of connecting youth participants to jobs by preparing them for, and connecting them to, future apprenticeships.

20201006T134538

Beyond Case Management

20200409T103657

Promoting Financial Literacy at Your Program

As YouthBuild programs prepare their young people to be ready to work, they also have a significant responsibility to provide sound financial education to ensure that youth become financially competent, confident, and secure.  Providing formal financial capability and literacy curricula that is intentional is essential in assisting the next generation of workers to make informed financial decisions and plan for their future security. 

20200911T113942

Teaching and Learning Using Instructional Design

The participants in YouthBuild programs have dropped out of traditional secondary education for many reasons, but often it is because the traditional educational setting was not effective in addressing their instructional needs and learning styles.  YouthBuild plays a vital role in assisting our youth in improving basic academic skills, attaining a high school diploma or high school equivalency credential, and becoming ready to work.  

20190619T091252

Substance Use, Trauma, and Other Challenges: Effective Case Management Strategies

DOL YouthBuild Newsletter: June 2019 Edition

20200724T144744

Property Maintenance as a Career Pathway for YouthBuild Graduates

Property managers handle the maintenance of rental buildings and grounds, work to resolve tenant issues, and take care of finances associated with the property. This work can include repairing equipment, painting, electrical work, and HVAC maintenance, among other tasks.  Careers in property management can include management of small stand-alone apartment buildings or working for management companies that oversee maintenance of large commercial or industrial properties. 

20200113T082410

DOL YouthBuild Newsletter - 2019 Year in Review

20200312T084744

Planning for Program Implementation: Partnership Engagement

No YouthBuild program can succeed without partners.  Partnership engagement is essential to maintain throughout the life and across all areas of your program. It is important to engage those who help to fund your program, those who provide key components of programming, and those you engage for a presentation, internship, work experience, and placement. Key examples of potential partnerships include (but are not limited to) the following:

20200709T132027

Quality Staffing and Resources for Staff Roles

YouthBuild program success isn’t possible without exceptional staff who effectively collaborate with each other to build a strong program. As any YouthBuild program staff member knows, it is uniquely challenging and rewarding work. Each staff member has core duties specific to their role, but they also have responsibilities to reinforce the larger career pathway activities that intersect in important ways through their work with their colleagues, participants, and partners. 

20190416T082910

Achieving Sustainability at Your YouthBuild Program

Many YouthBuild programs depend largely on one or two funding sources, which makes it challenging to sustain the program for long-term growth. Programs can be at risk of having to reduce services or even having to close when major sources of funding are lost.  Successful YouthBuild programs have diversified funding sources and have established solid partnerships with other local community-based organizations that provide similar services.

20170215T113557

Financial Literacy Practices at YouthBuild Programs

20180809T104441

Utilizing Partnerships and Diversifying Funds to Achieve Sustainability

This month’s webinar and newsletter are focused on sustainability – a topic that can seem overwhelming, but with focused attention is actually quite simple. What is sustainability? It’s the ability to implement programming over time, and it’s accomplished by creating an organizational plan for long-term fiscal and programmatic health.

20180910T112632

Building Your Toolbox for Success: Key Reminders for Program Planning

As you know, the daily operation of a YouthBuild program requires intentional planning and continuous quality improvement in order to meet the needs of youth participants and the demands of grant requirements.  The real-world implementation of the program proposal that won the DOL YouthBuild grant requires many diverse tools and resources.

20180607T083909

Contruction Plus Framework: Strategies for Program Alignment

This month’s newsletter focuses on Construction Plus, the YouthBuild model that offers occupational skills training beyond construction. First offered as a training option in 2013, Construction Plus (also known as C+) is an addition to the YouthBuild model that allows for the expansion of occupational skills training into industry-recognized certifications beyond the required construction training.

20181211T152804

DOL YouthBuild Newsletters 2018: Year in Review

As the end of 2018 approaches, it’s a time for reflection and forward thinking.  Below, we review the information that we have shared with the monthly newsletters so far this year.  You can reflect on the information shared, as well as the connections to further archived webinar content, by selecting the links below. 

20210115T104735

2020 Year in Review

We wish you and yours a happy New Year!  We are looking forward to our collaborative work with you, as you continue to strive to build and implement high-quality programming for the young people of your communities.  

20191209T094441

Sustaining and Growing Your YouthBuild Program: Developing Resources Beyond Government Grants

20190411T140827

Leadership Development Approach and Strategies

Leadership development is a core element of the YouthBuild model. YouthBuild program staff are charged with deepening their understanding and adoption of positive leadership development practices that support participants and alumni to have positive outcomes.  Developing leadership skills better prepares youth participants to successfully transition into and through post-secondary education and career training. 

20200207T125204

Starting Out Strong: Using Your Grant Planning Period

Built into the DOL YouthBuild grant period of performance is a four–month planning period to support hiring activities, solidifying partnerships, and program launch activities.  Using this period in accordance with the timeline of critical activities submitted with the grant proposal is crucial to program success. Revisit your grant application’s program narrative, which becomes the grant Statement of Work (SOW), as a guide in planning and program design.

20190913T142712

Supporting YouthBuild Students Using the YouthBuild Mentoring Model

Mentoring is one of the key roles that YouthBuild programs fill for youth participants, whether formally or informally.  The impact of a caring adult on the success of Opportunity Youth is well documented and the YouthBuild Mentoring model has been shown to have beneficial impacts.  For programs not currently using a formal mentoring practice, the information below may help to guide and focus mentoring efforts.        

20191008T130412

Incorporating Service Into Your Construction Plus Programming and Placement Strategy

20171010T154551

Cultural Relevancy, Student-Centered Learning, and Student Success

20170824T102904

Data Management Work is YouthBuild Work!

Timing is Everything

20171212T104215

Crucial Questions to Ask When Planning for Placement

The DOL YouthBuild TA Collaborative will soon be sharing resources to help programs make the most of the required Job Developer position.  These tools will help to lay the groundwork for understanding both the internal (participant) focused work and the external (employer/post-secondary education or training provider) focused work that must be accomplished for successful post-program placements.  

20180507T112413

Partnering with the American Job Center Network

American Job Centers (AJCs, also known as One-Stop Centers) are the cornerstone of the public workforce system. As noted in TEGL 16-16:

20180213T094457

Building Placement Success on a Sound Foundation of Staffing and Partnerships

As YouthBuild programs are placing a greater emphasis on placement and retention, the DOL YouthBuild TA Collaborative continues to support this need by providing resources designed to strengthen placement practices.

20190813T075651

The Job Developer: A Crucial Staff Role for YouthBuild Program Success

This month we take a focused look at the role of the job developer and how best to utilize this staff member.  There are many misconceptions related to the job developer function; most prevalently, that it is a role only needed after or near exit.  However, the job functions for this role start as early as the implementation phase for your program and this staff member should be working with participants the moment they come in the door and with partners the moment the job begins.

20210610T113442

PACE YouthBuild Helps Feed New Bedford During COVID-19 Pandemic

Guest blogger Lisa Mello Frost, Director of PACE YouthBuild New Bedford

20190416T092547

WIOA and the Role of Career One-Stops

The Workforce Investment Opportunity Act (WIOA) and the Role of Career One-Stops

20190111T094328

DOL YouthBuild 2016-2017 WIOA Performance Updates and Timing

We are finally starting to collect early performance data on WIOA outcomes!  While there is still much work to do – both in ensuring more accurate and prompt reporting and in developing the system capabilities to support WIOA performance outcomes – we are excited to see the first information on how YouthBuild grantees are adjusting to these new metrics.

20180117T152821

DOL YouthBuild and WIOA Reporting

Data is a valuable resource at your YouthBuild program - it is one of the most important ways you tell your story. Each YouthBuild program is different, serving different student populations, with different resources available, using a different approach to implement the program model. But data management, technology, and online reporting tools are an increasingly important part of every YouthBuild program’s work — in fact, it is required!

20190325T103822

Case Management

Case Management: Keeping YouthBuild Participants and Staff Focused on Teaching, Learning, and Positive individual and Community Empowerment

20190416T092041

Trauma-Informed Care

According to a survey on adverse childhood experiences by the National Survey of Children’s Health, “almost half the nation’s children have experienced at least one or more types of serious childhood trauma.” As YouthBuild practitioners, you’ve seen this first hand in your programs. Note the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s definition of trauma:

20190717T083351

Universal Design for Learning: Meeting the Needs of all Learners

YouthBuild programs serve participants with multiple barriers to future employment success – the lack of a high school diploma due to struggles with traditional classroom learning is one of the largest.  Universal Design for Learning is one approach to help teach learners with diverse learning styles and comfort levels. 

20201016T112451

Increased Learner Engagement: Strategies for Education Credential Attainment

YouthBuild programs are always seeking to adopt teaching strategies that are engaging and relevant to YouthBuild participants. These Opportunity Youth are vulnerable learners with complex needs. The critical hope is that the teaching strategies lead to positive student outcomes such as attaining a high school diploma or high school equivalency (HSE) credential.

20210528T115205

Designing an Effective and Inclusive Virtual Learning Environment

Over the past year, when in-person engagement was not possible due to pandemic restrictions, many YouthBuild programs transitioned to virtual learning and programming as a strategy to provide services to participants. As states begin to ease restrictions, YouthBuild programs may continue to use virtual learning environments to meet participant needs. 

20170418T150946

Leadership in the Trades

  “Community service and youth leadership are core aspects of the YouthBuild model.” -2017 YouthBuild Funding Opportunity Announcement Youth leadership is a key component of the YouthBuild model for very good reason.

20210630T222800

Utilizing Sector Strategies in Developing Career Pathways

Sector Strategies engage a system-wide approach to collaborating across a local or regional labor market to support workforce development.  For YouthBuild programs, taking a sector strategy approach to developing career pathways in in-demand industries means understanding the hiring needs of employers in the sector, connecting these employers to the labor force supplied by YouthBuild, and providing high-quality training to ensure YouthBuild participants can compete for these jobs.

20190515T085155

How to Successfully Integrate and Implement the YouthBuild Construction Component

Construction, a core component of YouthBuild, provides youth participants with hands-on work experience as they pursue an industry-recognized construction credential. A strong construction program must adhere to the pre-apprenticeship model to ensure successful implementation.  The pre-apprenticeship model allows for integration of the training component into the educational and leadership components of YouthBuild.

20170330T100231

Documentation Requirements and Key Guidance

The process for how YouthBuild staff will document participant eligibility, track progress, and document participant outcomes should be created and shared within the team before any participant enrollments occur. YouthBuild staff are required to document both participant eligibility and all performance outcomes that occur during the participant’s time in the program and in the first 12 months after program exit. 

20171113T083031

Partnering with Workforce Development Agencies to Promote Apprenticeship

Apprenticeship is an earn-while-you-learn training model in which YouthBuild graduates can gain valuable work experience while receiving related technical instruction. Apprenticeships may last from one to six years.

20190416T083207

Connecting to Registered Apprenticeship Pathways: Registered Apprenticeship Toolkit

Connecting to Registered Apprenticeship Pathways for YouthBuild raises awareness for YouthBuild program staff in understanding Registered Apprenticeship, the benefits of creating a Registered Apprenticeship career pathway for youth, and methods for developing and strengthening partnerships that will advance participants’ transition to advanced training and employment with livable wages.

20170109T103804

Understanding Match Requirements for Your YouthBuild Grant

Whether you are in the second or third year of your YouthBuild grant, or are just beginning to implement program services under your 2016 award, meeting the match requirement necessitates a thorough understanding of the definition of match as well as clarity on allowable and unallowable costs.

20200511T153837

Building a Construction Career Pathway at Your YouthBuild Program

Construction career pathways are intended to expand the number of trained participants who have the skills required by employers in the construction industry, benefiting the economy and providing employment that offers a sustainable, livable wage. 

20191113T082927

Emerging Approaches to Apprenticeship Pathway Development

20201020T114750

Construction Plus Framework

For DOL YouthBuild programs, 2019 is quickly becoming known as “the year of Construction Plus” and with more YouthBuild sites running C+ programming, it is an important time to review the C+ program model and its accompanying framework.

20211217T130543

Celebrating the Power of Mentorship

January is National Mentoring Month!  Organizations across the country are celebrating the power of relationships to effect positive change in the lives of young people, raise awareness of the mentoring movement, and take the opportunity to thank inspiring mentors. We hope you will join us in highlighting the benefits of mentoring, discussing best practices for supporting young people, and sharing your inspiring stories!

20211217T132434

PACE YouthBuild New Bedford Holds Pop-up Recruitment Events

This past summer PACE YouthBuild New Bedford (MA) began conducting pop-up recruitment events.  It started with the program hosting a recruitment table at National Night Out, a community event in the city, and quickly transitioned to regular pop-up events. 

20190226T081404

Rethinking Recruitment: Partnerships and Strategies

The success of a YouthBuild program is evident when the program achieves strong program outcomes for participants by helping them to attain educational and vocational credentials, as well as an education and/or employment placement that is a on a career pathway towards a sustaining wage and upward mobility.

20211213T102852

VIRTUAL LEARNING FOR APPRENTICESHIPS: THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE IN-BETWEEN

When the pandemic drove school and employment online overnight, we found that, in some ways, the virtual space accommodated what we never thought it could; in others, it failed to live up to expectations. The abrupt transition created unique challenges for the 636,000 apprentices in the U.S. and the program practitioners, who were required to quickly rethink how to provide job training and hands-on experience. So, what have we learned about the virtual space’s impact on the apprenticeship model?