Youth Services & WIA
Regional Youth Providers
Youth Advisory Group
Regional Youth Services Directory 2002
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Youth Services & WIA
The East Texas Workforce Development Board's Regional Youth Services are funded under the Workforce Investment Act (WIA). The Workforce Investment Act serve economically disadvantaged youth 14 through 21 years-of-age.
Workforce Investment Act substantially changed youth programming and placed new emphasis on serving youth within a comprehensive workforce development system. WIA Calls for an interdisciplinary, long-term and comprehensive approach to youth services. Youth programs are to be designed to create a network of integrated youth activities that will provide comprehensive service strategies based on the individual needs of participants.
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Regional Youth Providers
The Workforce Centers are the primary providers of Workforce Investment Act youth services throughout the region. Using the Menu of Services allowable under WIA, the Workforce Centers collaborate with regional youth service providers to coordinate services. In addition, Youth Stand Alone Projects serve as model projects in which area youth organizations identify existing needs related to youth development services and/or geographic areas and design services that will help fill existing gaps within the region. As model projects, these programs are to set a standard for imitation and comparison throughout the region.
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Youth Advisory Group
The Workforce Investment Act (WIA) challenges communities to develop a comprehensive youth development system out of the diverse array of agencies and organizations, both public and private that are critical to positive youth development. The key is integrating the area's diverse collection of youth services into a system of effective connections for youth that will enable them to succeed. A regional Youth Advisory Group has been formed to guide this collaborative effort.
The Youth Advisory Group also provides policy recommendations and observations to the Youth Committee of the Workforce Development Board. The Youth Advisory Group members make their "hands-on" experience available to the WDB in the form of formal recommendations and observations that will be taken into account during the deliberations of the Board. The Youth Advisory Group will advise the WDB on a range of issues impacting the success of the region's youth system including, but not limited to the following:
- Recommending local youth employment and training policy and practices.
- Broadening the youth employment and training focus in the community to incorporate a youth development perspective.
- Identifying and establishing linkages with other organizations serving youth in the local area.
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Regional Youth Services Directory
The Youth Advisory Group of the East Texas Workforce Development Board has organized the "Regional Youth Services Directory" in an effort to better meet the needs of youth in East Texas by identifying the array of youth service providers throughout the fourteen county region comprising the East Texas Workforce Development Area.
The Youth Advisory Group would like to thank the many area youth services agencies and organizations that participated in this process by completing informational surveys which were designed to capture the distinctive characteristics and essence of each agency. We will be updating the Directory periodically. If you would like to request a survey, please Contact Us.
The "Regional Youth Services Directory 2002" is compiled with the understanding that youth have extremely important needs as well as extremely important roles in every aspect of our collective way of life. Therefore, it is the hope of the Youth Advisory Group that this directory will benefit those that have important roles awaiting them and reach these youth in every county, city, town, community, and residence - large and small.
The youth service agencies and organizations listed in the directory are represented by agency name and location, service area coverage, general contact information, agency type, and agency description. The directory additionally contains descriptive information about each agency and organization regarding the youth age groups served, eligibility criteria, fees for services, agency collaborations and/or referral networks, characteristics of youth served, range of services available to youth, and any other activities unique to the agency.
Searchable Database: Browse by Agency Name or Search by: Major Service Categories; County; Age Group; Gender
The Directory will be updated periodically.
Menu of Services Allowable Under WIA
- Tutoring, study skills training, and instruction leading to completion of secondary school, including dropout prevention strategies.
- Alternative secondary school services.
- Summer employment opportunities that are directly linked to academic and occupational learning.
- Paid and unpaid work experience, including internships and job shadowing.
- Occupational skill training.
- Leadership development opportunities, which may include community service and peer-centered activities encouraging responsibility and other positive social behaviors during non-school hours.
- Supportive services
- Adult mentoring for the period of participation and a subsequent period, for a total of not less than 12 months after the completion of participation.
- Comprehensive guidance and counseling, which may include drug and alcohol abuse counseling and referral.
- Follow-up services for not less than 12 months after the completion of participation.
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