This fact sheet identifies four promising practices in Summer Youth Employment Programs (SYEPs) that were implemented in 2020 to respond to the economic and health challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. It draws from a survey of 73 SYEP providers and local funders and highlights how SYEPs offer short-term, paid opportunities for youth and young adults to gain career exposure, training, and work experience.

The Performance Partnership Pilot (P3) in New York City targeted fathers and mothers between 17 and 24 years old who did not have a high school credential, lacked other basic skills or had other risk factors, and resided in the city. P3 supported participants’ efforts to complete high school equivalency and earn occupational credentials. This report examines how P3 augmented Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act services for out-of-school youth by allowing participants to receive these services for up to two years. The report also includes a program impact assessment of the use of child support navigators for P3 participants and the incorporation of waivers for funding and performance measures in data reporting.

This podcast presents trends and reasons for declining labor force participation among working women, particularly those who are mothers, since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The podcast also reviews the ways mothers have previously been supported so they could enter the labor force and how the lack of supports for working parents during the pandemic could reverse earlier gains made by women. The podcast is hosted by Kathryn Anne Edwards of the RAND Corporation.

State and local governments can use public sector apprenticeships as a workforce and economic development tool. The Urban Institute will host a webinar on May 11, 2021 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. ET, which will cover the advantages of public sector apprenticeships, how states can apply and receive support to launch or expand apprenticeships, and the benefits from apprenticeship consortium participation. Speakers include representatives of the Denver Public Schools, The Council of State Governments, and the Urban Institute (including a former Kentucky Secretary of Education and Workforce Development).

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Family Assistance (OFA) held the 2021 Regions IV-VIII Tribal TANF and NEW Program Virtual Meeting entitled Moving Forward: Weaving Stories of Perseverance During COVID-19 on March 16-18, 2021. This virtual event brought together Tribal TANF and Native Employment Works (NEW) program representatives from OFA Regions IV-VIII and focused on how programs can best address the needs of families during the pandemic and beyond. The meeting included sessions on promising practices for innovation from Tribal TANF and NEW programs, ideas for program adaptations, strategies for customer engagement, and discussions on broadband access and technology.

The National Association of Workforce Development Professionals (NAWDP) will host its 37th Annual Conference as a virtual event from May 17 to May 19, 2021. Conference workshops are categorized in five tracks: Excelling in a Virtual Environment; Strategies for Workforce Professional Self-Care; Fiscal Responsibility and Oversight; Diversity and Inclusion; and Educating and Training Our Future Workforce. The conference will offer opportunities for networking and enhancing professional development. There is a registration fee for participation.

These 2020 National Indian and Native American Employment and Training Conference Western Regional Peer-to-Peer Training Conference presentations cover several areas which are relevant to tribal workforce development programs and operations. Topics included: DOL ETA 9130 Reports; Enhancing Participant Outcome under WIOA Performance Indicators; Stackable Credentials; SMART Training; Tribal Workforce Development, Self-Determination, Innovation, Policy Recommendations; and Your Money, Your Goals: New Financial Empowerment Tools for Workforce Development. The presentations also include profiles of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Indian and Native American Programs and the Cook Inlet Tribal Council.

This session from the December 2020 OFA Regions IX and X Virtual Tribal TANF Technical Assistance Meeting examined strategies and tools for assessing employment trends and included presentations on designing employment partnerships adapted to economic realities in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Speakers included: Theresa Lujan, the Indian and Native American Employment Rights Program (INAERP); Evette Cullen, Nevada Department of Health and Human Services; Mike Yoder, Nevada Department of Health and Human Services; and Isla Young, Governor’s Office of Workforce Innovation (OWINN), State of Nevada.

This American Indian College Fund guidebook, intended to support Native American college students in developing career pathways, includes culturally relevant resources. The guidebook features tips and inspiring stories on job seeking, resumé preparation, cover letters, references, appropriate dress, internships, enhancing soft skills, personal branding, and interviewing. The guidebook also identifies career information about skilled trades, job opportunities in Indian Country, pursuing graduate school, networking, and joining associations.

This fact sheet from the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Indian and Native American Programs highlights the more than $7 million in spending under the Cherokee Nation’s Respond, Recover and Rebuild spending relief plan, which is designed to increase career opportunities in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The fact sheet discusses allocations for the tribe’s summer youth employment; a tribal training program known as “day work;” a work experience program; and a tuition assistance program to support careers in health care, construction, truck driving, welding, and other fields. The fact sheet also notes that the tribe is creating a career ladder program in telemedicine and health IT, expanding its online GED programs, and supporting its trade clients with technology needs.