The U.S. Department of Education seeks applications for the Performance Partnerships Pilots for Disconnected Youth (P3). The FY 2021 P3 authorization allows pilot programs to utilize waivers of requirements that hinder service delivery or impede a holistic approach. These waivers include, for example, blending and use of other federal funds, flexibility in age or income eligibility requirements, use of alternative outcome measures, and others requested in a submitted application. P3 pilots are required to include at least two Federal programs which target disconnected youth or are designed to prevent youth from disconnecting with educational, workforce, or social services supports. Applications are due by August 23, 2021.

The Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation has issued a Call for Papers for the Research and Evaluation Conference on Self-Sufficiency (RECS) 2022, to be held in-person from June 1-3, 2022 in Washington, DC. The Call invites proposals for full conference sessions, individual presentations, and roundtables on the following topics: TANF programs, policies, and populations; employment and mobility in the labor market; youth well-being and the transition to adulthood; strengthening families, fatherhood, marriages, and relationships; evaluating social programs, building evidence, and using data; and approaches to alleviate poverty and expand opportunity. A virtual information session on preparing and submitting a proposal will be held on July 22, 2021 from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET. Proposal submissions are due by August 27, 2021.

Workplace mentors can impart their knowledge, skills, and wisdom to apprentices, helping them gain confidence and competence. This guide has four modules and FAQs to support mentors in their relationships with apprentices in youth registered apprenticeship programs. There is also a list of resources that mentors and employers can use when implementing youth apprenticeship programs and information on the benefits of mentoring.

This U.S. Department of Labor tipsheet identifies resources for workforce programs that provide educational, occupational, and other skills training and services to prepare homeless and runaway youth for current and future job opportunities. The tipsheet includes strategies for serving homeless and runaway youth, models of collaboration, and Federal and non-Federal resources.

This collection of Annie E. Casey Foundation-funded resources, which includes blogposts, videos, reports, guidebooks, tools, and tip sheets, offers different models and collaborations to transform the juvenile justice system. Material topics include strategic guidance on reducing youth incarceration, engaging and involving families, and expanding diversion in the juvenile justice system.

The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 supports recovery from the economic and health impacts created by the COVID-19 pandemic. The National Conference of State Legislatures will host a webinar on June 24, 2021 at 1:30 p.m. ET which will review the intersection of the Recovery Plan Act, youth and young adult homelessness, and education. Additionally, speakers will discuss opportunities to support the education and basic needs of youth and young adults and to increase their economic security.

The Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Youth Solutions project will host a three-day virtual conference from June 9, 2021 to June 11, 2021, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. ET each day to share program and policy proposals that provide innovative, evidence-based strategies to raise employment among youth and young adults who apply for or receive SSI. The proposals are funded by the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment Policy.

This Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE) report assesses the impact of the Year Up model over a three to five-year follow-up period. Year Up, one of nine programs that OPRE is evaluating in the Pathways for Advancing Careers and Education project, is a national, yearlong training program for youth between 18 and 24 years old. The program provides instruction in technical skills, business communications, and behaviors for success at work in the first six months, followed by a six-month internship with local employers.

This set of resources identifies toolkits, tip sheets, webcasts, and other guidance on how to address partnerships for specific youth populations under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. These resources cover several topics, such as employer engagement, serving homeless and runaway youth, collaborative opportunities for vocational rehabilitation, serving youth in foster care or with juvenile records, rural youth, and partnerships with TANF.

This brief is a case study that reviews the relational factors between two Cleveland-based employment training programs–Youth Opportunities Unlimited and Towards Employment–as they came together to develop a Youth Adult Resource Center (YRC). It discusses how YRC incorporated positive youth development approaches at the staff level, and presents how these approaches helped to improve YRC’s ability to meet the needs of Cleveland’s youth and young adults.