National League of Cities Congressional City Conference

Department of Employment ServicesWashington, DC’s lead workforce development and labor agency

National League of Cities Congressional City Conference

Pathways to Employment for Disadvantaged YouthMarch 13, 2012

District of ColumbiaVincent C. Gray, Mayor

Department of Employment ServicesLisa María Mallory, Director


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The mission of DOES is…

“We put people to work”


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The mission of Office of Youth Programs is…

…to prepare and connect District youth to the workforce.


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District of Columbia Youth Demographics

– The District has approximately 601,723 residents and is part of the seventh-largest metropolitan area in the country

– 85,000 16-24 year-olds in DC – 27,829 16-24 year-olds in poverty– 21, 894 16-24 year-olds in poverty are African-

American– Approximately 9,000 are out-of-school and out-of-

work


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Mayor Vincent C. Gray’s Personal Youth Engagement Activities

• Holds Youth Town Hall Meetings in all 8 Wards• Has a Youth Budget• Conducts a budget briefing for youth only• Conducts site visits to employers and partners

participating in youth programs with the District of Columbia

• Created One City Summer Fun, a year-round working group that engages his entire Cabinet (www.onecitysummer.dc.gov)

http://www.onecitysummer.dc.gov/


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Mayor Vincent C. Gray’s Vision for Year-Round Programs

• Mayor Gray wants to strengthen the Year-Round Programs to equip youth with the necessary skills to transition into the next phase of their personal growth:– Enroll more youth – Work to boost gains in outcomes, including Literacy and Numeracy,

through academic services tailored to fit specific educational levels– Offer youth opportunities to obtain basic and vocational skills training– Provide youth with leadership development, life skills, and career

awareness coaching– Expand partnerships to secure subsidized work experience

opportunities for youth


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DOES’ Year-Round Approach to Youth EngagementCurrent programs include:• Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP)

In 2011, 14,000 District youth between the ages of 14-21 were provided with subsidized summer job experiences.

• Year-Round In-School/Out-of-School Youth Employment Programs WIA-funded programs with 430 open slots.

• Mayor’s Youth Leadership Institute (MYLI) A year-round youth development program that promotes youth

leadership, civic engagement, and empowerment for 300 youth.• One City High School Internship Program (OCHSIP)

A year-round internship program for District high school students (11th and 12th grade), currently serving 125 youth.

Youth gain work experience in federal and local government offices throughout the city.


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Evaluation of Year Round ProgramsYouth Outcome Measures established by Department of Labor: • Placement in Employment or Further Education/Training

Evaluates whether participants are engaged in employment (including the military) or enrolled in post-secondary education and/or advanced occupational skills training within the first quarter after the exit quarter.

• Attainment of a Degree or Certificate Evaluates whether participants have attained a diploma, GED, or

certificate, by the end of the third quarter after the exit quarter.


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Evaluation of Year Round Programs (cont.)Youth Outcome Measures established by Department of Labor: • Literacy and Numeracy Gains (Out-of-School Program Only)

Evaluates whether participants have gained one or more educational functioning levels (EFLs) within one (1) year of program participation, based on pre- and post-tests using the same approved assessment instrument.

• Retention Evaluates whether participants who attained placement in an

employment/education outcome measure are engaged in employment (including the military), post-secondary education, or advanced/ occupational skills training, during the third quarter after the exit quarter.


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Summer Youth Employment Program 2012

• Plans to serve up to 14,000 youth between the ages of 14-21.– $11.6M Budget for FY12

• District has been leveraging President Obama’s Summer Jobs+ Initiative to peak interest from private employers and federal government involvement in providing summer jobs to youth.


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• Youth are required to apply for the program (not just sign up) • Youth are required to complete several steps to ultimately land their

summer job: – Bring documents to prove eligibility (certification)– Post a resume– Attend an orientation– Attend a job fair to meet with employers– Interview with prospective employers

• Employers are provided with multiple opportunities to engage with youth:

– Ability to access an electronic database to identify youth for their worksites

– Ability to interview youth in person at SYEP Job Fair and by phone

Summer Youth Employment ProgramStrategies Implemented in 2011 That Worked Well


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• Youth stay connected via the SYEP Youth Portal (an online tool) which allows youth to:

– See their application status– View messages from OYP– Update their contact information– View informational videos– Access a Resume Builder Tool– View an electronic database of all employers in the program– Manage and track their total hours worked

• Financial literacy programming is provided to all youth• SYEP Twitter Page has nearly 1,000 followers including youth

participants, youth service providers, schools, and other partner stakeholders that provides program updates in real-time.

Summer Youth Employment ProgramStrategies Implemented in 2011 That Worked Well (cont.)


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• Development of Curriculum Guide – In response to employer feedback, we will provide a guide that includes important youth workforce development goals and activities to help youth achieve them.

• Truancy Prevention – Will partner with the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) and DC Public Schools (DCPS) to identify and support youth who are chronically absent from school.

• Performance Evaluation – All youth will receive a performance evaluation that will be completed with their employer. This will become a part of their record and will provide valuable information to track progress from year to year.

Summer Youth Employment ProgramNew Strategies To Be Implemented in 2012


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Emerging Strategies For Disconnected Youth• Pathways for Young Adults Program (PYAP)

– Partnership with the University of the District of Columbia Community College (UDC-CC) to provide youth ages 16-24 with work readiness, training, and work experience.

– Funding includes a combination of local youth and adult training dollars and exists to serve up to 300 youth in pilot year.

• Cradle-to-Career Partnership– Developing a P-20 (“birth to career”) Council inclusive of city

agencies, business, philanthropy, and CBOs to strengthen education and workforce outcomes.


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New Youth Initiative Under Consideration

• Youth Connection Center– Strategy to develop walk-in opportunities for youth

to receive information about DOES opportunities and to be connected to additional opportunities (akin to a youth-focused One-Stop Career Center)


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What the District of Columbia Government, as a whole, Is Doing For Disconnected Youth

• Reforming juvenile justice system• Providing more career and technical education,

alternative education, and dropout prevention (DCPS) • Developing an Interagency initiative by Truancy

Taskforce (extension of SYEP effort for Year-Round Program)

• Eliminating funding and programming silos (all Youth Programs)

• Establishing joint performance measures (all Youth Programs)


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Websites

Department of Employment Serviceswww.onecityonehire.org

www.onecitysummer.dc.govwww.summerjobs.dc.gov

One City One Hire Twitter: @OneDOES_OneCitySummer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) Twitter: @OneCitySYEP

Department of Laborwww.DOL.gov

www.youthgo.govwww.grants.gov

Department of the Interiorwww.thecorpsnetwork.org

www.DOI.gov

http://www.onecityonehire.org/

http://www.onecitysummer.dc.gov/

http://www.summerjobs.dc.gov/

http://www.dol.gov/

http://www.youthgo.gov/

http://www.grants.gov/

http://www.thecorpsnetwork.org/

http://www.doi.gov/

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