Youth Services
Our Youth Program is committed to providing high quality services for youth and young adults beginning with career exploration and guidance, support to receive further educational attainment, and skills training for industries and occupations which are in demand within our region. The targeted industry approach helps ensure the future of Arkansas receives pertinent, applicable training in a occupation where jobs are plentiful within the region. Whether you are in or out of school, learn how we can serve you.
Our program consists of:
- Tutoring, study skills training and instruction, and dropout prevention services
- Alternative secondary school services or dropout recovery services
- Paid and unpaid work experiences
- Occupational skill training
- Education offered concurrently with workforce preparation activities and training for a specific occupation
- Leadership development opportunities
- Supportive services
- Adult mentoring
- Follow up services
- Comprehensive guidance and counseling
- Financial literacy education
- Entrepreneurial skills training
- Services that provide labor market and employment information about in-demand industry sectors
- Activities that help youth prepare for and transition to post-secondary education and training
Out-of-School Youth Program
The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Title IB Youth Program provides services to out-of-school youth ages 16-24. The main thrust of the Youth Program is to increase the focus on career pathways, longer-term academic, and occupational learning opportunities and provide long-term comprehensive service strategies.
The Youth Program is designed to prepare Arkansas’ youth to either enter post-secondary education, training, or employment upon completion of their secondary education. The aging of Arkansas’ workforce is an issue of concern and therefore this program can be an instrument toward meeting the future workforce demands.
Program Requirements
To be eligible to receive WIOA services as an out-of-school youth in the youth program, an individual must:
- Be no younger than 14 years old
- Be no older than 21 years old at the time of enrollment
- Be registered for Selective Service or have valid exemption
- Be able to work in the United States
- Provide a valid Social Security Number
In order for an out-of-school youth to be eligible, the following requirements must also be met:
- An individual who is not attending any school and who has not received a secondary school diploma or its equivalent
- A youth who is within the age of compulsory school attendance, but has not attended school for at least the most recent complete school year calendar quarter session of school
- A high school graduate(or equivalent) who is low- income and who is also either basic skills deficient or an English language learner
- An offender (or ex-offender)
- A homeless individual
- A runaway
- An individual in foster care or who has aged out of foster care or who has attained 16 years of age and left foster care for kinship guardianship or adoption or a child eligible for assistance under sec. 477 of the Social Security Act or in an out-of-home placement
- A pregnant woman or a parenting man or woman (custodial or non-custodial)
- An individual with a disability
- A low-income individual who requires additional assistance
Program Requirements
To be eligible to receive WIOA services as an in-school youth in the youth program, an individual must:
- Be no younger than 16 years old
- Be no older than 24 years old at the time of enrollment
- Be registered for Selective Service or have valid exemption
- Be able to work in the United States
- Provide a valid Social Security Number
In-School Youth Program
The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Title IB Youth Program provides services to in-school youth ages 14-21. The main thrust of the Youth Program is to increase the focus on career pathways, longer-term academic, and occupational learning opportunities and provide long-term comprehensive service strategies.
The Youth Program is designed to prepare Arkansas’ youth to either enter post-secondary education, training, or employment upon completion of their secondary education. The aging of Arkansas’ workforce is an issue of concern and therefore this program can be an instrument toward meeting the future workforce demands.
In order for an in-school youth to be eligible, the following requirements must also be met:
- Be attending school at time of enrollment. Please note, Adult education, YouthBuild, Job Corps, high school equivalency, and dropout re-engagement programs do not qualify as "school" for the purposes of eligibility.
- An individual that is low-income.
- Meet criteria for low-income adult
- Be a runaway
- Receives or qualifies to receive free or reduced-price lunch (special rule if 100% of students in school receive free lunches)
- A runaway
- Receives or qualifies to receive free or reduced-price lunch (special rule if 100% of students in school receive free lunches)
- Is a foster child
- Lives in a high-poverty area
- An individual that meets one of the following
- Basic skills deficient
- An English language learner
- An offender (or ex-offender)
- A homeless individual
- An individual in foster care or who has aged out of foster care or who has attained 16 years of age and left foster care for kinship guardianship or adoption or a child eligible for assistance under sec. 477 of the Social Security Act or in an out-of-home placement
- A pregnant woman or a parenting man or woman (custodial or non-custodial)
- An individual with a disability
- An individual who requires additional assistance to complete an educational program or to secure or hold employment.
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