FY23 WIOA Youth Policy Principles

Available for public comment until Dec. 24, 2021

In January 2022, The Office of Workforce Development (OWD) plans to issue an open and competitive request for proposals (RFP) for the FY 2023 Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Youth program. In preparation for the release of the RFP, OWD staff have developed a policy principles document that lays out a framework for developing WIOA Youth programs in line with our five WIOA Youth local goals:

1. WIOA Youth are on a pathway to or through postsecondary education and training.
2. WIOA Youth programs explicitly focus on providing evidence-based services to a specialized WIOA Youth population.
3. All WIOA Youth have access to timely, high-quality, and specialized 14 program elements, particularly stabilization services.
4. The system has meaningful and high-quality data to improve WIOA services and outcomes and advance local priorities.
5. WIOA Youth system has linkages to broader economic networks.

The FY23 policy principles represent a significant departure from the FY20 principles. For example, rather than providing a menu of acceptable program arrangements and objectives, the principles emphasize program models based on a series of graduated steps that lead to postsecondary education and training entry or attainment. It also defines the eligible participant pool as out-of-school (OSY) youth ages 18-24. Finally, the policy principles highlight the shift to a three-year funding cycle starting in FY23.

Please submit public comments on these policy principles to Sarah Soroui at sarah.soroui@boston.gov no later than December 24, 2021. OWD staff will also hold a public hearing on the proposed framework at the end of December.

Any additional feedback or questions about the policy principles can also be sent to Sarah Soroui at sarah.soroui@boston.gov.