DYS Education: Bridging the Opportunity Gap
Program Elements
The purpose of each of the funded pilot programs was to foster innovative approaches to providing job readiness, job training and employment services that engage and motivate youth, are tailored to the unique needs of youth who are in DYS custody, and are currently being served by DYS Community Re-entry Centers. Each of the fourteen pilot sites that received funding were encouraged to think creatively about how to design and deliver services that blended the services and skills of their partnering organizations to deliver effective job readiness and employment services in combination with wrap around services that are delivered in a supported, youth friendly manner.
CommCorp and DYS required that each pilot program include the following program elements:
- The ability to effective recruit and retain youth involved in the reentry phase of DYS;
- Hiring and/or identification of pilot program staff who have a demonstrated interest and enthusiasm for working with youth in DYS custody;
- A focus on individual motivation and life skills training;
- Career, life skills and job readiness curriculum that support personal motivation and transformation and is oriented to the learning needs of youth;
- Use of “hands-on” and project based learning opportunities that prepare youth for employment;
- Case management of individual needs;
- Sign-off of the grant application by a DYS CRC director or regional director;
- Placement in vocational and occupational learning opportunities; and
- A range of pre-employment experiences such as structured internships, job shadowing, and mentoring.
In addition, pilot programs were strongly encouraged to include these following program elements:
- Mentoring services to connect youth with caring adults;
- Tutoring for youth, when necessary, in basic literacy and numeracy required for pre-employment experiences and job placement;
- Use of an appropriate career interest inventory, vocational aptitude or assessment tools (including the Massachusetts Work-based Learning Plan) for all internship and employment experiences.
- Linkages to the workforce investment board region’s Pathways to Success by 21 initiative and resources; and
- Placement and support in employment opportunities;
The Bridging the Opportunity Gap program design also emphasized the need for participating agencies to place a priority on hiring and involving staff who are skilled and excited about working with urban youth. This focus on the “caring adult” connection and its positive impact on DYS clients were reflected in anecdotal information provided in many of the final program summaries from participating pilot sites.
Finally, the long term intention for these grant funds was the design and delivery of a set of innovative pilot programs, focused on high quality career and job readiness and pre-employment services, that leverage lasting relationships and access to the services and resources of a range of community, local, governmental and educational organizations that have not traditionally served or benefited DYS youth. CommCorp believes that new alliances have been developed by combining these state funds with an opportunity to build new community collaborations that increase the pool of employment talent and benefit the lives of youth who have not traditionally had access to important career development and employability opportunities.
