Dislocated Youth Worker Innovation Challenge PY 20-21 Awards

Workforce Services Information Notice
WSIN20-66

Issued: June 14, 2021

The Employment Development Department (EDD), in coordination with the California Workforce Development Board, and on behalf of the Labor and Workforce Development Agency, is pleased to announce the award of $750,000 of Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) funds for the Dislocated Youth Worker Innovation Challenge (DYWIC) pilot program grants for Program Year (PY) 2020-21. These funds will provide job training and employment opportunities to 200 out-of-school youth workers age 18-24 facing barriers to employment due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Three organizations will receive the funding for PY 20-21. All three entities submitted proposals via a competitive process. Funds will serve dislocated youth workers in three counties: Contra Costa, San Diego, and Ventura.

Awardees received $250,000 each, and funds will support projects to increase access for target populations, align WIOA programs, implement co-enrollment strategies, enhance partnerships, leverage other program funding, provide supportive services, and create onramps to high quality jobs with sustainable wages for California’s dislocated youth worker population. This year’s DYWIC focuses on accelerating employment and reemployment strategies for dislocated youth workers in viable industry sectors. These organizations will work with local businesses and industry leaders to develop work-based learning programs to help dislocated youth workers obtain and retain competitive, integrated employment. This program provides an opportunity to enhance partnerships with human service programs, community-based organizations, WIOA partners, and other partners.

The EDD expects that the performance period will be between 12-18 months. A list of the awardees and descriptions of their projects is available on the EDD Workforce Development Solicitations for Proposals webpage.

If you have questions related to this information, please contact the Program Reporting and Analysis Unit at wsbmanageperformance@edd.ca.gov.

/s/ JAIME L. GUTIERREZ, Chief
Central Office Workforce Services Division