Office of Youth Development

Minnesota's Shared Youth Vision Activities

Forums to Focus on a Shared Vision for the Neediest Youth

The Shared Youth Vision (SYV) Federal Collaborative Partnership (Youth Fed. Team) introduced a "new vision" of a more collaborative approach to meeting the needs of America's neediest youth (see Shared Youth Vision Overview [pdf]). The Youth Fed. Team includes representatives from the U.S. Departments of Agriculture, Education, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Justice, Labor, and Transportation, as well as the corporation for National and Community Service and the Social Security Administration. Training and Employment Notice 28-07 (dated 1/31/2008) provides information to states and local workforce systems on SYV Federal Partnership activities and identifies available tools to assist SYV partners.

The Federal partners in this effort convened teams from selected states to model communication, coordination, and collaboration as recommended by the White House Task Force Report.

A Federal Inter-Agency "Solutions Desk" [pdf] will provide state teams with a single point of access to the federal information resources available to assist states in implementing the Shared Youth Vision activities. Select this link to see the Federal Team's response to questions posed by state teams at the Shared Youth Vision Forums in Atlanta, Georgia (September 2006). Peer-to-Peer Dialogue in Tulsa, Oklahoma - Meeting Notes (May 2008), click here. Workforce Innovations Pre-Conference, New Orleans, 2008, SYV Powerpoint Presentation from Federal Partners, click here. Workforce Innovations Conference Learning Lab presentation by MN SYV Team in New Orleans on July 16, 2008, click here.

WHAT'S NEW ON THE SHARED YOUTH VISION WEBSITE? Click here.

"Solutions" is an electronic monthly newsletter provided by the "Solutions Desk" to update the teams on resources, legislation, or other information from the federal agencies involved in the Shared Vision. To access issues of the Solutions Newsletter, click here.

Shared Youth Vision Monthly Conference Calls are normally held on the third Wednesday of each month (1:30 - 2:30 P.M. Central).

The next conference call is scheduled for Wednesday, August 27, 2008 at 1:30 P.M. Central

Select this link for the Agenda [pdf]

Select this link for previously held Shared Youth Vision Forum Conference Calls

Minnesota is one of sixteen states selected to participate in the Advanced Level Shared Youth Vision Forum (ALSYVF). Minnesota’s State Team [pdf] includes representatives from the Minnesota Departments of Employment and Economic Development (DEED - Office of Youth Development; Rehabilitation Services; State Services for the Blind), Corrections (Juvenile Services), Education (MDE - Dropout Prevention, Retention, and Graduation Initiative; Special Education; Adult and Career Education; Safe and Healthy Learners), Health (Adolescent Health; Center for Occupational Health and Safety), Human Services (DHS - Adolescent Services; Child Safety and Permanency Division; Office of Economic Opportunity; and Pathways to Employment), Labor and Industry (DOLI - MnOsha Workplace Safety Consultation), Minnesota Housing and Finance Agency (MHFA - Homelessness and Supportive Housing), Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System (MnSCU - ISEEK Solutions; CareerOnestop; Perkins Unit; Student Affairs; and Bemidji State University), and Public Safety (DPS - Office of Justice Programs); Transportation (Office of Transit); PLUS the Hubert H. Humphrey Job Corps Center (Career Transitions), Junior Achievement of the Upper Midwest, Minnesota Conservation Corps, PACER Center, Inc. and the White Earth Indian Reservation (Regional Training Center). All core partners have worked in collaboration both formally and informally on a number of past and current initiatives.

Minnesota's efforts are available from the links below:

Minnesota's Proposal (Application) [pdf]
Minnesota Team Notes - Atlanta, Georgia - 09/20-21/2006 [pdf]
Minnesota Shared Youth Vision Blueprint-Draft [pdf]
Inter-Agency Projects Supporting Shared Youth Vision:
1. Project C3: Connecting Youth to Communities and Careers
2. Dropout Prevention
  - Dropout Prevention, Retention and Graduation Initiative
  - Follow-up Summary: Minnesota's Summit on Youth Development and Graduation, click here.
3. Ending Homelessness in Minnesota
4. NGA Policy Academy on Youth Transitioning Out of Foster Care - Implementation Plan [pdf]
1. Cooperative Youth Service Strategies and Best Practices from Local Workforce Investment Boards [pdf]
  - Outreach to Schools Pilot Project serves youth and parents in traditional and alternative schools in Minnesota.
2. Regional Career Information Websites
  One of the goals of Minnesota's Shared Youth Vision Pilot activities is the development of regional career information websites. Select a region below:
3. Youth@Work: Talking Safety
  The Minnesota Departments of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) and Labor and Industry (DOLI) co-sponsored two train-the trainer workshops on March 29 and 30, 2007, on the Youth @Work: Talking Safety curriculum.
  
  The curriculum developed by the National Young Worker Safety Resource Center at the University of California, Berkeley, was customized for Minnesota. To access Minnesota's edition of the Youth@Work: Talking Safety curriculum, click here.
  
  For additional information, contact: John.R.Olson@state.mn.us or call 651.259.7547.
  
  The Power Tool Institute offers FREE copies of their guides, click here.
4. WIA Youth and Job Corps Coordination Strategies - select this link. [pdf]
5. Governor's Council on Faith and Community Initiatives Website (click here).
6. Youth Employment and Transportation
  The Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA) has published 4 briefs on the issue of youth employment and transportation Minnesota (Brief # 2) [pdf] is one state that has been particularly active in pursuing solutions to support youth employment.
  
  For the complete CTAA youth employment and transportation briefs (1-4) dated December 2007, click here or see CTAA's website (click here).
7. Find a Youth Employment Program
  Youth employment services are available in all 87 counties of Minnesota! To find out more information about youth employment services available in your area, select a county from the list below. Residents of the City of Duluth and City of Minneapolis should select their appropriate city from the list in the pull-down box below.
8. Find a Youthbuild Program
  
  The Youthbuild (YB) Program trains and employs young adults, ages 16 to 24, in construction, increasing their job-specific building trade skills, basic skills, employability skills, and leadership skills. Communities benefit from highly visible construction projects undertaken by young adults which expand affordable housing for needy families. There are thirteen YB service providers in Minnesota funded through state and/or federal funds.
  
  For more information on Youthbuild in Minnesota, click here.

American Careers--Minnesota Parent Edition

Click on the image or the link below to access a five-page excerpt of what you will find in the Fall 2007 American Careers --Minnesota Parent Edition (click here).

The excerpt from this edition discusses nontraditional employment opportunities in Minnesota. This is just a sample of the high-quality, up-to-date information available from Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU).

For ordering/additional information, please contact Eva Scates-Winston at Eva.Scates-Winston@so.mnscu.edu or 651-297-3792.

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) Initiatives

Pathways to Success – Caring Careers publication providing information about healthcare career opportunities, developed by public education representatives, community colleges and Workforce Development, Inc. in Southeast Minnesota, and partially funded by a Community-Based Job Training grant from the USDOL.. Click here to download a PDF (21MB) file of this publication. (Note: this is a large file and may take time to open.)
Minnesota Area Health Education Center (AHEC) website providing additional information about healthcare careers in Rural Minnesota (click here).
MN-STEM website for students, parents, and educators (click here).
Manufacturing Camp for youth with disabilities
- Best Practices
- For materials to aid in replication of this event in other areas, (click here).

Shared Youth Vision Self-Assessment Tool

U.S. DOL has commissioned the development of a self-assessment tool to assist states and local areas in identifying key outcomes and indicators to measure their progress toward meeting SYV goals
(click here).

Helping America's Youth

The Helping America's Youth (HAY) initiative is a nationwide effort to raise awareness about the challenges facing youth and to motivate caring adults to connect with youth in three key areas: family, school and community. First Lady Addresses HAY Conference in St. Paul (click here). For more information, see the HAY website (click here). For HAY Community Resource Guide, click here.

CareerSafe On-line Training Program

CareerSafe is a web-based workplace safety training program. The online course cost is $18 per person and is self-paced (click here).

The Power of YOU

The Power of YOU provides eligible students the cost of tuition and fees at a participating post-secondary school for two years or up to 72 credits through state and federal grants and private scholarships.

This ongoing program is limited to recent graduates from a Minneapolis or Saint Paul public high school who live within the city (no suburbs).

For detailed information on The Power of You, select one of the participating schools below:

Southwest Minnesota Careers and The Northland Works (Northeastern Minnesota and Northwestern Wisconsin Regions) are two examples of regional websites which facilitate a better interchange between employers and potential employees, and provide additional employment, education, and wage information specific to the region. Click on the links below:

MnCareers

Supplements to the award-winning MnCareers magazine and website have been created for 6 Minnesota regions as part of the Shared Youth Vision Pilot Project. The supplements describe high-demand, high-pay occupations in the regions.

Select the links below to access the 2008 MnCareers Regional Supplements:

To pre-order copies of the 2009 MnCareers magazine, click here. Delivery is scheduled for September 2008.

If questions, contact Denise Felder at 651.201.1521 or denise.felder@so.mnscu.edu

Minnesota Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Resources

A VR Transition Counselor is assigned to every high school in the state. For a list of counselor assignments and other transition resources, click here.

If questions, contact Alyssa Klein at 763.785.6497 or alyssa.klein@state.mn.us

Toolkit for Effective Front-Line Services to Youth

The Toolkit was developed by a national team of youth professionals, trainers, and program experts as a multipurpose resource for case management focusing on disadvantaged, at-risk youth who have become disconnected from mainstream institutions and systems. It consists of two tools: (1) A case management manual for front line youth workforce specialists; and (2) A training guide that includes PowerPoint modules and appropriate exercises. Click here to access the complete Toolkit For Effective Front-line Services to Youth [pdf]. To access the Toolkit by sections see DOL's Youth Services website: http://www.doleta.gov/youth_services/Toolkit-improve.cfm

Follow-up to Webinar: "The High Cost of Dropping Out: What We Can Do About It"

"Think Again: The Connection Between Education and True Independence" is a video which features young people talking about the impact of dropping out of school. To access the video and webinar handouts, click here.

Serving Foster Youth: Technical Assistance Guides

1) The National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth (NCWD/Youth) produced a guide entitled Negotiating the Curves Towards Employment: A guide About Youth Involved in the Foster Care System. This guide identifies resources and tools to assist cross-system collaborative efforts in serving youth in foster care. Click here to download the guide.

2) National Association of Counties (NACo) issued a brief entitled Youth Aging Out of Foster Care: Identifying Strategies and Best Practices. To read the brief, click here.

3) Connected By 25: A Plan for Investing in Successful Futures for Foster Youth lays out five key strategies for supporting youth who were formerly in foster care and promoting successful transitions to adulthood. To read the report, click here.

Reality Check: Promoting Self-Sufficiency in the Public Workforce System

In 2006, Wider Opportunities for Women released Reality Check: Promoting Self-Sufficiency in the Public Workforce System-— A Promising Practices Guide for Workforce Boards (click here).

2008 National Youth Development Symposium, Chicago, IL
November 18-20, 2008

The National Association of Workforce Development Professionals (NAWDP) is sponsoring the National Youth Development Symposium at the Sheraton Hotel and Towers in Chicago, IL. For more information and to register, click here.

For more information, contact:

Kay Tracy, Director
Office of Youth Development
Minnesota Dept. of Employment & Economic Development
First National Bank Building, Suite E200
332 Minnesota Street
St. Paul, MN 55101-1351
Phone: 651.259.7555
Fax: 651.215.3842

E-Mail: Kay.Tracy@state.mn.us

NOTE: Many of the documents contained within the Department of Employment and Economic Development website are available in Adobe Acrobat format. You can obtain the free Adobe Acrobat Reader software by clicking on the Adobe Acrobat Reader icon.

Last Updated: 8/26/2008