Youth Council Meeting Minutes
Health and Safety Conference Room
57 Regional Drive, Concord, NH

June 3, 2010

Attending: Dwight Davis (Chair), Marty Boldin, Michael Currier, Kathy Condon, Lynn West (representing Kathryn Dodge)

Others Attending: Bonnie St. Jean, Cathy Yeager (transcriptionist)

Not Present: Kevin Cash, Michelle Desmond, Steve DeMasco, Kathleen Jablonski, Sen. Sylvia Larsen, Paul Leather, Willard Martin, Debra Naro

Meeting Materials:
Agenda
Minutes of the May 6, 2010 Meeting
PY 10 WIA Youth ARRA Funding
Amendments to the Senate Amendment to H.R. 4213
Optional work Readiness Tool for WIA Program
Apprenticeship Graduation Invitation

Call to Order: Dwight Davis called the meeting to order at 3:15PM.

Item 1: Minutes of the May 6, 2010 Meeting- The minutes were reviewed. There were no changes. Motion: No motion was made to accept the minutes

Item 2: Contract Extension of Unspent ARRA Funding- Bonnie St. Jean reminded attendees that, about a year ago, ARRA funds were awarded to qualifying contractors. She proposed that contract end dates for the specific programs be extended to June 30, 2011 allowing time to expend remaining funds, because funds must be used or they are sacrificed. Motion: Kathy Condon made a motion to allow contractors to extend their programs to June 30, 2011 using unexpended funds. Lynn West seconded. The motion passed.

Item 3: Upcoming RFPs- Administrative Contractor: Bonnie St. Jean reported that the contract for WIA youth program administration technical assistance oversight was awarded to DOE in 2000 and, currently CAP provides administration oversight for WIA adult programs. Recently an agency came forward interested in providing those services for the state. Therefore, OWO will create an RFP for their Board to review in September to approve for release, so interested agencies can submit proposals to fulfill administrative responsibilities.

Program Contractors: St. Jean reminded attendees that the Youth Council releases a request for proposals from program operators every two years. Historically, the proposal goes out in November. Contractors have until early February to respond, a subcommittee (Review Committee) reviews the submissions, and decisions are made in March. The approved submissions go before the G&C in April or May, and the programs roll out July 1.

Bonnie proposed that Review Committee members be identified to peruse submissions allowing time for any necessary revisions to have final products ready for review and approval at the September YC meeting. In the past, Michelle Desmond and Kevin Cash have been on the subcommittee, and St. Jean thought she could count on them to participate again. Kathy Condon offered to review again this year, and Dwight Davis and Lynn West volunteered to help this year.

Item 4: GENERAL UPDATES- Summer Youth Program Funding 2010: Bonnie St. Jean reported that the bill to provide WIA ARRA funding for youth summer job programs is now before congress. She provided a handout listing the contractors, anticipated amounts, and purposes as well as a printout of amendments to the bill committing funds through 09/30/2011. If the bill is approved, students will have summer jobs and year-round programs will be funded as well.

St. Jean has been contacted by contractors anxious about lining up staff for timely program kickoffs; they are concerned about programs having to run from July 1st to September 30th conflicting with in-school youths' returns to regular classes. Attendees discussed frustrations about the lack of prompt action by congress causing delayed program decisions and kickoffs, new guidelines/forms/procedures, evaluations and sign-offs, getting reports from reluctant employers, challenges identifying and registering students after the close of school, difficulty lining up contractors able to participate after the start of the next school year, and inability for students to complete programs after the start of school.

Shared Youth Vision- Bonnie St. Jean reported that the group will resume meetings in September.

Apprenticeship- There are nine students enrolled in the program, and several will graduate on June 16th at 11:00AM with a special ceremony at the Manchester Boys and Girls Club. Bonnie extended invitations to anyone able to attend and acknowledge the fine work of the students.

Continental Paving already hired two students from the Nashua program. One of them had struggled significantly for a couple of years and ended up joining My-Turn in Nashua where he was able to turn his life around. He willingly shares his story which impressed Bonnie, Dwight and many others.

Other Business Not Itemized on the Agenda: Youth Council Summer Meeting Schedule- The group discussed the potential need to meet in light of congress' delay releasing youth summer program funding. It was recognized that people will be asked to do an enormous amount of work in a very short period of time if/when funding is released. Attendees discussed many of the same frustrations expressed earlier in the meeting. Even though Bonnie and trainers and contractors are ready to go, it will be challenging to roll out programs at the last minute.

Members indicated that they are willing to put forth maximum effort working as a team to help the kids if/when funding comes through. They are willing to help other vendors, assist re-working contracts, train new contractors, prepare budgets, and do anything else that needs to be done. Bonnie St. Jean explained how, in the past, she pulled everything together when last-minute funding came through, and she has the support to do it again. Motion: Marty Boldin made a motion that members do whatever is necessary to support summer youth programs. Michael Currier seconded. The motion passed.

Alternative Youth Programs- Bonnie St. Jean reminded attendees that, at an YC meeting several months ago, they discussed the difficulty recruiting out-of-school youth. The school systems prefer for students to stay in school and, maybe, out-of-school youth programs should be alternative education programs. NH submitted a waiver along with several other states pertaining to the matter, and they were all denied.

Bonnie explained funding allowed (in-school versus out-of-school) in accordance with each student's status at the time of alternative program enrollment.

Adjourn: 3:55PM

Next Youth Council Meeting- TBD contingent on the recipient of summer funds