How to Help People Find a Job - Ages 18 to 80

Hubber Elliekf51 asked if America's youth, ages 18 - 24, should be given priority for employment opportunities over other age groups in the country.

The truth is that federally sponsored work-related money is sent down to the US States and then to individual counties within those states for assessment, job search, job placement, and job training programs within a workforce development system. This system is often combined with the local county jobs-and-family-services or cauldrons-services entities and this amalgam occurred after the Job Training Partner Ship Act (JTPA) funding expired in the late 1990s. Today, the primary funding for these work related measures originates with the WIA or Workforce Development Act and is boosted by the ARRA or the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Before JTPA, there was CETA and MANPOWER, and perhaps one other federal program.

For several decades since the 1960s at least, specific work related services have been offered to:

• Youth: ages 14 - 24, inclusive. First off, many of these programs require some "at-risk" qualifications to participate, such as low income level, lower English reading/math achievement levels, and any from a long list of others. A certain number of qualifications from the list usually need to be met.

The programs can entail individual Assessment, Work Readiness, Math/Reading Enrichment, hands-on Science project learning, other classroom and field education, Internships, Summer Employment, year-round after-school employment, specific job training and permanent job placement, and several others, depending on the county offering services and the ages of youth involved.

• Seniors: Ages 55 and older. Similar services as those for Youth are often available to Senior Citizens. A certain income level is sometimes required. Some of the best cities for finding senior employment are in Texas.
• Veterans - Specific job related help is available to veterans, just as it is for Youth, but in fewer categories.
• Displaced Homemakers - Usually this entails similar services for women that have never worked outside the home and are left widowed or divorced,without adequate income and work skills.
• Non-Custodial Parents- Job related services, including education, have been offered to parents that do not have custody of their children and this includes those in jail or prison. Certain income levels may be required required for this programming.
• Others - Individual counties may target other groups, such as Somali refugees, Hispanic immigrants, and several other groups.

What about other adults ages 25 - 54?

Every county in every state in America should be offering WIA-funded job assistance, either alone or in conjunction with a group of other specific counties in a state. These arevices are available to all adults not continaed in the special groups listed above, and this includes all adults ages 25 - 54.

Of the services offered by WIA Career One Stops and other programs that may be operating under related grant funding, some are continuing more easily and farther into the future after receiving Stimulus Funding 2009 - 2012. Check with your locla One Stop for the help that you require.

FIRST

You can find out about services in your area at a local Career One Stop invia the link in the left sidebar at http://www.careeronestop.org. You will be led to a page on which you ill search by US State and zipcode. For example, in my city, we have two major centers: Job Leaders and COWIC/Job Leaders.

Some individuals do not enjoy the thought of using a government sponsored career site online or in person for any number of reasons. However, I can attest to the fact that such centers have helped me in the past to find good employment.

In addition, these Career Centers can offer immediate help with Unemployment Benefits, Healthcare, and the problems of coping with job loss. A special program for Autoworker Re-Employment is offered as well. Check with your individual County One Stop Center. If for some reason, you cannot find it, call your town's City Hall and ask the office of the Mayor or City manager for help with finding the information.

SECOND,

Job seekers can learn more about the WIA at this link for the US Department of Labor, Education & Training section.

THIRD,

In your own particular state and county, ask about the following WIA Services:

Core Services

• Eligibility Determination
• Outreach/Intake
• Assessment
• Career Training Information
• Job Search/Placement and Career Counseling
• Labor Market Information

Intensive Services

• Comprehensive & Specialized Assessment
• Diagnostic Testing - relates to finding and retainin employment.
• Employment Barrier Evaluation
• Individual Employment Planning & Counseling
• Career Planning
• Case Management
• Pre-vocational services
• Out-of-area Job Search
• Relocation
• Educational Remediation
• Internship
• Work Experience

Training Services

• Occupational Skills
• On-the-Job Training (OJT)
• Cooperative programs between worksites and education
• Upgrade skills training
• Entrepreneurial
• Job Readiness (Work Readiness or Soft Skills)
• Customized services

While job seekers can avail themselves of the services offered locally by the WIA, they can still use other sources for job search. This includes the many city reviews, job descriptions, career discussions, and many work related Hubs found here on Hub Pages.

The bottom line is that significant funding is offered to Youth ages 14-24 in order to build up a foundation of well qualified workers long-term to support the American economy and to raise the national quality of life. Senior Citizens ages 55 and older are served as well by WIA, because increasing numbers in this group must return to work or keep on working through retirement, where in previous generations they did not. Those job seekers in the middle (ages 25 - 54) can still receive job search and job placement help; and if that is not adequate, then intensive services and possibly job training for new work.

My own opinion is that both Youth and Seniors must be served adequately in order to prevent increasing numbers of cases of homelessness, illness, starvation, hospitalizations, substance abuse, and even crime and early death that can result from a lack of income.

In the Recession of 2008 - 2009, those "in the middle" at ages 25 - 54 are also more often finding themselves sick and homeless, without adequate income. At the same time, some US cities' employers advertise an abundance of jobs, but many of these people in the middle cannot travel to them or cannot qualify for the work requirements.

It is fortunate that the ARRA has supplemented work related services to some of those "in the middle" as well as others, but is this working well enough? How can we adjust the system to work more effectively?