Round 2 Pilot Site Abstracts

Arizona State University

The Arizona State University (ASU) Watts College of Public Service & Community Solutions and the ASU Opportunities for Youth (OFY) Initiative will work with select OFY community partners including the Maricopa County Regional School District, GateWay Community College, LeCroy & Milligan Associates, and the Maricopa County and City of Phoenix ARIZONA@WORK Centers to create, implement, and evaluate a Manufacturing Apprenticeship Program (MAP) for 96 disconnected youth ages 17 through 24. The OFY Street Outreach Team will work with ten ARIZONA@WORK Centers to identify eligible youth via an initial screening. The MAP program will include 4 months of manufacturing coursework at GateWay Community College and an additional soft skills' curriculum prior to interviews and job placement with manufacturing employers. MAP participants who lack a high school diploma or its equivalent will be co-enrolled in high school or a high school equivalency program as a condition of their participation in MAP. At the time an out-of-school youth who lacks a high school diploma or its equivalent seeks to enroll in MAP, the MAP case manager will assist the youth in identifying and in enrolling in the best educational option for the youth to resume his or her education. For youth who are age 18 or younger, priority shall be given to options that enable them to earn a regular high school diploma. The MAP pilot program will include funds from the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Title I Youth program and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act Title I, Part A program.