u ic.^'i/^ U. S. DEPAROMENT OF lABOR PROGRAMS CONCERNING YOUTH •Hie Department of Labor has a vital and active interest in youth. It presently conducts a vide variety of programs designed to enhance youth's preparation for employment and to create sufficient youth employment opportunities to meet the need. Some of these activities are directly and primarily youth-oriented. In other cases the activities focus on the broad, general group of workers, but youth benefit to the extent they sire represented in this group. This division is used in the summary of programs ^ich follows. Direct- Interest Programs A. Bureau of Labor Standards 1. The development of youth programs for local conmvinities; the analysis and adaptation of successful youth programs now operating in certain conmxmities; and the maintenance of a clearing ho\ise service for local communities, national agencies and other organizations . 2. The promotion and servicing of local community youth committees; providing assistance in their organization, program material and ideas for year-round activity, consultation, support, and assistance 3. Ilie solicitation, development, and coordination of the efforts of national organizations which are either now interested in youth programs or can be encouraged to participate in such activities, to include provision of consultant and advisory services to committees, etc . , dealing with youth . ;$i The contin\ial development of child labor standards to insure '^•^ protection of employed youth and the expansion of job opportunities, and the improvement of the processes of issuing work permits to make i^'' it more meaningful for the youngster and more valvtable for the commijnity. 5. The protection of youth from occupational hazards, the develop- ment of youth safety programs, and the promotion of a voluntary safety program for gainfully employed youth in agricultvure . 6. Special projects and studies in the field of youth entployTnent standards and services and the maintenance of supixjrting statistics and research. The Bureau also has a program to advance the well-being of workers through promoting in the States the development of sovmd legislative standards, incliidlng progressive child-labor standards and programs to improve conditions and opportxinities for migrant agric\iltural workers and their families. - 2 - B. Bureau of Employment Security 1. In many communities, local offices of the State employment service and the high schools have developed cooperative arrangements providing for: counseling, testing and placement of senior students by the employment service; referral of drop- outs to the employment office by the school; or development of employment opportimities for and placement of youth in school- work programs. 2. Cooperates vith State employment services in the conduct of pilot programs related to youth employment. Examples are the project for hard-to-place youth in Philadelphia; projects for dropouts in Wilmington and Philadelphia; £ind special projects for decentralizing local office services by assigning staff to schools, settlement houses, recreation centers, etc., where they are more accessible to youth. 3. Conducts a promotional program designed to familiarize you-uh with services available in the local offices of the piiblic employment service. k. Engages in a variety of miscellaneous activities related to youth employment. Tliese include: having representation on certain comnittees which are concerned with youth employment; conducting research to discover means of improving services to youth; preparing and publishing certain labor market and occu- pational information addressed to youth; and promoting broader public awareness of the qualifications and assets of young workers. C. Wage and Hour and Public Contracts Divisions 1. Enforces provisions of Federal statutes as they relate to protection of under-l8 youth from employment that interferes with their health, welfare or schooling or employment that is too hazardous for them. 2. Conducts a program to promote broad piiblic understanding of the provisions of Federal statvrtes as they relate to employment of youth under 18. 3. Has representation on certain comnittees that are concerned with youth related questions. k. Develops and issues regulations prescribing the conditions vmder •vrtiich student learners may be employed at wage rates lower than the minimum established by the Fair Labor Standards Act. - 3 - D. Bureau of Labor Statistics 1. Publishes the Occvrpational Outlook Handbook , the product of a major research and publication program which provides employ- xnent information on major occupations for use in guidance, primarily of young Job-seekers. It is concerned vd.th manpower needs and employment opportiinities in over 30 industries and 600 ocoupations, and provides up-to-date information on the basis of v^ich individuals can make career choices, and educa- tional authorities and industry can develop their training plans. •Die fifth edition will be available in the fall of I96I. 2. Publishes the Occupational Outlook Quarterly fovtr times a year. This supplements the Handbook with general articles of Interest to covuaselors and new occupational outlook materials which become available dviring the interveils between pviblication of new editions of the Handbook. 3. Hias experimental program to develop occupational information for younger age groups than those for whom currently published material is appropriate. h. Periodically'- publishes special reports, based on data collected for the Monthly Report on the Labor Force, which gives cvirrent statistics on youth in the labor force. "Dnployment of Students" and "anployment of June High School Gradxiates," both annual reports, are examples. 5. Irregularly conducts special studies or projects in the youth- in-the-labor force field. Examples are "School and Early Employment Experience of Youth - a Report on Seven Ccmmunlties, 1952-1957" and "Youth, Its Employment and Occupational Outlook," a special report prepared for the Senate Subcommittee on Unemployment Problems. 6. As requested, provides technical information and consultative services on young people in relation to manpower requirements and occupational outlook and also has representation on certain committees which are .concerned with aspects of youth employment. E. Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training 1. The Bureau's basic apprenticeship program established in 1937 is essentially a youth activity. Today most apprentices enter training from high school or following military service in the age group from 17 to 2k. The legislative history of the program is one of concern for safeguarding the welfare of youthful apprentices; establishing standards covering their training; and promoting the sponsorship of apprenticeship and training programs for their advancement through contacts with management and labor interests . UNIVERJITY OF FLORIDA 3 1262 08860 0092 - h 2. A considerable amount of time is spent each year by Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training Field Staff in participating in high school guidance activities, pro- viding graduates information on oppdrtunities and reqiiire- ments in apprenticeable occupations, including maMng talks at career day programs. Collatereil- Interest Programs A. Bureau of Employment Security 1. 13ie general onployment services provided by the public employment offices eire available to youth on the same basis as they are to other categories of Job-seekers. 2. Biireau develops and distributes a variety of occupational and labor force information which is useful in guidance of >outh as well as other Job-seekers. 3. Bureau gives technical assistance to State employment offices to help them strengthen and improve services generally. B. B\ireau of Labor Statistics 1. Regularly publishes the "Monthly Report on the Labor Force" ^ich presents statistics on employment, unemployment rates, etc., for the l'4-19 and 20-2^ year old groups, as well as for the other age groups in the labor force. C. Bxireau of Apprenticeship and Training 1. Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training, in addition to its work in apprenticeship, gives assistance to management, labor, and public agencies in the establishment of other types of job training and experience to enable workers to qualify for variovis lines of endeavor. Recent examples are: work with hotel industry in Cincinnati in setting up training the hotel industry occupations which eifforded opportunity to unemployed workers including youth to qualify for housekeeping department Jobs in this indvistry; also participating in program of City of Cleveland to afford public service training and employment for youth on various municipal projects. Prepared by U. S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Standards Division of Youth Employment Stsmdards and Services Washington 25, D. C. November I96I