Union County Deputy County Manager and Director of Economic Development Amy Wagner told commissioners the county issued a request for proposals under the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to fund youth services that include in-school and out-of-school programming, job training and work-readiness instruction.

Wagner said the RFP is intended to provide a comprehensive set of services for youth, and that the county will refer eligible out-of-school youth who could benefit from the Simon Youth Academy program. "We went out to RFP for youth services under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act," Wagner said.

The announcement came during the county's agenda-setting session, when Wagner told commissioners the department has four resolutions tied to economic development on the upcoming regular meeting agenda. Commissioner Williams asked for a brief background on the item before other members said they had no further questions.

Why it matters: WIOA-funded youth programming can affect workforce pipeline efforts and draw federal and local funding to training and placement services for young residents. The county's RFP will determine the service providers and scope for the coming program year.

Details provided by the county: Wagner said the RFP covers both in-school and out-of-school youth programming, including job training and work-readiness components. She cited referrals to the Simon Youth Academy as one possible pathway for certain out-of-school youth. No dollar amounts, contract periods or vendor names were discussed at the agenda-setting meeting.

Next steps: Wagner presented the related resolutions for consideration; the county will take formal action on those resolutions during its regular meeting, at which time contract awards or additional program details may be disclosed.