A primary investment of NOW is into services for eligible local youth.  For our purposes, eligible youth are generally defined as young people ages 16-24 with barriers and challenges to being successful in education and/or employment, though eligibility for various youth programs may vary according to the fund source.

For Workforce Investment and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Title I youth services, per WIOA section 123, NOW procures providers using a competitive procurement process to carry out all the Title I Youth 14 elements and services.  Providers of Title I Youth services are considered sub-recipients of federal funds and are required to follow Uniform Guidance and undergo annual monitoring for fiscal and programmatic compliance. Youth contracts are effective on a July 1- June 30 basis and renewed in accordance with NOW procurement policies.

NOW also provides direct youth services through funds from Youth Development Division that help local youth reengage in high school or GED training.

In Benton and Lincoln Counties, WIOA youth services are provided by Community Services Consortium (CSC). As a state-designated community action agency for 40 years, Community Services Consortium is here to help. CSC offers a wide range of programs and services in Linn, Benton and Lincoln counties, and select services in Polk county. Their mission is to overcome poverty in the region by connecting people with the tools and resources they need to build better futures. CSC works together with community partners to overcome poverty, one person at a time.

In Clatsop, Columbia and Tillamook Counties, Equus Workforce Solutions is the provider of WIOA youth services. Equus Workforce Solutions is a comprehensive provider of workforce development services in North America with a fifty-plus-year legacy of experience that encompasses the development, design and delivery of demand-driven workforce solutions.

Youth Reengagement Programs

In 2020, NOW launched the Youth Reengagement Council in response to being awarded a grant by the Oregon Youth Development Division to provide services to youth in need of support to earn a high school diploma or GED.  The Council is comprised of education and community partners who help inform needs, guide program implementation and leverage resources.  Reengagement services are provided in all five counties both as part of WIOA youth services and YDD services.  NOW employs Student Success Coaches who are housed in the community and work directly with local school districts, Clatsop Community College, Tillamook Bay Community College, WorkSource Oregon and others.

Reengagement Opportunity Grants are designed to help support Reengagement Programs serving local communities across the state to reconnect youth back to their education focused on completing their H.S. Diploma or GED. The focus is to ensure that services and supports for disconnected and under-attached youth ages 14-21 are readily accessible, effective, and accountable. Reengagement Programs tailor their service models to meet the needs of the local community while addressing the cultural and linguistic needs of traditionally underserved youth and their families, and center service design on the needs of the youth they reconnect.

As an awardee NOW became part of The Oregon Youth Reengagement Network, bringing together local re-engagement efforts including schools, community-based organizations, community colleges, local workforce development boards, and other entities working collaboratively to reconnect disengaged youth and support students at risk of disconnection. Grant recipients are required to provide specific Reengagement Services, verify eligible participants, and track the individual educational progress of program participants.

Youth Program Locations