NCWD/Youth prepared an analysis of 2007 performance data reported by a select set of Workforce Investment Boards (WIBs) under the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) to understand how youth with disabilities are being served. U.S. Department of Labor data indicate that of all youth served under WIA in 2007, nearly 14 percent were youth with disabilities. As an initial analysis of the data, authors of this paper are unable to draw firm conclusions about the actual effect serving youth with disabilities has on performance outcomes of local workforce investment boards that oversee WIA Youth Activities monies. However, the limited data suggest youth with disabilities have similar performance outcomes as youth without disabilities. Additionally, the data suggest WIBs serving large proportions of youth with disabilities tend to have lower performance outcomes than WIBs serving proportionally fewer youth with disabilities.
