BYLAWS
OF THE
CAPITAL REGION WORFORCE DEVELOPMENT BOARD
YOUTH COMMITTEE

Background information of the Youth Committee

Regional Workforce Development Boards were established in 1992 by Connecticut’s General Assembly to coordinate the training and employment activities for the state’s regions. Regional activities are planned to meet the needs of local residents and businesses.

The Capital Workforce Partners, Inc.’s (CWP) mission is to develop and coordinate a regional workforce development system that meets the employment and training needs of both employers, adult and youth job seekers in support of the region’s economic growth and vitality.  The Youth Committee’s vision, “Developing Tomorrow’s Workforce Today,” reflects the Committee’s commitment to ensuring opportunities for young people to successfully transition into adulthood.  The Youth Committee ‘s mission is to act as a catalyst to build a comprehensive youth delivery system that, through community partnerships, will give youth the skills and education they need to get good jobs and a career.

CWP is responsible to administer the federal funds allocated for youth programs under the Workforce Investment Act, including the establishment of the regional Youth Committee, which shall carry out these function under the guidelines and responsibilities under the act.  The Youth Committee was established in January 2000 in response to the enactment of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998.

Goals of the Youth Committee

The goals of the Youth Committee are to:

• Develop a coordinated youth workforce development system in the region by facilitating community partnerships among service providers and key stakeholders.
• Promote youth development, employability skills, careers, and important life skills to develop tomorrow’s workforce.
• Promote academic achievement be requiring providers to encourage young people to pursue not only high school diplomas and General Education Diplomas, but also training and post-secondary opportunities.
• Assess and develop strategic action steps to address the needs of out-of-school youth in the region.

 
The Youth Committee is:

• A subgroup of the CWP
• Appointed by the CWP in cooperation with local elected officials (Capital Region Committee of Governments)
• Comprised of members required by the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA)
• Responsible for the duties established through the WIA legislation      

Purposes of the Youth Committee are to:

• Develop a coordinated youth policy
• Strengthen linkages between existing local/regional youth services
• Draw upon the expertise of all related community/employer groups
• Bring a youth perspective to the table

Membership Requirements: (Federal Legislation)

• Local Workforce Investment Board members special interest or interest in youth policy
• Representatives of youth services agencies, including juvenile justice and local law enforcement agencies
• Representatives of public housing authorities
• Parents of eligible youth seeking assistance
• Individuals, former participants and representatives of organizations, which have experience relating to youth activities
• Representatives of Job Corps, as appropriate
• A minimum of two youth - established by the WorkPlace Board
• Others as deemed appropriate

Youth Committee Duties: (Federal Legislation)

• Develop portions of the local plan relating to eligible youth  
• Recommend eligible providers of youth activities, to be awarded grants or contracts on a competitive basis by the local board to carry out the youth activities
• Development and participation in the RFP process
• Conduct oversight with respect to eligible providers
• Coordinate youth services authorized under the Workforce Investment Act
• Other duties determined appropriate by the local board

 
Goals and Objectives of Youth Committee

The Youth Committee will determine the activities, goals, and objectives for its region, pursuant to federal regulations and as deemed appropriate by the local workforce board on an annual basis as they relate to the Youth Committee Strategic Plan. 

ARTICLE I

Committee Membership

            Section 1.01. General Powers.

The Youth Committee is established as a subgroup within the local board, appointed by the local board, in cooperation with the chief elected official for the local area.
 
            Section 1.02. Membership.

The membership shall include:

Members of each local board described in subparagraph (A) or (8) of subsection (b) (2) with special interest or expertise in youth policy; 

Representatives of youth serving agencies, including juvenile justice and local law enforcement agencies;

Representatives of local public housing authorities;

Parents of eligible youth seeking assistance under this subtitle;

Individuals, including former participants, and representatives of organizations, that have experience relating to youth activities; and

Representatives of the Job Corps, as appropriate; and

may include other individuals as the chairperson of the local board, in cooperation with the chief elected official, determines to be appropriate.  Members of the Youth Committee who are not members of the local board described in subparagraphs (A) and (8) of subsection (b) (2) shall be voting members of the Youth Committee and nonvoting members of the board.

 Terms of Membership

Section 1.03. Terms of Members.  

Members shall be appointed for a one-year term, with a maximum of two consecutive one-year terms or 2 year maximum.

A member appointed to fill a vacancy can serve two full terms after serving the balance of the partial term. At the expiration of the partial term and at the expiration of the first term, a member must indicate his or her interest in reappointment. 

            Section 1.04. Resignation of Committee Members.  

The written resignation of a Member shall be effective immediately upon its receipt by the committee. 

            Section 1.05. Removal of Members.  

At any regular meeting or special meeting of the Youth Council, duly called, any member may be removed for cause (which cause shall not be political) by the affirmative vote of the majority of the members. Grounds for removal include, without limitation, the following: (a) when a Member fails to attend three consecutive meetings of the Youth Committee without prior notice; (b) that a Member has ceased to be a representative of the group from which he/she was appointed; or (c) that the business or other activities of a Member are inconsistent with the activities and objectives of the Youth Committee.

Section 1.06. Vacancies.  

Vacancies will be filled by the Consortium of Chief Elected Officials with support of the CWP Youth Services staff.

Section 1.07. Regular and Special Meetings.  

Regular meetings of the Committee At-large will be held on a monthly basis or as the members determine are needed.  Not less than seven days notice by mail, telephone, facsimile, or electronic mail, shall be given of each regular meeting of the Youth Committee.

Special meetings of the committee may be called at any time by the Chair and shall be called by him/her upon the written request of any three of the members. Except as otherwise provided in these bylaws, not less than three days notice by mail, telephone, facsimile, or electronic mail shall be given of each special meeting of the Youth Committee.

Meetings of the Committee shall be held at such place as shall be designated in the notice of the meeting.  A majority of the members shall constitute a quorum at all meetings of the Committee.

Section 1.08. Vote Required for Action.  

The act of a majority of the members present at a meeting at which a quorum is present at the time of the act shall be the act of the Youth Committee, unless the act of the greater number is required by these bylaws or by law. A member shall not participate in the allocation of funding and/or shall abstain from voting upon a specific contract for the provision of program, administrative or support services either by him/herself or by an entity by which he/she is employed, or by an entity that he/she represents through committee membership, or if by such contract he/she would receive direct financial benefit. No Member may vote by proxy.

Section 1.10. Action Without Meeting.  

If all the Members severally or collectively consent in writing to any action taken or to be taken by the council, the action shall be as valid as though it had been authorized at a meeting of the Youth Committee, and such written consent or consents shall be filed in the minutes.

ARTICLE II

Officers

Officers:
The Co-Chairs of the Youth Council shall be appointed to the CWP Board of Directors.

Section 2.02. Election. Term of Office and Vacancies.  
The officers of the Youth Council, following a recommendation from the membership subcommittee, shall be elected annually by the Youth Council, and shall hold office until the next annual meeting or until others have been chosen in their stead.

Section 2.01. Duties and Powers.  
The duties of the officers shall be as follows:
     
Co-Chair:  The Co-Chair shall be the officers of the Youth Committee, and shall be responsible for seeing that the resolutions and actions of the members are carried into effect, and for reporting to the members on conduct and management of the affairs of the Youth Committee. The Co-Chairs will represent the matters of the Youth Committee on the Executive Committee of the CWP Joint Policy Board. The Co-Chairs shall preside at all meetings of the Youth Committee.  In the absence of one of the Co-Chairs, the remaining Co-Chair will preside over the Youth Council or represent the Youth Council at Executive Committee Meetings.

(B)      Committee Chairs:  The Co-Chairs of the Youth Committee may appoint Committee Chairs to any workgroup or subcommittee charged with a specific task or activity to achieve the mission of the Youth Committee.
           
Section 3.04 – Removal of Officers
The Executive Committee may remove any officers of the Youth Committee from office with or without cause at any time, pursuant to the stipulations as set forth for removal of members in Section 1.05.

ARTICLE III

Amendments and Miscellaneous

Section 3.01. General Powers. 
These bylaws may be amended, repealed or added to, and new bylaws, consistent with the purposes described in the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) at any regular or special meeting of the Youth Committee by the affirmative vote of a majority of all the members. Any notice of a meeting of the Youth Committee at which these bylaws are to be amended, repealed or added to, or new bylaws are to be adopted shall be given at least seven days notice prior to such meeting and shall include notice of such proposed action.

Section 3.02. Principal Office.   The principal office of the Committee shall be located at the Executive Offices of the CWP located at 99 Pratt Street in Hartford, Connecticut.