Youth Employment and Demonstration Projects Act of 1977

(Conference report filed in House, H. Rept. 95-456)

Youth Employment and Demonstration Projects Act - =Title I: Young Adult Conservation Corps= - Amends the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act of 1973 to add a new title (Title VIII: Young Adult Conservation Corps). Establishes a Young Adult Conservation Corps (YACC), to employ youths who would not otherwise be productively employed, on a year-round basis to perform resource management work on public lands. Places administrative responsibility for such program within the Department of Labor through interagency agreements with the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture.

States that to be eligible for the YACC a person must: (1) be unemployed; (2) be between the ages of 16 through 23, inclusive; (3) a citizen or lawful permanent resident of the U.S.; and (4) be physically capable of carrying out the work to be accomplished. Prohibits leaving school to enroll in the YACC.

Provides for a maximum enrollment period of 12 months which must be served in three or less periods. Directs the Secretary of Labor to assure that an equitable proportion of candidates be referred from each State. Requires that preference be given to youths residing in areas having substantial unemployment.

Requires the Secretaries of the Interior or Agriculture, in consultation with the Secretary of Labor, to determine the location of each residential and nonresidential corps center. Lists the fields the Corps should perform work on.

Provides that Corps members be deemed not to be Federal employees, except as otherwise provided in this Act.

Authorizes the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture to make grants or enter into agreements with any State agency or institution to conduct any project on non-Federal public lands or waters.

Requires the Secretaries of Labor, Agriculture, and the Interior to prepare and submit a joint annual report.

Authorizes such appropriations as may be necessary for fiscal years 1978-1980.

=Title II: Youth Employment Demonstration Programs= - Amends the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act of 1973 to provide disadvantaged youth, with opportunities to learn and earn which will lead to meaningful employment opportunities. Establishes pilot, demonstration, and experimental programs to test different methods of dealing with the structural unemployment problems of youth.

Authorizes the Secretary of Labor to enter into arrangements with selected prime sponsors to demonstrate the feasibility of guaranteeing employment to certain economically disadvantaged youth. States that a person must be between the ages of 16 and 19, and be in school or willing to return to school in order to obtain a high school diploma, in order to be eligible for the program.

States that employees in the program shall receive up to 20 hours a week of training and employment during the school year, and up to 40 hours a week during the summer.

Sets forth criteria that the Secretary must use in selecting prime sponsors. Directs the Secretary to select such sponsors from areas with differing socioeconomic circumstances.

Prohibits funds from being used to provide public services previously provided by a political subdivision or local educational agency.

Establishes a program of community conservation and improvement projects to provide work experience, skill training and opportunities for community service to eligible youths. Authorizes the Secretary to enter into agreements with eligible applicants to pay the costs of such projects.

Authorizes the Secretary to provide financial assistance to enable applicants to provide employment opportunities and appropriate training and supportive services for eligible participants.

Defines eligible applicants to be prime sponsors, sponsors of Native American programs and sponsors of migrant and seasonal farmworker programs qualified under this Act.

Authorizes the Secretary of Labor to carry out directly or indirectly innovative and experimental programs to test new approaches for dealing with the unemployment problems of youth.

Authorizes to be appropriated for fiscal year 1978 such sums as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of such programs.

Sets rates of pay for such programs to be the higher of: (1) the minimum wage under the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938; (2) the State or local minimum wage for the most nearly comparable employment; or (3) the prevailing rates of pay for occupations and job classifications of individuals employed by the same employer.

Requires that efforts be made to encourage the granting of academic credit by the educational agency or school involved.

=Title III: Miscellaneous Provisions= - Requires the Secretary of Labor to transfer from the Secretary's discretionary fund between $3,000,000 and $5,000,000 to the National Occupational Information Coordinating Committee.

Requires that the Secretary of Labor take steps to insure the increased participation of qualified disabled veterans and Vietnam-era veterans in Comprehensive Employment and Training Act programs.

Provides that for public service employment programs, when a prime sponsor is filling teaching positions with funds under Titles II and VI of the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act, special consideration be given to unemployed persons with previous teaching experience who are certified in the applicable State.