Local affiliates of the Jobs for California Graduates Program shall include all of the following elements:

(a) (1) A trained youth specialist employed year-round providing individual and group instruction to 25 to 45 eligible youth recruited and selected by a school-based advisory committee comprised of faculty, administrators, and counselors.

(2) The youth specialist shall provide individual attention to students to help them overcome barriers preventing them from receiving a high school diploma or securing employment, or both, or pursuing a postsecondary education that will lead to a career.

(3) The youth specialist shall provide informal guidance to students on academic, career, and life decisions and, based on the individual needs of students, connect them to professional counseling services to address more serious barriers, such as mental health problems or drug abuse.

(4) The youth specialist shall be actively involved in intensive, one-on-one employer marketing and job development activities to identify entry-level job opportunities for students upon graduation. Likewise, the youth specialist shall assist graduates in the exploration of postsecondary education opportunities and help them navigate the financial aid process to pursue these opportunities.

(b) Youth shall be taught a minimum of 37 employment competencies designed to prepare them to secure a quality entry-level job or pursue a postsecondary education, or both, upon completion of their secondary education.

(c) Placement services shall be provided to students during the summer months or partnerships developed with summer youth employment programs to support yearlong learning. Youth specialists shall maintain contact with youth during the summer months.

(d) A student-led organization, associated with a state and national association, shall build on the competency-based curriculum and provide the opportunity for students to develop, practice, and refine their leadership and team membership skills.

(e) It shall serve as a school-based “one-stop center” for participating at-risk youth to ensure that they receive appropriate academic and social services from available resources in the school and community.

(f) It shall provide no less than 12 months of followup and support on the job and in postsecondary education after leaving the school.

(g) It shall provide computerized tracking of youth served, services delivered and performance outcomes, such as graduation rate, positive outcome rates, aggregate employment rate, full-time jobs rate, full-time placement rate, further education rate, wages, and return to school rate, at local and state levels.

(h) It shall provide continuous improvement of results through the ongoing professional development of managers, supervisors, and specialists.

(Added by Stats. 2000, Ch. 313, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2001.)