California Jobs for Graduates Program

California’s Unemployment Insurance Code contains the Jobs for California Graduates Program in Division 3, Part 1, Chapter 2, Article 5. Section 9900 expresses the intent of the Legislature in enacting this article to support the expansion of the Jobs for California Graduates pilot project in Merced into a regional system of local programs based on the Jobs for America’s Graduates model.

The Jobs for California Graduates nonprofit, public-private partnership will create a network of local programs to help California’s at-risk youth complete their secondary education and acquire the basic skills necessary to successfully transition into the workforce or enroll in postsecondary education.

In addition, the director of the Employment Development Department, from funds appropriated for this purpose to the Jobs for California Graduates Program, may make grants to applicants for the purpose of carrying out programs as authorized by this article. The grants are required to be used to support new and existing Jobs for California Graduates Programs in the central valley region in one or more of the following counties: Sacramento, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Merced, Fresno, Madera, and Kern. The regional system of Jobs for California Graduates local programs is designed to accomplish six specified goals.

Section 9901 provides that, in order to encourage a regional system of long-lasting, self-sustaining model local programs, communities served pursuant to this article must contribute in-kind and financial resources in direct support of the model local program, according to a specified schedule. Also, community partners providing matching resources to the model local programs may include private nonprofit corporations, community-based organizations, workforce investment agencies, school districts, and other public and private sources.

Section 9902 requires local affiliates of the Jobs for California Graduates Program to include eleven specified elements.

Section 9903 requires entities eligible to conduct a Jobs for California Graduates local program to include local education agencies, community colleges, and nonprofit organizations with an interest in serving at-risk youth. In order to maintain eligibility after the initial year of implementation, participating entities are required to conduct the Jobs for California Graduates Program in accordance with Jobs for America’s Graduates performance standards, receiving no less than a “Meets Standards” rating on an accreditation review.

Section 9904 states that, in order to be eligible to receive services through a Jobs for California Graduates local program under this article, a youth is required to meet at least two of the specified criteria.

Section 9905 requires the department to make local grants available throughout the region. It is the intent of the Legislature that Jobs for California Graduates local programs be conducted in a broad range of settings, including urban, suburban, and rural districts, which are representative of all California youth during the initial year of the regional program, in order to test the effectiveness of the model local programs throughout the state.

Section 9908 requires the state funds made available pursuant to this article to be used to carry out two purposes.