Youth Employment Initiatives Act of 1979

Youth Employment Initiatives Act of 1979 - Amends the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA) to establish a Prime Sponsor Initiative Program to provide incentives to CETA prime sponsors and others to train, employ, and place for subsequent employment 16 to 21 year old youths who: (1) are out of school; (2) have been unemployed for at least eight weeks immediately prior to eligibility determination; (3) are unemployed at the time of such determination; and (4) have a family income no greater than 70 percent of the lower living standard income level.

Allocates, from sums available for such program: (1) 80 percent to prime sponsors; (2) five percent to Governors; (3) at least two percent for Native American Youths; (4) at least two percent for youth in migrant and seasonal farmworker families; and (5) the remainder for discretionary projects of the Secretary of Labor.

Allocates, for fiscal years 1981 and 1982, amounts available for prime sponsors and Governors among the States according to a formula based on the number in each State of: (1) unemployed persons; (2) unemployed persons residing in areas of substantial unemployment; and (3) persons in families with annual incomes below the low-income level. Directs the Secretary to use the best available data in determining such allocations.

Allocates, for fiscal years 1983 and for succeeding fiscal years thereafter, amounts available for prime sponsors including special State programs and sponsors of Native American programs so that each such sponsor shall receive: (1) $400 for each month that each eligible participant spends in an authorized program; (2) $2,000 for each eligible former participant who has (a) been employed in at least three out of four of the quarters following completion of the program or (b) returned to school and completed a grade of schooling in the four quarters or the next school year following completion of the program; and (3) $500 for each eligible former participant who receives a wage of over 75 percent of the average industrial wage in the area or of over 1.2 times the minimum wage, whichever is higher, in the year following completion of the program. Requires that such sums be adjusted annually to reflect changes in the national average industrial wage. Directs the Secretary to increase the sum for employed former participants to adjust for certain increased difficulties in placement.

Requires ratable reduction of such allocations in any fiscal year according to appropriations for such year and ratable increase of such reduced amounts whenever additional funds become available.

Directs the Secretary to select for such programs only prime sponsors assuring that: (1) only economically disadvantaged youth will be served; (2) certain required wage levels will be met; (3) participants have experienced certain severe handicaps in obtaining employment; (4) participating youth are not relatives of those hiring them; (5) certain additional training by employers meet certain wage standards; and (6) special efforts will be made to recruit youth from families receiving public assistance, including parents of dependent children.

Requires that funds for special State programs and for seasonal farmworker programs be used in accordance with specified plans, approved by the Secretary, for specified purposes.

Requires Government agencies to provide employment, unemployment, and wage information on former program participants for fund allocation purposes.

Sets forth certain wage standards for employment programs under this Act.

Limits the CETA Youth Employment and Training Program to in-school youth.

Authorizes appropriations for necessary sums for fiscal years 1981 through 1984 to carry out all CETA Youth Programs.