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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 09 - Application to the California Workforce Development BoardCommunity Development Agency www.santa-ana.org/community-development Item # 9 City of Santa Ana 20 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana, CA 92701 Staff Report February 18, 2025 TOPIC: Application to the California Workforce Development Board to request Governor approval to continue as a Career Services Provider for the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Title I Grant AGENDA TITLE Application to the California Workforce Development Board to Request Governor Approval to Continue as a Career Services Provider for the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Title I Grant RECOMMENDED ACTION Authorize application submission requesting Governor approval to continue as a Career Services Provider and an Adult Dislocated Worker service provider within a Local Workforce Development Area under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. GOVERNMENT CODE §84308 APPLIES: No DISCUSSION The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) was signed into law July 2014 and took effect July 1, 2015. Since then, the City of Santa Ana (City) has served as the administrative entity responsible for receiving an annual allocation of federal funds under Title I of the WIOA. The allocation of these formula funds is based on the allotments provided to the State by the U.S. Department of Labor. WIOA funds are intended to assist job seekers in accessing employment, education, training, and support services to thrive in the labor market, while also helping employers connect with skilled workers. Resolution No. 2024-046, approved at the City Council meeting on August 6, 2024, authorizes the City to receive all WIOA funds for a four-year period from July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2028 through Agreement No. A-2024-139. The Santa Ana Workforce Development Board (WDB) is responsible for overseeing the implementation of WIOA and making policy recommendations related to workforce issues. WIOA permits local Workforce Development Boards to serve as Adult and Dislocated Worker Career Services Provider with the approval of the Governor. Since 1987, WORK Center staff have been delivering Career Services that consistently meet or exceed State performance goals. Under WIOA, these services include eligibility determination, enrollment, and case management for Adult and Dislocated Workers. WORK Center staff have successfully met or surpassed WIOA performance goals as well as financial and program reviews. Application to continue as a Career Services Provider under WIOA Title I grant February 18, 2025 Page 2 At its regularly scheduled meeting on January 16, 2025, the WDB recommended the above action by a vote of 13 in favor, 0 against, and 7 absent (Araujo, Hernandez, Lopez, Milatovich, Miller, Perez, Sams absent). Approval of the application will ensure that the Santa Ana WORK Center maintains its WIOA eligibility and supports the timely implementation of monthly reports that track expenses, payments, and the awarding of contracts and activities with service providers that work with eligible participants that must be entered into CalJOBS. Failure to approve the application could jeopardize the City's compliance with State -mandated performance metrics and may lead to a loss of WIOA funding. The application to continue as a Career Services Provider is due to the California Workforce Development Board by March 1, 2025 (Exhibit 1). FISCAL IMPACT There is no fiscal impact associated with this action. EXHIBIT(S) 1. Career Services Application — America's Job Center of California Adult and Dislocated Worker Career Services Provider Submitted By: Michael L. Garcia, Executive Director of Community Development Approved By: Alvaro Nunez, City Manager EXHIBIT 1 Employment EDDDevelopment Department State of California GALIFORNIA Workforce Development Board Request for Approval America's Job Center of CaliforniasM Adult and Dislocated Worker Career Services Provider Local Workforce Development Board Santa Ana Workforce Development Board Local Workforce Development Area Santa Ana The EDD is an equal opportunity employer/program. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities. The Workforce innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) allows Local Workforce Development Boards (Local Board) to be an Adult and Dislocated Worker Career Services Provider with the agreement of the Chief Elected Official (CEO) and the Governor. This application will serve as the Local Board's or administrative entity's request for Governor Approval to be an Adult and Dislocated Worker Career Services Provider within a Local Workforce Development Area (Local Area) under WIOA. The application must be submitted to the California Workforce Development Board (CWDB) by March 1, 2025, through the following method: Email: CWDBPolicyUnit@cwdb.ca.gov Subject line: Career Services Provider Application If the CWDB determines the request is incomplete, it will either be returned or held until the necessary documentation is submitted. Please contact your Regional Advisor for technical assistance or questions related to completing and submitting this request. Santa Ana Workforce Development Board Name of Local Board 801 W. Civic Center Dr. Suite 200 Mailing Address Santa Ana 92701 City, State Zip Deborah Sanchez Contact Person 714-565-2621 Contact Person's Phone Number TBD Date of Submission Page 2 of 7 Request for Approval Adult and Dislocated Worker Career Services Provider Local Chief Elected Official Statement A Local Board or administrative entity that seeks approval to be an Adult and Dislocated Worker Career Services Provider within an America's Job Center of Californiasm must provide a statement from the local CEO indicating his/her request as well as responses to the following questions. Please provide responses to the following items on a separate document: 1. What factors guided the Local Board's or administrative entity's decision to submit this application to be an Adult and Dislocated Worker Career Services Provider within the Local Area? The Santa Ana Workforce Development Board and the Mayor and city Councilmembers takes the strong position that its one stop office, the Santa Ana WORK Center is the best alternative to provide high quality Adult and Dislocated Worker services to its local residents and surrounding cities within the Orange County region. Before one -stop operations were written into the regulations under the Workforce Investment Act, City Council, its workforce board, and leadership at the local level from the Employment Development Department, Department of Rehabilitation, Santa Ana College, Social Services Agency, and the city's Economic Development Department strategized and developed the Santa Ana WORK Center. Thru co -location and staff working together to provide workforce and education services to the unemployed, underemployed, or new to the workforce services have been better coordinated with the collective customers better served. The WORK Center has been collaborating since 1996 and has passed or exceeded WIA performance goals while also passing financial and program review by EDD and OIG in addition to regular single audits by a third party audit firm. The WORK Center has created an organizational model that maximizes the resources of many partners — employers, education, government and non-profit organizations —in workforce planning and services to the community. The staff and administration of the WORK Center is very agile in meeting the needs of the community whether it is the clients utilizing the office to businesses needing assistance with recruiting or downsizing. From quickly adjusting its delivery of service due to the COVID 19 pandemic, to developing an incumbent worker training program for a local medical device manufacturer, or coordinating and planning a regional youth job fair, to developing and hosting an bi-annual manufacturing day to help local manufacturers replenish its retiring workforce and promote the livable wages the manufacturing sector has to offer. The WORK Center and all the Page 3 of 7 partners' organizations that comprise the center continue to work hard to be innovative and attentive to the needs of the community. 2. How would participants be better served by the Local Board or administrative entity acting in this role rather than through the awarding of contracts? The Santa Ana WORK Center has a long track record of delivering strong performance results for its Adult and Dislocated Worker clients. But beyond landing participants good jobs, staff provides a depth of services and benefits that are often difficult to express in a numbers -driven system. The WORK Center and its partners offer an experienced and stable workforce that has years of knowledge in the workforce industry. Long term ties, knowledge and insight to the residents and business community it serves. The City has oversight and coordination of the WORK Center and is administered under the City's Economic Development Department. Staffs is cross trained on various local, state and federal tax incentives and are well versed on what is happening with businesses moving in, expanding or notified of plant closures or mass layoffs. The WORK Center is very much seen as an asset to the City's business retention and attraction efforts and is valued for ensuring the city has a trained and skilled workforce. Staff has developed strong working relationships with area business associations such as the Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce, the OC Business Corporation, Orange County Employer Management Association (OCEMA),the manufacturing trade group California Manufacture Technology Consulting (CMTC), the local Small Business Association (SBA) and the Small Business Development Corporation (SBDC). In addition to the staff networking connections with employers and their knowledge of the local labor market and economy is invaluable to the participants. With an outside contractor, there would be no Board administrative control over factors such as technical expertise and experience levels of staff, staff turnover, and administrative stability. An outside contractor will be focused almost exclusively on quantitative outcomes to meet contract obligations and to receive full payment. In addition, the WORK Center has developed a successful pre -employment component, such as career assessment and counseling that has been built into program design for the benefit of the participant. The intent is to match participant skill sets, aptitudes and interests to appropriate opportunities to maximize longer term results for the client and over all organizational performance. The WORK Center also has a long established record in working together with the Adult Education and ROP centers to augment clients training and basic skills training that would be difficult to duplicate for an outside vendor. Page 4 of 7 And finally, the WORK Center is committed to serve its local employer customers at the highest level possible has benefited both job seeker and employers. Staff is committed to 100% employer satisfaction and responds to all local employer job openings and screen and supply strong job candidates to the prospective employer either through internal sources or through partner referrals. Local employers know that they will get fast, responsive results from the WORK Center staff. The Santa Ana Workforce Development Board has discussed possible procurement of Career Services and felt they would have little control over the level or responsiveness or commitment to employer services, concerned with actual delivery of client services as well as having them struggle with maintaining the reputation for delivering on its promises which in the long run could jeopardize the benefits to both participants and employers. 3. Describe the Basic and Individualized Career Services the Local Board or administrative entity will provide as well as their past experience providing these services. The following basic career services are provided at the WORK Center: Orientation Job fair information Resume workshops Use of resource room Financial Aide Info Initial assessment Assistance with resumes Job search workshops Provision of LIVII data Support Services Info Job search and placement assistance Info on training providers Referrals to partner agencies UI and SSI general information On site employer recruitments Individualized career services provided at case management level include: Individual counseling Skills assessment WEX/Transitional jobs Referral to job corps On-the-job training Career guidance/planning Referrals to apprenticeships Interest and aptitude testing Referrals to training programs Development of IEP Referrals to WIOA Title IB training ABE/ESL classes Referrals to Adult Ed. Customized training The WORK Center has successfully provided all the services listed above and met or exceeded state performance goals since 1987 to present under federal workforce grants JTPA, WIA, and currently WIOA. Page 5 of 7 4. Provide the Local Area's performance outcomes for each of the last two Program Years (PY 20-21 and 21-22) and evidence that the Local Board or administrative entity is qualified to provide Adult and Dislocated Worker Career Services, including testimonials that speak to the effectiveness and efficiency with which the Local Board or administrative entity has provided or can provide those services. The WORK Center and the partners that comprise the one -stop operations have been very successful in the past in providing career services to job seekers in the community. WORK Center staff is very knowledgeable of the WIOA program requirements and have a proven history of meeting or exceeding performance goals. The table below illustrates the past three years of the Santa Ana WORK Center performance history under the Workforce Investment Act: WIOA Goal vs Actual Performance Outcomes Santa Ana WORK Canter Adult and Dislocated Worker Career Services Programs WIOA Goals 2020- 21 Actual 2020- 21 Goals 2021- 22 Actual 2021- 22 Adult Employment Rate 2nd Qtr. After Exit 68.0% 56.1 % 61.4% 61.4% Employment Rate 4th Qtr. After Exit 65.5% 52.5% 55.0% 55.0% Median Earnings 2nd Qtr. After Exit $6,400 $7,800 $7,200 $7,717 Credential Attainment within 4th Qtr. After Exit 60.0% 31.8% 67.0% 44.2% Measurable Skills Gain 26.0% 16.9% 40.0% 38.9% Dislocated Worker Employment Rate 2nd Qtr. After Exit 72.0% 1 54.9% 68.0% 64.9% Employment Rate 4th Qtr. After Exit 72.0% 63.6% 68.0% 54.5% Median Earnings 211 Qtr. After Exit $8,900 $8,372 $8,505 $11,652 Credential Attainment within 4th Qtr. After Exit 60.0% 48.8% 69.0% 62.0% Measureable Skills Gain 40.0% 21.8% 40.0% 41.3% 5. Attach documentation (signed and dated letter) that the members of the Local Board and other relevant parties (e.g., Board of Supervisors) reviewed the information provided in the application and approved the request in a public meeting. Attached are copies of the agendas for the Santa Ana Workforce Development Board and Santa Ana City Council where action was taken to approve continuation as the Career Service Provider for Adult and Dislocated Worker WIOA funds and directed staff to submit the PY 202S Application as such to the California Workforce Development Board. Page 6 of 7 6. Attach documentation of internal controls, conflict of interest, and firewall policies. Signature Page By signing below, the local CEO and Local Board chair request approval from the Governor to be an Adult and Dislocated Worker Career Services Provider. Each party certifies that this application submission was reviewed and demonstrates that the Local Board or administrative entity will meet all the requirements as an Adult and Dislocated Worker Career Services Provider under WIOA law and regulations. Instructions The Local Board chair and local CEO must sign and date this form. Include the original signatures with the request. Local Workforce Development Board Chair Signature Daisy Campos Name Chair —Santa Ana WDB Title j 1 tsZ - 2 c) Z `� Date Local Chief Elected Official Signature Valerie Amezcua Name Mayor — City of Santa Ana Title Date Page 7 of 7