WIOA Service Delivery Innovation Grant Upskill WNC May 15, 2017
Application (Scoring Weight) Application Abstract I. Project Name: UpSkill WNC II. Area Served (Counties/Cities/Region): Buncombe, Henderson, Madison and Transylvania Counties III. Workforce Development Board(s): Mountain Area Workforce Development Board IV. Funding Level Requested: $250,000 (Maximum $250,000) V. Innovative Concept Brief Description: While our region has a relatively low unemployment rate, there are over 30,000 residents in the region who are be tween 18 and 55, who are not disabled and who are receiving supplemental nutrition assistance through the SNAP program. There are thousands of individuals in our region s criminal justice system who are low-level and/or first time offenders who are facing challenges largely driven by poverty and low educational attainment. Despite an overall economy, which is growing, and creating jobs, our region has deep pockets of poverty with significant disparities based on race and educational attainment. These communities tend to be located in the inner cities and remote rural communities. The current NCWorks system has been unable to reach many of these individuals and a more robust and engaged approach is proposed. These individuals often are not visiting in person a local NCWorks Career Center office or utilizing NCWorks Online. These low-income individuals, in many cas e s, do not possess the skills required by local employers in the sectors of advanced manufacturing, healthcare, hospitality & tourism, skilled trades, and tech/it. This proposal will help upskill low-income individuals for self-sustaining wages in the targe ted career pathways. VI. VII. Brief Description of Project: Career Connectors (NCWorks Career Coaches) will be embedded in the region to assist this low-income population obtain the skills needed for career pathways in the five target sectors. This effort will be a partnership with AB Te ch, Blue Ridge Community College, Human Services in the four counties, District Attorn ey s offices in the four counties, Sheriff s Departments in the four counties, along with many non-profit organizations including Green Opportunities. NCWorks Career Coaches will work one-on-one with individuals to connect them to high demand career pathways, address supportive service needs and to assist the individual in obtaining an industry recognized postsecondary credential. Project Contact Person (Name/Title/Phone Number/Email): Nathan Ramsey Director, Mountain Area Workforce Development Board (828) 768-3216 nathan@landofsky.org
Complete Application 1. Problems and Challenges (10 Percent): Applicants must submit a statement of need that focuses on providing universal access to NCWorks Career Center services in communities that are underserved and the impact that access to these services will have. Being aware of these needs is important to the design of service delivery strategies, this section is intended to identify the systemic challenges that the proposed project is attempting to resolve. a. Describe the problems and challenges of reduced or lack of NCWorks Career Center services in a defined region. The four county region is home to a population of almost 500,000 people. While the region has consistently been the lowest in unemployment in NC over the last three years, wages in the region are below both state and national averages. Most of the job growth since the Great Recession has occurred in the more concentrated urban areas of the region. While there is some public transit service available, there is not an integrated system serving all four counties and public transit is normally limited to the most densely populated parts of the region. Most public transportation available in the region by county-based transit systems is focused on medical needs and transport for Medicaid recipients. Even when public transportation is available, often the schedules and routes are not conducive to work and education schedules. Despite a large number of jobs openings, our region has a significant share of the population in poverty. A large percentage of these individuals are employed either part or full-time but they do not possess the skills required for higher paying jobs. Many of these individuals are persons of color where there are significant disparities in our region. While our region s overall unemployment rate is less than four percent, the unemployment rate for certain demographic groups is much higher. For example, based on data compiled by Buncombe County Government the unemployment rate for African Americans in the City of Asheville is about 18%. For low-income individuals living in rural communities, job and educational access is often limited due to lack of transportation and other supportive services. Unless the individual reaches out to the NCWorks Career Center offices community college campuses, our current NCWorks Career Center system does not allow them to be served in the community where they live. Funding reductions have limited the staffing of the NCWorks Career Centers so present staff have limited ability to work with job seekers outside of the office in communities throughout the region. Upskill WNC will connect with individuals based on unique collaborations that have been carefully designed and nurtured in each county in the Local Area. b. Describe how current gaps in available services fails to address the identified need of job seekers and businesses in the defined region.
Businesses in our region are struggling to find the skilled talent they need for their workforce. Unless our region can upskill the underemployed or unemployed, we will be unable to meet the workforce demands by local employers. If employers are unable to meet their workforce needs, that will have a significant detrimental impact on our local economy. Due to our region s high cost of housing and overall cost of living, it is unlikely that businesses in our region can recruit individuals from outside the four county region for jobs paying less than $50,000 per year. Our region must grow the talent for these jobs or employers will be unable to meet their workforce needs. Employers contend and the data supports that they have good paying jobs they are unable to fill in the current labor market. When the Great Recession hit, there was a rush to the career centers and community colleges for career development and educational assistance. As the economy has improved from the depths of the Great Recession, community college enrollment has dropped (outside of high school students enrolled in College and Career Promise classes) and traffic to the NCWorks Career Centers has declined. At the same time, employer demand has increased. Our region has developed NCWorks Career Pathways in advanced manufacturing and hospitality & tourism and we are in the process of developing career pathways for healthcare. With hundreds of employers engaged in the leadership and development of these pathways, higher wage job opportunities have been identified. Most of these higher wage jobs require some type of postsecondary education and training. Community colleges are offering short-term training courses, which will lead to jobs paying $15 per hour or more. Unfortunately, for many of these courses, there is low enrollment. There needs to be a more robust effort to reach low-income individuals in our region so they can take advantage of the higher wage job opportunities available with local employers. c. Describe the solution(s) that the WIOA Service Delivery Innovation Grant will implement during this grant period that will address the community need for Career Center Services. Describe the impact the solution will have on identified communities. NCWorks Career Coaches will be placed in the community to work with lowincome individuals one-on-one to assist in upskilling and career navigation for higher wage jobs will help meet employer workforce needs and will reduce chronic poverty in the region. The NCWorks Career Coaches will work with those individuals receiving supplemental nutrition assistance through the SNAP program as well as with individuals in the criminal justice system who are low-level, nonviolent offenders. The NCWorks Career Coaches will connect the individuals to Human Resource Development classes offered at the NCWorks Career Centers in the region. These classes will help provide basic computer skills and enrollment in Career Ready 101 for preparation for assessment National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC). CRC testing will be offered at no cost to the participants. At that time, the individual will be connected to short-term training classes at local community colleges, which will lead to employment at higher starting wages. NCWorks Career Center staff will work in collaboration with the NCWorks Career Coaches to offer career advising and to connect with employment providing career pathways. There is already some work in the community to reach these populations. Buncombe County Government has a focus with SNAP Employment and Training to reach those in chronic poverty. This proposal will support that effort and expand the reach into all four counties in the region for SNAP recipients. Buncombe County Government also has established a Justice Resource
Coordinating Council with smart partnerships to serve low-level, non-violent offenders, many who are impacted by poverty, trauma, mental illness and/or substance abuse disorders. There has been local funding in Buncombe County Government committed to these initiatives. Other local governments and nonprofits in the region are supporting efforts to better serve the low-income population with workforce development services. While each county in our region is different and faces unique challenges, poverty and workforce skill gaps are persistent and widespread throughout the Local Area. This proposal will build upon existing local partnerships in each of the four counties already in place to provide a more robust approach to upskilling low-income individuals and connecting them with higher wage jobs in the target sectors. Many of these individuals may not be initially be job-ready so it is critical that there be adequate supports to make the individuals successful in meeting the benchmarks and goals in Upskill WNC. 2. Innovation Grant Framework/Strategic Approach (50 Percent): In this section, describe the outcomes to be achieved and the strategic approach to be used to achieve those outcomes and address the problem(s) or issues identified above. a. Provide a clear identification of the issue(s) and opportunity, with the cause and effect on the local workforce and communities. The issue this proposal will address is more effectively upskilling underemployed or unemployed individuals in the region. Our region has about 12,000 unfilled jobs based on EMSI data. Of those unfilled jobs, it is estimated by the NC Department of Commerce Labor and Economic Analysis Division that about 60% of those jobs pay $15 or more. Our region has higher paying jobs available and local employers are struggling to meet their workforce needs. At the same time, there are over 30,000 low-income individuals between 18 55 years of age who are not disabled receiving SNAP assistance. There are also many individuals in poverty engaged in the criminal justice system, almost all who have inadequate educational attainment and who are living in poverty. The opportunity is to better connect these individuals to upskilling opportunities, postsecondary education and higher paying career pathways. The effect of the UpSkill WNC proposal will be to better assist employers in meeting their workforce needs and will increase the number of individuals who are economically self-sufficient with a proportionate reduction of those living in poverty. b. Identify how the project is innovative and set apart from the current programs/services. This project will scale existing efforts and provide more robust engagement into underserved communities for the NCWorks system. Our region does not currently have embedded Career Connectors in these communities and we do not have the resources to fund this project without this grant. Existing efforts are more limited and do not serve all four counties. The SNAP E&T and Resource Council efforts in Buncombe County are incipient and do not have dedicated Career Connectors. Career Connectors will be far more than just case managers. They will be similar to the Work-Based Learning Coordinators at the community colleges who work and the NCWorks Career Coaches who work daily with employers. Our region only has
one NCWorks Career Coach and that is a positon funded by Blue Ridge Community College to serve high school students in Transylvania County. c. Demonstrate the appropriateness of the method to be used to address the issue/opportunity. Career navigation is uniquely an one-on-one effort where trust is built between the career connector and the individual. While this project will be voluntary for the individual to participate, the career connector will meet the individual wherever they may be in life. The most successful results from career navigation happen when there is a relationship and trust between the individual and the career connector. c. Provide a description of the goals and objectives of the project. (The specific goals, measures, and objectives will become part of Attachment B). The goals and objectives of Upskill WNC are to increase the number of individuals who are participants in the SNAP program who participate in a Human Resource Development class, which includes Working Smart, complete Career Ready 101 class and obtain their Career Readiness Certification. We will increase the number of individuals who are participants in the SNAP program who enroll in a short-term training program leading to an industry recognized postsecondary credential and employment at starting wages of $15 or more. The initial starting wage may not be $15 per hour but the individual should be able to earn $15 per hour within 12 months of participating in Upskill WNC. The initial goal is to reach one hundred (100) individuals but we expect Upskill WNC to be able to reach a greater number. If 100 individuals are successfully reached and connected with the benchmarks and goals, the cost per individual participant will be $2,500. The return on investment (ROI) will be significant by transforming individuals who are dependent on tax dollars to individuals who are paying taxes. d. Provide a description of the scope of work and the tasks involved in accomplishing the project, and indicate how this project may be coordinated with other programs, funds, and grants existing in the local area. This section should include, if appropriate, expected number of job seekers to be served and how they are to be served. Upskill WNC will coordinate with existing initiatives to upskill individuals who are in the SNAP program and those who are low-level, non-violent criminal offenders. Local governments in the region already have targeted these populations for service delivery to reduce poverty and to increase economic opportunity. Upskill WNC will bring a more intense workforce development focus with connections to the NCWorks Career Centers in the region with the career navigators. The goal of Upskill WNC is to serve at least 100 individuals and to provide these individuals with a career pathway for a job that will pay at least $15 per hour. As part of this initiative, the individuals will participate in a Human Resource Development (HRD) class offered by one of our local community colleges, which will include Working Smart. This class will offer Career Ready 101 to prepare the individual for the NCRC assessment. The individual will enroll in a short-term training program leading to a high-paying job. There will be supportive services provided to assist during this time of transition. Ultimately, the goal will be the individual will earn an industry recognized postsecondary credential and obtain employment with a wage of at least $15 per hour.
e. If appropriate, define the role that partnerships with local non-profits, partner agencies, and government members had in the development of the proposal and the relationship that will exist if the project is approved. Describe what resources are available within the community for additional collaboration purposes. (This information will be outlined and briefly described in #4 below, the Partnership/Collaboration Chart). A letter of support should be provided only by main contributing partners. (Note: The letter of support should state the commitment to the project and what is being contributed to the project by the partner, not just a statement that the project is a good idea) Community colleges, County Governments, Attorney s Offices, and local nonprofits including Green Opportunities, Goodwill and others have built relationships and collaborations in the past to better serve jobseekers in the region. Mountain Area Workforce Development Board has contractual relationships to provide WIOA services in the region with AB Tech, Blue Ridge Community College, Green Opportunities, and Goodwill. Career Connectors will work with all of these partners to reach individuals to participate in Upskill WNC. 3. Goals, Outcomes, and Measures (25 Percent): a. Provide a summary of each goal of the WIOA Service Delivery Innovation Grant, showing its relationship to the issues identified in #1. The goals and objectives of Upskill WNC are to increase the number of individuals who are participants in the SNAP program who participate in a Human Resource Development class, which includes Working Smart, complete Career Ready 101 class and obtain their Career Readiness Certification. We will increase the number of individuals who are participants in the SNAP program who enroll in a short-term training program leading to an industry recognized postsecondary credential and employment at starting wages of $15 or more. The initial starting wage may not be $15 per hour but the individual should be able to earn $15 per hour within 12 months of participating in Upskill WNC. b. Identify measurable and quantifiable outcomes of the project. The goals of Upskill WNC are measurable and quantifiable. The goals are that at least 100 individuals who are SNAP recipients and/or who are low-income individuals who have pending criminal charges will complete a Human Resource Development class, which includes Working Smart, and complete Career Ready 101 class and obtain their Career Readiness Certification. These individuals will enroll in a short-term training course in the target career pathways and will obtain employment with wages of at least $15 per hour after twelve months. For those individuals who have not earned their high school diploma, the individuals will earn their high school equivalency diploma. c. Complete the Implementation Goals, Outcomes and Measures form (Attachment B). See Attachment B.
4. Partnerships and Collaboration (5 Percent): Identify all partners and briefly describe their roles and responsibilities by completion of the chart (may be expanded as needed). The information on this chart should be clearly explained in the narrative of 2.f. Partner/Organization/ Role & Responsibility Agency AB Tech Host NCWorks Career Coaches in Buncombe and Madison Counties Blue Ridge Community College Buncombe Government Henderson Government Transylvania Government Madison Government County County County County Host NCWorks Career Coaches in Henderson and Transylvania Counties SNAP and Criminal Justice collaboration SNAP and Criminal Justice collaboration SNAP and Criminal Justice collaboration SNAP and Criminal Justice collaboration Resources Contributed HRD and Working Smart Classes, short term industry training HRD and Working Smart Classes, short term industry training $20,000 in local county funding invested in employment, training, and justice resource programs. will assist in supporting Career Connectors Existing resources will assist in supporting Career Connectors Existing resources will assist in supporting Career Connectors Existing county resources invested in Literacy Timeline
AB Tech Madison County NCWorks Career Center Asheville Career Center NCWorks Henderson County NCWorks Career Center Transylvania County NCWorks Career Center 28 th Judicial District District Attorney s Office 29B Judicial District District Attorney s Office 24 th Judicial District District Attorney s Office Career Ready 101 and HRD computer skills training Career Ready 101 and HRD computer skills training Career Ready 101 and HRD computer skills training Career Ready 101 and HRD computer skills training Deferred Prosecution Agreements for Individuals as identified by DA s office Deferred Prosecution Agreements for Individuals as identified by DA s office Deferred Prosecution Agreements for Individuals as identified by DA s office Connections and HSE teaching in the county jail will assist in supporting Career Connectors existing resources will assist in supporting Career Connectors existing resources will assist supporting Career Connectors existing resources assist supporting Career Connectors existing resources assist supporting Career Connectors existing resources assist supporting Career Connectors existing resources assist supporting Career Connectors existing resources assist supporting Career in will in will in will in will in will in
Connectors 5. Budget and Budget Narrative (10 Percent): Provide a line-item budget (similar to Attachment C) and narrative with justification for the resources necessary to accomplish the goals and objectives set forth in the scope of work. The narrative should explain all costs associated with the project and should reflect any leveraged resources set forth in the budget and how the planned expenses support the overall goals and activities of the WIOA Service Delivery Innovation Grant. Indicate if additional existing resources may be leveraged from grants or funds. Please include in-kind contributions. This information must be contained in the narrative and on budget form. The primary focus of the Budget will be to fund four career connectors (or NCWorks Career Coaches). The total cost of the four positons will be $200,000 for the career connectors for. $30,000 of the Upskill WNC initiative funding will be dedicated for supportive services such as transportation and childcare to assist the individuals in achieving success with meeting the goals and benchmarks of Upskill WNC. $10,000 will be used for travel for the career navigators since it is anticipated they will need to travel extensively within the region to assist the individuals. Very seldom will the career navigators remain in an office, they will be out working in the community to assist the individuals with Upskill WNC. $10,000 of the funding will be utilized for tuition for short-term training and CRC testing. It is anticipated additional funding for training will be derived from grant funds allocated to Mountain Area Workforce Development Board pursuant to WIOA and other sources. See Attachment C. 6. Demonstration Match Opportunities (10 Percent): Additional points may be for proposals that demonstrate and incorporate matching cash funds of equal to or greater than 10%. Please identify the agency (ies) providing matching funds/resources (space, technology or other resources) in narrative and in the budget outline. The Leveraged Resources column should include all leveraged funds the WIOA Service Delivery Innovation Grant has identified and/or realized for the grant period. Specify whether resources are in-kind or monetary, and the source of these funds. AB Tech and Blue Ridge Community College will provide office space and support for career navigators including but not limited to a laptop computer and other technology needs. Buncombe County Government will contribute $20,000 in in-kind services and will leverage other local funds to expand their SNAP to Skills initiative with SNAP E&T and with their Criminal Justice Resourcing efforts. Other partners will provide staff support as needed and as resources are available. 7. Project Evaluation All grant recipients must provide a final evaluation and summary of the project to include an analysis of the project s challenges, successes, expenditures, and a template on how to
replicate, if deemed appropriate. The evaluation must include results of the impact the project had at the local Workforce Development Board or region. The evaluation will also identify each goal and whether the measures were met, exceeded, or not and an explanation of successes and failures. [No response required for this Evaluation section with the initial application.] No response required in the initial application.
Full Application Budget Outline Budgets should reflect the total amount requested. Budgets and budget narratives must clearly justify costs of the project and be as specific as possible. A local Workforce Development Board(s) may request up to $250,000. All funds will be made available at time of the award. The following provides possible components of the budget: A. Contracted Services B. Staff Salaries C. Staff Fringe Benefits D. Travel E. Materials and Supplies F. Local Workforce Development Board Administrative Fees* G. Supportive Services H. Training Components I. Direct Participant Expenses J. Other Expenses please specify *Up to 5% of the grant award can be used for the Local Workforce Development Board Administration Fee. Attachment C is to be used for budget completion. The Grant Funds Requested column should include the budget for the grant funds not to exceed a total of $250,000. The Leveraged Resources column should include all leveraged funds the WIOA Service Delivery Innovation Grant has identified and/or realized for the grant period. State whether they are in-kind or monetary, and the source of these funds. Examples of leveraged resources may include facilities, in-kind training and professional development. A budget narrative is required in Section 5 and should match the Budget Form. It must explain all costs associated with the project and should reflect any leveraged resources set forth in the budget and how the planned expenses support the overall goals and activities. Note: The following should be carefully considered before including them in the budget: Equipment: Use of funds for equipment-related purposes is allowable. However, if it is necessary to include an expense for equipment, there should be a compelling case for purchase. The cost should be included in the Other Expenses. All accounting records should be maintained in accordance with the NC Local Government Budget and Fiscal Control Act, State Policies, applicable Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circulars and generally accepted accounting practices.
Abstract Problems and Challenges Framework/Strategic Approach Goals/Outcomes/Measures Narrative Partnership Chart Budget Narrative Match (if applicable) Signatory page Letter(s) of Support Goals/Outcomes/Measures Chart Budget Chart Application Checklist
Attachment B Goals and Measures Implementation Goals, Outcomes and Measures Instructions In the Implementation Goals, Outcomes and Measures section, applicants are asked to consider the strategies and activities necessary to meet the overall goals and use that information to complete the following forms. Use the forms provided. Note: Use additional forms as needed for each additional goal and/or strategy. You may use short and long-term goals as appropriate. State the strategy (ies) and describe the activities to accomplish each. Also, indicate the responsible parties (individuals, committees, etc.) and time frames associated with each activity. Goals should be straightforward and emphasize what you want to accomplish. Goals should follow the SMART Goals outline below. S = Specific: What exactly do you wnt to achieve? M = Measurable: If you can't measure it, you can't manage it. How much? How many? How will you know when a goal has been accomplished? A = Attainable: Are the goals actually attainable in the given time frame? R = Realistic: Realistic, in this case, means "do-able." T = Timely: What can be accomplished during grant period.
Attachment B Goals and Measures Implementation Goals, Outcomes and Measures Project Name: Goals Outcome Tools used to measure Timeline Increase number of SNAP recipients receiving HRD classes, earning CRC and earning postsecondary credential 100 Number of completions of HRD classes including Working Smar, number earning CRCs and number earning postsecondary credential Increase number of SNAP recipients who are employed in higher wage jobs in one of target career pathways 100 Online wage data, paycheck stubs Increase number of individuals in Court system who are low-level, non-violent offenders who charges have been dismissed pursuant to a Deferred Prosecution Agreement or other disposition contingent on meeting education and employment goals 100 District Attorney s Offices, Criminal Clerk of Court records
Goals Outcome Tools used to measure Timeline Attachment B Goals and Measures
Attachment C Sample Budget WIOA Service Delivery Innovation Grant Application Budget Project Name: Upskill WNC Category Grant Funds Requested A. Contracted Services $200,000 (four positions) B. Staff Salaries Leveraged Resources + (specify) Other Resources: in-kind or cash (specify) Timeline (annual, monthly, etc) TOTAL $200,000 C. Staff Fringe Benefits D. Travel $10,000 $10,000 E. Materials and Supplies $10,000 (includes CRC testing) F. Local Area Administrative Fee* $10,000 G. Supportive Services $30,000 $30,000 H. Training Components Will fund short-term and I. Direct Participant Expenses J. Other Expenses please specify long-term training through existing W IO A allocations lo w-inco me Adults $20,000 in kind support from Buncombe County Government in employment, $20,000
TOTAL tranining and justice resources $250,000 $20,000 $270,000 Attachment C Sample Budget *Up to 5% of the grant award can be used for Local Workforce Development Board Administration Fee. + Demonstrate partner contributions here.
Attachment C Sample Budget WIOA Service Delivery Innovation Grant Sample Report Quarterly Reports are the mechanisms with which the Division will understand the significant innovations and successes, the challenges encountered and strategies for resolution. This report must provide both quarterly and cumulative information on the grant activities. The report must summarize project activities, deliverables, and related results of the project, and must thoroughly document the measurable goals identified within the project application. I. Project Name and Summary II. III. IV. Project Status - Briefly describe the project and the accomplishments of your project goals to date. Describe any challenges or successes that you have encountered or want to share as best practices. Demonstrate progress toward stated goals and accomplishments. Use Goals and Measures Chart as appropriate. V. Provide a Participant Count (if applicable) and Expenditure Goals. Quarter Ending: Planned (cumulative) Actual (cumulative) Total Enrollments (if applicable) Total Terminations % of Plan Demographics of participants- change as appropriate. Total Number Enrolled Male Female Race- White Race- Black Race- Other Ages- 18-20 Ages- 21-22 Ages- 22-24 A. Category (should match application form) B. Budget Amount C. Actual Expenditures Balance (B-C) Total VI. Workforce Development Board Director Signature & Date