The DOL launched Project Reach-Out in July 2005 in partnership with Seedco, a non-profit community development organization and One-Stop operator based in New York City. Under Project Reach-Out, Seedco provides direct technical assistance to a pilot group of WIBs across the country, helping them to improve performance and increase their reach by beginning to establish targeted networks of FBCOs. As part of the project, each participating WIB commits to a specific work plan, based on its own distinctive needs, objectives and abilities. Plans established in spring of 2006 will be implemented throughout 2007. The project will also enable WIBs to track how FBCOs improve performance in serving specific high-need populations.
Newark WIB (Newark, NJ)
With Seedco's assistance, the Newark WIB researched, assessed and ultimately selected six new faith-based and community organization (FBCO) partners in order to boost One-Stop retention rates and also to better serve more Public Assistance recipients and ex-offender customers. Seedco assisted WIB staff with the research, outreach, and partner selection process in order to develop these new FBCO partnerships, and continues to provide technical assistance to manage the FBCO partner relationship. Seedco also developed trainings, partner meeting agendas, and other assorted tools and materials to help the WIB track referral outcomes and measure the impact these partnerships have on the number of public assistance and ex-offender customers served by the One-Stop system as well as referred customers' job retention rates.
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Nashville Career Advancement Center (NCAC) (Nashville, TN)
NCAC was also seeking to develop new and formalize existing FBCO partnerships in order to improve the One-Stop's capacity to serve low-wage workers and to access these workers to sector-specific training opportunities and career ladders. The strategy is to partner with FBCOs that have the capacity to refer job-ready customers to NCAC to access these services and also have the expertise to serve NCAC customers that are not job ready. With Seedco's assistance researching and outreaching to community organizations, NCAC recently held an introductory meeting with more than a dozen local FBCOs and solicited applications from attendees to formally partner with NCAC. NCAC will be working closely with Seedco during the remainder of the summer to assess applications, formalize partnerships through Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with FBCOs and to implement a streamlined referral process with the selected partner organizations. Seedco will also develop tracking systems to monitor the impact of the referrals and the partnership overall.
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Center for Workforce Innovations, (Valparaiso, Indiana)
The Center for Workforce Innovations recently expanded its jurisdiction to include an urban area in addition to the rural area that previously constituted the local WIA area. With the addition of this urban area and new statewide goals that encourage collaboration across the One-Stop system, the WIB is looking to partner with FBCOs in order to better address the needs of customers. To do this, the WIB worked with Seedco to develop a uniform client assessment and FCBO referral process to be used by One-Stop staff in all twelve One-Stops served by the WIB (both in the rural and urban areas). Seedco and the WIB worked closely to develop this assessment and referral process, train staff on the new procedures, and identify FBCOs in the urban and rural areas to serve as referral partners. In July 2007, the WIB implemented the referral processes throughout their One-Stop system. Seedco, with input from the WIB, developed a system to track the outcomes of customers that are referred to FBCOs for services and analyze the impact of this work.
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Snohomish County Workforce Development Council, (Snohomish County, WA)
The Snohomish County Workforce Development Council's goal is to improve outcomes and the services offered to ex-offenders by the One-Stop system through partnerships with FBCOs (there are four jails in the county and the Everett One-Stop is located down the street from one of the jails). Seedco worked with the WIB to research and outreach to ex-offender serving organizations as well as other types of FBCOs that are willing to serve formerly incarcerated individuals. In June 2007, the WIB organized a two-day training on how to serve this special population and invited FBCOs to attend as well. The WIB determined this training was a good opportunity to leverage the interest of participants; Seedco developed the agenda and materials and facilitated an introductory meeting that took place following that training with FBCOs that expressed specific interest in collaborating to better serve ex-offenders. Seedco will work with the WIB to develop formal Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with any identified FBCO partners, train FBCOs on the roles and responsibilities of a One-Stop/FBCO referral relationship, and develop a system for tracking this work during the summer of 2007. The WIB is working with Seedco to strategize and develop a system for tracking the outcomes of referrals made to and from the One-Stop system; as well, Seedco will help the WIB assess the effectiveness of FBCO services in terms of helping One-Stop ex-offender customers address barriers to employment, secure employment and retain their jobs.
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