Youth Career Initiatives - National Association of Workforce Boards

Youth Career Initiatives
A Buckeye Perspective
Serving youth
Tapping into existing
excellence in youth
programs
The SWORWIB
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We are a 501 (c) (3)
$4.5 million budget for all services 2013-14
A staff of 3: President, Youth/Communications
Specialist; Operations Coordinator
Our board has 65+ members
We contract out all services, including the
One Stop and youth
We work closely with economic development
and workforce partners to leverage resources
Youth in Hamilton County
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30% youth poverty rate in county; 53% in city
51% free and reduced lunch
32% receive SNAP; 49% in city
77% graduation rate; 64% at Cincinnati Public
Schools
2008-2013, more than 2,000 youth each year
placed in foster care
2008-2012, 2,890 adjudicated for felonies
*Source: Annie E. Casey Kids Count, 2012
Best practices
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Contract out youth services
Active and diverse Emerging Workforce
Development Council
Active Youth Provider Roundtable
Youth Perspective Committee
Educate youth about career pathways
Encourage credentialing
Look for opportunities to leverage resources
Youth Service Providers
 Selected
for expertise in serving a
particular population
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In school
Out of school
Adjudicated
Foster care
 Currently serving about 320 youth a year
Since 2009, focusing on
hardest-to-serve populations
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Out-of-school
youth
Adjudicated
youth
Foster care
youth
GED graduation ceremony at Literacy
Center West May 2013.
Youth service providers
Primary:
Foster care:
CYC/JCG: In school
CYC/JCG: In
school
Easter Seals Tristate: Out
of school
Lighthouse Youth
Services:
In school, adjudicated
Santa Maria/Literacy
Center West: Out of
school
Cincinnati
State: Out of
school
Connecting the Dots
 One
of 5 pilot sites
in State of Ohio
 Connects WIA
Youth services to
foster care youth
as they approach
emancipation
 Goal: 100 youth
Benefits
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This population has
most at-risk factors
Committed and
knowledgeable
providers
Automatically a
WIA-eligible
population
We can make a
difference
Challenges
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Difficult to identify
population b/c of
privacy
Lack of buy-in from
Children’s Services in
Hamilton County
WIA case manager is
another cog in
machine of foster
care child’s life
Emerging Workforce
Development Council
 Helps
to determine emphasis on youth
population served every 2-3 years
 Helps develop RFP every 2-3 years
 Helps to evaluate responses to RFP every
2-3 years
 Holds youth providers accountable for
outcomes
 Industry sector and labor representatives
Youth Provider Roundtable
 Comprised
of all vendors
 Meets quarterly
 Shares best practices
 Elevates common issues, e.g., GED 2014
Youth Perspective Team
 Youth
members
from each vendor
 Meet 2-3 times a
year to get their
feedback and
perspective
Workforce credentialing
 We support the
National Career
Readiness Certificate
 In 2012-13, we
assessed almost 100
WIA and opportunity
youth
 75% earned their
NCRC
Youth providers
on common measures
3
% gain in
literacy/
numeracy
o % earning
diploma or
credential
(GED)
o % moving into
postsecondary, job
or military
o
2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
0
Exceeds
Meets
Other initiatives
 City
Youth Commission
 STRIVE YouthCAN collaborative
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Created an online job application to help
youth become comfortable with the
process
 Grants
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Social Innovation Fund grant connects outof-school youth to entry-level training in
industry sectors we support
Questions?
 Contact
Sherry Kelley Marshall,
President/CEO
smarshall@gccc.com
513-579-3118
 Kathleen Williams, Youth/Public
Information Coordinator
kwilliams@gccc.com
513-562-8457
CONNECTING THE DOTS
FROM INDEPENDENT LIVING TO EMPLOYMENT
Montgomery County Regional Pilot
(Montgomery, Greene, Preble, & Clinton Counties)
and
Cuyahoga County
YOUTH PERSPECTIVE
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
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To make the foster care system better we have to know what the issues
are and who better to ask than the youth that experienced it first hand
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Foster youth are often misunderstood and have expressed that they
feel ignored
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It is important for foster youth to know that they are being heard and
what they say and feel does matter
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Youth perspective should be embraced!
OUR VOICE MATTERS!!!
GOALS AND PILOT LOCATIONS
Connecting the Dots GOALS:
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Prevent and reduce the incidence of early pregnancy and
parenthood
Improve educational, employment, and earnings outcomes
Better support foster youths’ transition to adulthood
Break down program and funding silos so cross-program
strategies are effective
There are 5 unique Ohio pilot sites:
Cuyahoga County (Cleveland)
Hamilton County (Cincinnati)
Lake County (Rural area/Painesville)
Montgomery County Consortium (Dayton/Miami Valley)
Summit County (Akron)
Each site contains previous elements, but has unique plans to meet goals
PROGRAM ELEMENTS
Youth voice and
engagement
Career exploration,
work readiness, and
work experience
(before HS graduation)
Pregnancy prevention
education
Vocational Mentoring
Educational supports
(tutoring, dropout
prevention, graduation
test prep, etc.)
Coordinated
delivery of services
YOUTH ENROLLMENT AND SERVICES
Five Pilot Sites:
Youth Enrollment and Services
362 enrolled to date (96% of goal)
54 pregnancy prevention services
82 educational supports
151 work experience/internships/jobs
Big Brother Big Sisters Partnership
Youth referred for match w/mentor: 73
Mentors recruited: 57
Matches made: 23
Overarching Recommendations.
VULNERABLE YOUTH IN TRANSITION
1.
Identify a lead organization to take responsibility for ensuring a more
seamless approach to navigation and resolution of service needs that
exist “in the gaps” for multi-systems youth and on behalf of the
service delivery system. (Montgomery County Office of Family and
Children First)
2.
Establish an IT system which can access, store, share and aggregate
data for vulnerable youth in transition, ages 16-24, who access
governmental or other support systems.
3.
Develop a youth resource center that would provide access to
information and resources for youth in transition and adults involved
with them, such as parents/guardians, educators, social service
professionals, and others.
4.
Adopt a consistent set of high quality case management standards
and practices that build on existing regulatory structures.
5.
Develop and/or expand supportive housing programs for vulnerable
youth in transition ages 16-24.
www.mcohio.org/services/fcfc
BRIDGING YOUTH CONNECTIONS
(Montgomery County Pilot)
Child Welfare
Work Force
After Care Services
Better Outcomes for Youth
We have added as part of the Connecting the Dots imitative several powerful components:
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Mentor Development - a Partnership with our local Big Brothers Big Sisters(BBBS) and to
build and implement a model designed to work with older foster care youth. BBBS has a
history of evidence-based success which serves as a strong foundation for program
development. The focus will be to serve 16-18 year old foster youth. Mentoring matches will
be geared towards career aspirations as much as possible.
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Focus and Coordination - with the Work Force Development Division within our Department
of Job and Family Services. As Children Services identifies youth who are in the eligible age
group who have completed IL classes, they will be referred for both Mentoring and Work
Force Development. We see both programs as critical to overall success of our youth.
INDEPENDENT LIVING SERVICES
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Orientation, Youth Handbooks, DMI Assessment
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Youth Empowerment – Youth Advisory Board participation
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Communication Skills – Strategic Sharing, Self Esteem, Being Prepared,
Volunteerism, Etiquette
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Decision Making, Consumer Information for Teen, Money Management,
Financial Aid, Scholarships, Education Choice Voucher
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Health and Hygiene, Dental and Routine Care, Domestic Violence and
Personal Boundaries
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Sex Education, Prevention, Personal Awareness, Risky Behaviors - Personal
Responsibility Education Program –PREP
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House Keeping, Cooking, Tenant Rights, Landlord Rights
WORK FORCE
Program Features
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Career Exploration
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College Prep
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Program Benefits
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Develop a Pipeline of Career Informed
Youth
Work Readiness Courses
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Meaningful Work Experience
Opportunities
Relationships with Targeted Industry
Employers
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Study Table
Development of a Career Portfolio for
Youth
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Access to Community Resources
WORK EXPERIENCE
Targeted Industries
 Call Centers
 Logistics/Distribution Centers
 Advanced Manufacturing
 IT
Duration
Supported Professions
 Medical
 Legal
 Banking
 Participate 6-10 hours per week
 Christmas Breaks-Spring Breaks-Semester Breaks-Weekends-Weekly
hours provided if schedules permit
CUYAHOGA COUNTY
Compelling Reasons for joining Connecting the Dots Pilot:
• Personal experience in foster care system
• Past history working in Intake and On-going Unit at Cuyahoga
County Division of Children and Family Services (CCDCFS)
• Dissatisfaction with small fraction of foster care youth served
compared to our total enrollment
• State’s efforts to address limitations in policy and procedures that
historically restricted interagency collaboration
CREATING THE RIGHT CONDITIONS LOCALLY
In anticipation of CTD funding, Cuyahoga undertook the
following steps to support recruitment and enrollment efforts:
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Increased presentations and collaboration meetings
between CCDCFS and WIA Providers during 2011 preliminary
planning
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Incorporated four week career workshop into Independent
Living Curriculum, resulting in increased awareness and
anticipation of longer-term services among CCDCFS staff,
foster parents, and Independent Living (IL) teens
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Invitation to 11 WIA Providers to join pilot
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Identified current foster care and emancipated youth in
current caseloads to target for CTD
CREATING THE RIGHT CONDITIONS LOCALLY
Once the state confirmed CTD funding availability, Cuyahoga
moved to develop specific strategies for implementation.
Strategies included:
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Identifying eight WIA providers committed to CTD
initiative
Designing outline of service delivery from recruitment,
eligibility determination, enrollment, and case
management
CCDCFS’s drafting of an authorization letter
Targeting the Youth Resource Center as the hub for
recruitment
Collaborating with professionals in foster care community
Weekly and bi-weekly meetings between CTD partners
THE UNKNOWNS –
WHAT WE DID NOT FORESEE
As with any new program, there is always an x factor, which can significantly
hamper implementation if troubleshooting and creativity fall short.
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Late start in recruitment
SOLUTION
Strain on YRC to recruit, assess, and
refer within shortened time frame
Reporting challenges
SOLUTION
SOLUTION
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Change in TANF Summer
Youth Employment Program
SOLUTION
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Emergency needs of youth
SOLUTION
PROGRESS AND MOVING FORWARD
Our current situation:
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Cuyahoga has enrolled 143 youth in CTD
and entered services reflect 98 with paid
work experience, 9 mentoring, 5
counseling, 5 college prep, 3 occupational
skills training, 16 supportive services (much
more to come)
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Success Stories
Plans for the future:
• Continue relationship with CTD partners
regardless of continued TANF funding
• Option to serve foster care youth in
upcoming RFP
CONTACT US:
Geraldine Pegues
Assistant Director
Office of Family and Children First
peguesg@ mcohio.org
(937) 496-7633
Candace James
Youth Program Manager
Ohio Means Jobs-Cleveland, Cuyahoga County
jamesc@ecjobs.us
(216) 698-2510
• Questions????
Champion of Change- Program Participation
STARTED IN 2007 WITH 1,257
YOUTH PLACED
Since then, COWIC has placed over 13,000 youth in internships from 2006-2013
Partnered with over 500 local area businesses to make new and more relevant
internships available each year
Champion of Change- Program Successes
• Public/Private Community Partnerships
• Commitments from Post Secondary
Institutions
• High Demand Industry Focused Internships
(S.T.E.M.)
• Earned Dollar Wise Grant
Successes
Program Design
Project Based ages 14-15
Internships
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Local Employers
Over 5,000 youth register
Placements: Over 1200
Ages 14-24
Youth in Subsidized Program
earned $10 an hour
Worked 6 week 120 hours
Private Employers – Over 50
Work Readiness
Meaningful Work
Champion of Change- S.O.A.R hire! 2013
Demographics
Prior Work Experience
Based on 5,091 applications received.
2%
6%
15%
52%
25%
No
53% Youth ages 15-17
Less than 1 year
77% 1 yr or less of work experience
Champion Sponsors
Donatos Pizza
• Provided 200 Positions
• Conducted Workshops
• Sponsorship Dollars
• Sponsored Event Lunches
Ohio State University
Provided 100 Positions
Tutored Youth
Led other Colleges
President Gee House Event
Youth Summer Work Experiences
• Community Gardens
• Research Projects
• Internships in STEM industry occupations –
American Electric Power (AEP), Battelle,
Center Of Science and Industry (COSI)
• Recreation Centers
• Columbus Metropolitan
Library
• Private Businesses
Champions of Change- S.O.A.R. hire! 2013
Employer Pre vs Post Evaluation
Youth Were Evaluated Week 2 and Week 6 of the Internship
Youth Made a Positive Increase in the following Categories:
Analytical Thinking
Relationships
Understanding
Effort
Appearance
Communication
Montgomery County Ohio
YouthWorks
A Presentation to the National Association of Workforce Boards
Monday March 31, 2014
Heath MacAlpine, Assistant Director
Montgomery County Department of Job and Family Services
Population – 534,325
• White alone – 74.4%
• Black or African American – 21.1%
Population under 18 – 22.6%, about 121,000
Bachelors Degree or more – 24.4%
Unemployment rate – 7.0%
Unemployment rate 16-19 y.o. (Ohio) – 16.6%
Montgomery County Profile
Higher unemployment,
lower college attainment,
lower youth employment
then the rest of Ohio and
the U.S.
Employment opportunities
were great in the late 90’s,
did not fully recover from
the 2001 recession, took a
big hit in the Great
Recession
• 3.3% late 90’s
• 5.3% post 2001
• 12.6% recession
Labor force down 14% from
high
• 292,000 1989
• 250,900 current
Montgomery County Profile
Health and
Education –
70,200
Other – 14,700
Mining,
Logging, and
Construction –
11,400
Trade,
Transportation,
and Utilities –
64,600
Financial
Activities –
17,300
Information –
8,900
Government –
64,000
Leisure and
Hospitality –
37,100
Professional
and Business
Services –
48,700
Manufacturing
– 41,200
Dayton MSA Employment Profile
Expose students to employers & careers
Gain access to educational options
Increase education levels and awareness of
educational options
Aimed at youth between 14 and 17 years old
YouthWorks - Objectives
Funded by a
mix of TANF
and local
funding
Youth
between 14
and 17
years old
1,250
participants
and 279
employers
in 2013
2,000
participants
and 580
employers
in 2014
Increase
the number
of private
sector
worksites in
2014
YouthWorks Summer 2014
8 weeks of employment at 20 hours per week
Hourly pay of $7.95
Enhanced job readiness training
Increased commitment of county resources
Job readiness training
YouthWorks Summer 2014
10
permanent
staff
20 temporary
staff
Estimated
summer
budget
• Supervisor
• Case Managers
• Clerical and payroll
• Case Managers
• Youth payroll, etc. – $2.7 M
• Temporary staff, other costs $350,000
YouthWorks Summer 2014
Successful youth
from the summer
program.
• Work ethic
• Reliability
• Bright
Focus on
• Academics
• Higher
education and
career planning
• Job Readiness
Workshops
YouthWorks Enhanced - Content
Complete
Summer
Program
Successfully
Provide
Three Letters
of Reference
Complete
Application
for Program
110 were
accepted
Parental
Commitment
Agreement
YouthWorks Enhanced Requirements
College
workshops for
youth &
parents
Educational
Opportunity
Center
College visits
YouthWorks Enhanced –
Higher Ed
Sinclair
Community
College
Wright
State
University
University
of Dayton
The Ohio
State
University
University
of
Cincinnati
YouthWorks Enhanced – Higher Ed
Networking
Industry
Presentations
Job
Shadowing
Internship
•Manufacturing Day/Learn To Earn Partnership
•Kettering Health Network, Caterpillar, Dysinger, MC
Engineers
•Automotive Tech, Hospital Floor Mgmt, DCDC
•Chef Case, Buckeye Electronic Repair, Dr. Martin, DDS,
Richmond Foot Clinic, Vocalink, Tannenberg Kennels
Inc, Shutter Eye Photography, Ritter’s Frozen Custard
YouthWorks Enhanced Connections
Creation of a Youth Career Center
Partnership with Dayton Rotary re
Youth Exchange
Broadening the mission
YouthWorks Next
Heath MacAlpine,
Assistant Director,
Workforce Development
Montgomery County
Department of Job and
Family Services
937.225.5540
macalh@odjfs.state.oh.us
Contact
QUESTIONS?
Youth Career Initiatives
A Buckeye Perspective