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HomeMy WebLinkAbout970826.tiffSTATE OF COLORADO OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR.. Colorado Workforce Coordinating Council 1580 Logan Street, Suite 410 Denver, Colorado 80203 Phone: (303) 894-2076 FAX: (303) 894-2064 April 7, 1997 The Honorable George Baxter Chair, Board of County Commissioners Weld County Courthouse P.O. Box 758 Greeley, CO 80632-0758 Dear Commissioner: Roy Romer Governor Margaret E. Porfido Chair Ledy Garcia -Eckstein Executive Director Previously, you have received correspondence from Meg Porfido, the Governor's Chief of Staff and Chair of the Workforce Coordinating Council, and Joe Donlon, former Executive Director of the Department of Labor and Employment, regarding the changes which will occur in the delivery of employment and training services in Colorado. Many of these changes will be instituted through the creation of a statewide network of locally administered One -Stop Career Centers in Colorado. To aid in accomplishing these changes, Colorado has been awarded a $10.5 million grant, over a three-year period, from the U.S. Department of Labor. $1.8 million of the $3.5 million available in the first year will be granted to regions for purposes of implementing the One -Stop system. Your region is one of seven identified in the application to the U.S. Department of Labor as ready to begin implementation in the first year of the grant period, beginning on July 1, 1997. Implementation funds to create your One-Stop(s) will be distributed by a formula, which was described in a March 10, 1997 mailing to you. Please note that the grant is in addition to funding you will receive from Wagner-Peyser and JTPA. One -Stop grant funds must be used only for start-up and extraordinary expenses associated with creating your One-Stop(s). Funds for ongoing costs that will continue after grant funds are exhausted in three years will not be approved. In the attached document is a description of the application process for implementation funds. After we receive your completed application, Workforce Coordinating Council staff will contact each region's One -Stop director to arrange for an initial site visit. 5��,Py CR'ff5 I 970826 Page Two April 7, 1997 Please submit your application no later than May 16, 1997. Should you need additional time, please let us know immediately. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) will then be sent to the Chief Elected Officials of the counties in your region. Once we have received the signed MOU, each region will begin receiving funds. Please do not hesitate to call me if you have questions. We look forward to working with you to implement your One-Stop(s). Sincerely, Ledy Garcia -Eckstein Executive Director Attachments Requirements for Receiving Implementation Funds APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS The application for implementation funds consists of the following: 1. A transmittal letter signed by the Chief Elected Official of each county in the region containing the following information: • Name, address and telephone number of the One -Stop director; • The region's commitment to administer the One-Stop(s); • Short narrative describing the innovations that you will undertake as a result of obtaining this funding, i.e., how this will be a new system and not business as usual; • Signatures of all chief elected officials of counties in the region. 2. An annual Regional Workforce Development Plan, prepared in accordance with the Statement of Work which was provided to you in the February 5, 1997 mailing. A second draft of the Statement of Work is attached with slight modifications. Please explain if your plan is substantially different from that which was submitted to the Workforce Coordinating Council in January of 1996. 3. A budget for the first one-year implementation grant period, using the attached budget form. Please note that a second budget, due July 1, 1997, must be completed for One -Stop service delivery dollars. The second period of the grant, which will begin sometime in April or May of 1998, will be a shorter period, ending in December of 1998. This is necessary if we are to show progress to the U.S. Department of Labor, as required in our grant contract. After we review and approve the documents, the Workforce Coordinating Council will prepare an account for each region to withdraw grant funds. ITEMIZED BUDGET INFORMATION One -Stop Career Center Implementation Budget April 1997 Year One 1. Personnel Services 2. Travel 3. Equipment 4. Supplies 5. Contractual 6. Other (specify) 7. Total, Direct Cost (Lines 1 through 6) 8. Indirect Cost 9. Training Cost/Stipend 10. TOTAL Funds Requested (Lines 7 through 9) 1 R-2/4/97 Statement of Work Requirements for Regional Annual Workforce Development Plans I. Background A. Federal intent. For the past several years, the US Department of Labor has encouraged states to develop and implement One -Stop Career Center systems through a series of planning, demonstration and implementation grants. 1. Purpose. The One -Stop system is intended to encourage the continued development and training of a skilled workforce able to compete in the emerging global economy, foster economic development and eliminate program duplication. 2. Governing principles. The four principles governing the development of a One -Stop Career Center system are: universality, customer choice, performance -based criteria, and integration. a. Universality. The One -Stop system must integrate delivery of services under existing unemployment, employment, and job training programs. The system must provide all populations with an array of job search and employment development assistance. In Colorado, an assortment of high quality information and services will be available to every individual and employer in the state. b. Customer choice. In Colorado, the entire workforce development system is built on the idea of consumers making informed decisions about their futures as workers and employers at every stage of their involvement in the system. Choices will include: choice of location and choice of services at each location; choice in how to access information; and choice among education and training providers. c. Performance -based criteria. The One -Stop Career Centers and service providers must be held accountable for the information and services they provide. Colorado feels that performance outcomes are vital to measure the success of the overall system and envisions a results -oriented system with clearly defined, measurable outcomes to measure system performance. This will ensure that resources are efficiently invested and continuous improvement is maintained. d. Integration. To provide a comprehensive and accessible One -Stop system, programs, services, and governance structures must be as fully integrated as possible. In Colorado, programs will be physically and electronically integrated to the greatest extent feasible. The One -Stop system will be the only true program in Colorado. 2 3. State -local partnerships. Just as the national employment security network was conceived of as a federal -state partnership, the One -Stop Career Center system is to be a state -local partnership, responsive to local needs. B. Colorado efforts. 1. Planning. Colorado applied for and received a One -Stop planning grant in 1994. These funds were used to encourage the development of local plans, which were then consolidated into the "One -Stop Framework" and presented to the Colorado Workforce Coordinating Council for consideration. 2. Implementation. The "Framework" document served as the basis for a proposal to the US Department of Labor for an implementation grant in 1996. The State was awarded $3.5 million in each of three years to implement a statewide One -Stop Career Center system. C. Governor's charge. Governor Romer charged the Colorado Workforce Coordinating Council, Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, and Governor's Job Training Office with the task of reorganizing employment and training programs in Colorado. He envisioned the new system as a network of locally administered One -Stop Career Centers that merge the Employment Service with the Job Training Partnership Act system, and consolidates these programs at the state level under the auspices of the Department of Labor and Employment. The Department will enter into performance -based contracts with each region to administer the system and provide oversight and technical assistance. 3 II. CDLE Strategic Direction for One -Stop A. Overall. It is the intent of the Department of Labor and Employment to help the regions implement a One -Stop Career Center system throughout the state that incorporates federal directives and the Governor's instructions, and recognizes regional needs and priorities. B. Expectations. 1. The system will provide a high level of accountability at both the state and regional levels through state oversight and monitoring, and the development of outcome -based performance measures. 2. Although each region will be required to provide a set of basic core employment and training services, regions will be encouraged to tailor services to meet regional needs and to develop and offer additional services. 3. Each region will have the flexibility to develop its own service delivery mechanisms and operational structure, although it must ensure that at least one full service One -Stop Career Center is physically located within the region. 4. Each region, regardless of whether it elects to administer the One -Stops Career Center(s), will establish a Regional Workforce Board, appointed by the Local Elected Officials and certified by the Governor. The board, in conjunction with the Local Elected Officials, will be responsible for workforce development activities within the region. Specifically, the board: a. Shall prepare an annual workforce development plan for regional workforce development and One -Stop system service delivery in accordance with the planning guidelines contained in this document. The plan must be approved by the Local Elected Officials of each county in the region prior to its submission to the state. b. May establish additional regional performance standards and develop and offer additional services, at no charge or for a reasonable fee -for -service, to supplement those required by the state. c. Shall provide policy oversight and guidance for the efficient and effective operation of the One -Stop Career Center(s). Such oversight and guidance may include performance monitoring of daily activities to supplement and enhance state monitoring activities. 4 d. In conjunction with the Local Elected Officials, select the location or locations of the One -Stop Career Center within the region, determine whether additional methods of service delivery are necessary, and select the state, a lead county, community college, not -for-profit entity, or for-profit entity to operate the regional system in accordance with federal and state law. e. Shall coordinate services with regional School -to -Career councils, welfare reform activities, and other appropriate employment and training programs at the discretion of the board, to the fullest extent practicable. f. Shall offer the full range of services to special populations such as youth, migrant and seasonal farmworkers, veterans, persons with disabilities, older workers, non-English speaking workers, and minorities. g. Shall ensure that services are accessible to persons with disabilities, and take into consideration factors such as location, availability of public transportation to and from center locations, appropriate methods of service delivery, etc. 5. The regions are encouraged to explore other funding sources (e.g. foundation and corporate grants, in -kind contributions, etc.) to supplement state funding. 6. There will be incentives for regions who exceed performance -based outcome measures, to the extent allowed by federal funding sources. C. Process. 1. The state will either provide or contract for services, with input from the regional board, for any region that does not wish to administer the One -Stop Career Center(s). 2. The board in each region shall prepare and submit an annual workforce development plan in accordance with Section III, approved by the Local Elected Officials in each county in the region, and submit it to the state for review and final approval. The state will provide a preliminary draft allocation of resources available to each region for planning purposes. a. The board may draft the plan in any manner it chooses, including writing the plan itself, convening a group of stakeholders to draft the plan, or delegating all or part of the task to one or several stakeholders. 3. After the plan is approved, the department will draft a contract reflecting the elements of the plan, and any federal and state requirements governing the programs and services that will be provided by the One -Stop Career Centers. 5 4. After the contract is finalized and signed by all parties, the state will allocate funds and resources to the region for the One -Stop system. a. The department will transfer any resources it currently has within Job Service Centers located in the region including staff, leases, furniture, equipment and automation hardware and software to the One -Stop system. The One -Stop system will be responsible for future maintenance and replacement of these resources. b. The Governor has stated that no state employee will lose his or her job as a result of the transition. Accordingly, state employees assigned to regional One - Stop activities will remain state employees until such times as they retire, transfer, or otherwise separate from service. Vacancies created by departing state employees may be filled by county workers, with one exception: (1) Federal law requires that veteran program staff must be state employees under the direct supervision of the state and cannot be replaced by county workers. III. Regional Plan Elements. The following elements describing how the region will deliver services, meet the required performance measures, and meet state and federal program requirements must be included in the proposal: A. Describe the proposed regional structure, including: 1. List of Regional Workforce Board members, with affiliations. 2. Identify the center operator. 3. List all agencies who will participate in the One -Stop system, including the services they will provide, the target populations they will serve, and the degree and nature of their involvement. B. Describe in detail how the region will provide the required services, how services will be delivered, what services will be provided in addition to the core services, and whether fee -for - service will be charged: 1. Logistics: a. How will services be delivered -- via full -service centers, satellite offices, kiosks, etc? (NOTE: a minimum of one full -service One -Stop Career Center must be physically located within the region.) 6 b. Where will the One -Stop Career Center(s) be located? If applicable, include locations for other sites such as satellite offices and kiosks. c. What are the days and hours of operation for full -service centers? Satellite offices? Other sites? d. What are the staffing patterns, including number and job titles, for each site? e. What inter -regional arrangements have been made, or will be made, to handle individuals who wish to receive services (other than Wagner-Peyser and Employment Support Fund services) from a One -Stop center in another region? 2. Services: a. Describe how each of the core services will be provided (e.g. electronically, group orientation or intake, one-on-one, self-help, video, etc.). b. What, if any, services will be offered in addition to the required core services? Identify the site(s) that will provide additional services. c. If the region plans to charge a fee -for -service: (1) What services will be available for a fee? (2) Who will be charged a fee? (3) How will the fee structure be determined? (4) How will fee -generated revenue be used? (5) How will customers who cannot afford the fee be served? d. How will the region encourage employer participation as: (1) Board members (2) Customers e. What process will be followed in the event a customer disagrees with a decision regarding eligibility for services or the manner in which services are provided, or wishes to file a complaint regarding the One -Stop Career Center or One -Stop Career Center staff? 3. Describe how the region will meet its performance standards and program requirements: a. What steps will be taken to ensure that standards are met? Describe any regional oversight and monitoring activities. 7 b. Will the region impose additional standards? If so, please describe. 4. Describe how the region will serve welfare -to -work clients through the One -Stop system. 5. Describe the status of School -to -Career activities in the region, including partnerships and linkages with the One -Stop system. C. Connections with other agencies and programs in the region 1. List any connections or partnerships with other agencies and programs, including but not limited to: a. Adult Basic Education b. Secondary and post -secondary vocational programs c. Dislocated worker programs d. Community College e. Other programs (e.g. local housing authorities, corrections, CBO's, etc.) 2. Describe the nature of the connection and degree of involvement to the One -Stop system. D. Describe how services will be provided for the following special populations: 1. Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers (MSFW) 2. Veterans 3. People with disabilities 4. Older workers 5. Displaced homemakers 6. Out -of -school youth 7. Non-English speaking populations 8 E. How will the region ensure that it meets the state's automation requirements, including: 1. Minimum equipment standards 2. System connection and integration standards 3. System support standards 4. System hardware and software standards F. Budget: 1. Provide a detailed annual budget IV. Attachments. A. Core services B. Outcome -based performance measures C. State automation standards D. Estimated annual budget allocation Hello