To: County of Sonoma Board of Supervisors
Department or Agency Name(s): Human Services
Staff Name and Phone Number: Katie Greaves, 565-8501
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): All
Title:
Title
Sonoma County Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act 2017-2020 Regional and Local Workforce Plan Two-Year Update.
End
Recommended Actions:
Recommended action
Approve the Sonoma County Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act 2017-2020 Regional and Local Workforce Plan Two-Year Update
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Executive Summary:
The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) was signed into law on July 22, 2014, and replaced the Workforce Investment Act of 1998. WIOA regulations require that Workforce Investment Boards (WIBs) in the North Bay Planning Unit (Sonoma, Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Napa and Solano Counties) work together to develop a two-year update to the 2017-2020 Regional Workforce Plan in additional to the individual Local Plans.
The Regional Workforce Plan update focuses on regional workforce services to justice-involved individuals. Sonoma County’s Local Workforce Plan update includes workforce development strategies targeted to CalFresh recipients; Child Support Non-Custodial Parents; English Language Learners, the Foreign Born, and Refugees; and Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities and Developmental Disabilities.
Discussion:
The overarching purpose of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) is to provide a locally delivered workforce development system that enables job seekers to obtain skills and employment and employers to access the workforce they need to continue to sustain the economic vitality of the community. The main features of WIOA are the One-Stop Job Centers, known as Job Link in Sonoma County, and the policy and oversight role of the local Workforce Investment Boards. The Sonoma County Workforce Investment Board (WIB) strives to align employment and training programs and services with education systems and local business needs. The Sonoma County Human Services Department provides administrative support to the Sonoma County WIB.
WIOA requires each region and each local area to develop a workforce plan. The North Bay Region includes Sonoma, Lake, Mendocino, Marin, Napa and Solano counties. This is the two-year update to the Regional and Local Plans developed for 2017-2020, which is required in order to ensure plans remain current and account for “changes in labor market and economic conditions or in other factors affecting the implementation of the local plan.”
The Regional Workforce Plan update is required to focus on Workforce-Corrections partnerships in support of the state’s Prison to Employment Initiative. The goal of these partnerships is to improve labor market outcomes for the state’s justice-involved population. Developing such partnerships at the regional level requires coordination between workforce and corrections stakeholders to establish seamless pathways from the corrections system to sustainable employment. Six stakeholder meetings were held in December and January across the region including two in Sonoma County. In addition, the WIB Director is actively involved with the Sonoma County Community Corrections Partnership. As a result of this intensive collaborative process, in February the North Bay Region submitted an application for a grant to provide enhanced employment services in support of the Prison to Employment Initiative and justice-involved individuals.
The Local Workforce Plan update is required to focus on workforce services to CalFresh recipients; Child Support Non-Custodial Parents; English Language Learners, the Foreign Born, and Refugees; and Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities and Developmental Disabilities. Four stakeholder meetings were held focusing on each population and one community listening session was held for additional feedback on workforce service needs and gaps in Sonoma County.
The planning process highlighted existing strengths in the local workforce development system, notably strong commitment among partners in education, human services, community organizations and businesses. It also revealed gaps in services that would benefit target populations such as co-enrollment in workforce services, co-location, increased cross-training of staff and partners, service integration across systems and resource development. The Sonoma County Local Workforce Plan includes action steps to address these gaps which the WIB will work to prioritize over the next few months.
The updated Sonoma County Local Workforce Plan builds on the following actions the WIB took in response to the 2017 wildfires:
- Applied for and received $3.2 million in grant funds to assist Dislocated Workers with re-employment services and job training;
- Focused on training and employment in the Building & Trades;
- Increased Supportive Services assistance to $10,000 per participant and expanded the menu of services to include housing assistance and other disaster-related needs; and
- Added needs-based cash assistance to assist eligible individuals who forwent wages in order to complete training for a better job.
The draft Regional and Local Plan Two Year Plan updates were available for a 30-day public comment period from February 11 to March 12, 2019 and approved by the Sonoma County Workforce Investment Board at a public hearing held on February 13, 2019. There were no public comments submitted regarding the Regional and Local Plan Two Year Plan updates.
Prior Board Actions:
March 7, 2017: Board approved the Sonoma County Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Regional and Local Strategic Workforce Plans for Program Years 2017-2020.
Fiscal Summary
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Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
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Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
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Attachments:
1) Sonoma County Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act 2017-2020
2) Regional Local Workforce Plans Two Year Update
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
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