Executive Summary
Fiscal Year 2010 Metro North Annual Plan
Because Workforce Investment Boards recently prepared detailed plans for the use of American Reinvestment and Recovery Act funds to support employment and training activities, the Annual Plan was deferred and the required content minimized. The Metro North Annual Plan therefore consists primarily of charts for planned service levels, a summary of partner relationships supported by Memoranda of Understanding, and the Integrated Budget and related budget narrative, with only a brief plan narrative. The Executive Summary touches on some overarching principles that mirror those in the ARRA Plan, but is focused more on planned service levels and the overall funding picture for Metro North.
Labor Exchange Funds. Metro North received a cut (-1.4%) in Wagner-Peyser (labor exchange) funds. Unless the final state budget restores career center funds to $5.5m, Metro North will also experience a 9.3% reduction in State Line Item funds for FY'10. However, these funds are supplemented this year with ARRA Wagner-Peyser 90%, 10%, and Re-Employment Service funds, resulting in a net increase of about $325k in labor exchange funds to serve the general career center customer population. Metro North career centers (The Career Place in Woburn, and Career Source, Cambridge and Everett) expect to serve at least as many customers in FY'10 as in FY'09 (21,600). Of those 21,600, about 12,100 are expected to be unemployment claimants; over 1,100 will be veterans; and over 1,000 will be people with disabilities. Over 1,250 employers are expected to use Metro North centers for a variety of employer services, including, but not limited to, outplacement services, job fairs, on-site recruitments, and posting job orders. The ARRA Re-Employment Services funds will allow individualized assessment, triage, training referral, and job development services for about 6,325 UI Claimants to enhance their ability to re-enter the job market.
WIA Title I Funding. Metro North was stunned by the dramatic cuts to WIA Title I in all categories. WIA Dislocated worker funds were cut by 24.1%; WIA Adult funds were cut by 15.4%; and WIA Youth funds were reduced by 15.2%. With projected carry-in funds factored in, total WIA funds available for FY'10 become: WIA Youth ($1.18m, -13.0%), WIA Adults ($1.05m, -16%), and WIA Dislocated Workers ($1.09m, -22%). In addition, Metro North ordinarily has provided services funded through the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA); however, this year a procurement was held for these services, and because of the complexity of the required response in combination with the perceived insufficient funding available for the services, Metro North decided not to apply at this time, resulting in a decrease of $268k in funding for education and training, ESL, and post-placement services. While the Metro North Career Centers applied independently for funding for Job Search Job Readiness type of DTA services, they were not selected for funding, despite stellar performance in previous years, and resulting in a further loss of potential funds (In four months of FY'09 before the program was terminated, the centers earned about $210k, and for the full FY'08 year, they earned $575k).
These cuts are ameliorated by the addition of ARRA funds for FY'10 in the same categories: ARRA WIA Adults: $486k; ARRA Dislocated Workers: $850k; ARRA Youth (including Summer Youth): $970k. Under ARRA, Metro North is currently operating a Summer Youth Employment Program that is serving over 500 youth, and which features Special Projects that incorporate education and career exploration components.
This year Metro North procured for youth training providers, and in order to fund the full range of qualified in-school programs, it was decided to shift the split of WIA Youth funds from 25%/75% to 30%/70% between in-school and out-of-school programs. This split still results in a much greater focus on out-of-school youth than is required by WIA law (30% of youth funds). Funds for youth program providers and youth wages account for 61% of all youth funding. About 17% will fund services by career centers, with an additional 7.3% allocated to support Youth Transition Services (offered in previous years by The Career Place using P-21 funds and supplemented with some WIA funds) to be expanded to include both career centers. These funds will be used for outreach to youth in the community to connect them with WIA programs as well as transition services to assist youth in accessing further training/education or entering the job market once they have completed WIA services.
Metro North is allocating 51% of WIA Adult funds for Individual Training Accounts (ITA training slots), with an additional 1.4% set aside for skills development activities at the career centers. Thirty-two percent is allocated to career centers for the provision of case management and job placement services. Metro North expects to enroll 114 new customers in WIA Adult training during the coming year, with an additional 91 new customers receiving intensive services and direct placement assistance. A total of 58 customers will be carried over from FY'09, 49 of them in a training activity, for a grand total of 263 WIA Adult customers served in FY'10.
Forty percent (40%) of WIA Dislocated Worker funds has been allocated to training providers (about 91 slots), and with an additional 8.3% proposed for skills development (about 114 slots), a total of 48.3% is allocated to training activities. Similar to last year, 36.1% is allocated to career centers for intensive services/case management activities. A total of 462 dislocated workers will receive services, 234 new customers, and 228 carried in from FY'09.
WIA Adult and Dislocated Worker training services supplement the ARRA group and ITA training activities planned for FY'10. A total of 118 ARRA WIA Adults and 194 ARRA WIA Dislocated Workers will be served during FY'10, with about 30 customers participating in one of three group training programs, all of which provide integrated ESOL/education/occupational services. Two of the group programs prepare customers for occupations in the health care industry, and one for the biomedical industry. Combined, over 381 Adults and 656 Dislocated Workers will be served under formula WIA and ARRA grants.
Overall Funding Picture. FY'10 funding presents an unusual and complex funding picture. The loss of DTA funds and reductions in WIA Formula grants has been countered by the addition of ARRA funds. Under ARRA guidelines, a summer youth employment program and group training options have been implemented, and a Re-employment Services program has been established. More youth are receiving work experience, more adults and dislocated workers are able to enter training, and more UI claimants are receiving individualized services. The funding picture has created a shift in programmatic emphasis and an increase in service volume, particularly for certain populations, e.g., UI Claimants. With only a small amount of ARRA dollars available in FY'11, funding will be dramatically reduced, unless new resources are identified. During the course of the current fiscal year, Metro North will be pursuing additional funding options in order to maintain customer services in FY'11.
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2010 Annual Workforce Development Plan - Download PDF
Executive Summary of the Metro North American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Plan for Fiscal Years 2009 to 2011
The Metro North region has been awarded $3.6m in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds. The intent of the Act is to "preserve and create jobs, promote the nation's economic recovery, and to assist those most impacted by the recession." More specifically, the Department of Labor interprets the role of the workforce development system as playing "a vital role in America's economic recovery by assisting workers who are facing unprecedented challenges to retool their skills and re-establish themselves in viable career paths." At the same time, the intention is to implement innovative strategies to accomplish these goals, while aligning with economic and community development strategies.
Funding and Time Frames. The Metro North region was allocated about $1m in ARRA Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Dislocated Worker funds, $590k in ARRA WIA Adult funds, and $1.4m in ARRA WIA Youth funds. Because ARRA funds are intended to be injected into the economy as soon as possible, Metro North plans to expend Adult and Dislocated Worker funds during FY'09 and FY'10. WIA Youth funds are targeted almost entirely to a Summer Youth Employment Program, operating in July and August 2009, with funds almost entirely spent by September 30, 2009. A small amount of funds ($100k) has been planned for year-round Out-of-School Youth services.
In addition to ARRA WIA funds, the region has been awarded $274k in Wagner-Peyser Employment Services funds and $347k in Wagner-Peyser Reemployment Services funds which will be expended by June 30, 2010. Additional Reemployment Services funds of approximately $347k (achieved through supplementation by other ARRA funds) are expected to allow the continuation of this program through FY 2011.
Service Delivery. It is anticipated that a total of 7,800 customers will be served in ARRA overall during FY 2009 and FY 2010, with about 6,300 customers receiving Reemployment Services. Customers, including UI claimants, who attend the Career Center Seminar at the Metro North career centers (The Career Place, Woburn, and Career Source, Cambridge and Everett) may be enrolled in Reemployment Services, which will entail initial assessment and triage to determine the appropriate service plan, the development of a Customer Action Plan, possible referral to WIA or other appropriate programs, intensive one-on-one assistance and/or group workshops, and/or a job development/job placement component. Customers determined eligible for WIA will receive intensive services, including skills development (if appropriate), and possibly training if deemed necessary for successful reentry into the workforce.
More than 60% of the Metro North WIA Adult and Dislocated Worker funding is targeted for occupational skills training. Of this amount, about $175k (20% of training funds) has been designated for group training activities to be approved through a local procurement process, while the balance will be available for training through Individual Training Accounts (ITAs). The ARRA Group Training Request for Proposals (with submissions received by May 11) solicited proposals in the following industry sectors and occupational categories:
- Healthcare
- Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services, including, but not limited to, training in life sciences, e.g., biotech/biomedical training as well as technical (non-clerical) computer occupations
- Green Jobs
- Pre-Apprenticeship Training, designed to provide enrollees with the pre-requisites necessary for entry into (and with a demonstrated linkage to) a state-registered apprenticeship programOther Occupational Categories comprising innovative programs in which labor market demand can be documented
- Vocational English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) in combination with job readiness in order to prepare enrollees for transfer to occupational skills training
- To ensure the educational attainment necessary and specific to employment in a given occupation, concurrent education/occupational skills designs were also encouraged in any of the above occupational categories.
Over 400 adults will be served in the ARRA WIA Adult and Dislocated Worker program, with about 174 receiving occupational skills training, and another 105 receiving skills development services.
WIA Youth funds are primarily designated for a Summer Youth Employment Program, which will be administered by the REB, but operated by Metro North career centers. Youth will be paid an hourly wage of $8.00 for up to 25 hours per week during this seven-week program. The REB will provide coordination and oversight through hiring a Summer Youth Program Director and a Worksite Monitor and will be responsible for developing the worksites. In addition, the REB will handle the weekly payroll for the expected 460 youth participants, with the assistance of a Summer Youth Payroll Clerk. Career center staff will conduct outreach to youth in the 20 communities in Metro North, match youth participants with worksites, visit youth at worksites to ensure a positive experience, provide work readiness workshops, assess work experience outcomes, and also convey timesheets and paychecks to and from the REB and worksites. A small amount of funds will support service to about 14 out-of-school youth in a year-round program.
The ARRA programming outlined above supplements the regular year-round Employment Services and WIA program services and, in combination with annual funding, is expected to promote retraining and reentry of large numbers of displaced Metro North workers into the workplace, and as a result, to assist in the much-needed infusion of dollars back into the economy.
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