New Jersey Local Workforce Plan July 1, 2016 June 30, 2020

Transcription

1 New Jersey Local Workforce Plan July 1, 2016 June 30, 2020 Amina Bey Executive Director 990 Broad Street - 2 nd floor Newark, NJ Beya@ci.newark.nj.us

2 Table of Contents Introduction... 3 I. Strategic Planning... 4 II: Workforce Development System Description III. Board Activities IV. Engagement, Coordination, Linkages V. Local Board VI. One-Stop Delivery System VII. Adult and Dislocated Worker Employment and Training Activities VIII. Statewide Rapid Response Activities IX. Youth Activities X. Coordination of Secondary and Post-Secondary Education XI. Supportive Services XII. Wagner-Peyser Employment Services: Maximizing Coordination XIII. Title II: Adult Education (Literacy, ESL, ABE, Civics) XIV. Cooperative Agreements and Linkages with DVRS and CBVI XV. Identify Fiscal Agent XVI. OSOP Competitive Procurement; Sub-Grants and Contracts XVII. Local Performance Targets XVIII. Local Board Membership, Recruitment, Development and High-Performing Board Activities XIX. Staff and Partner Development and Training Activities XX. Training Services: ITAs, Informed Customer Choice, and Industry-Valued Credentials XXI. Local Planning Process: Transparency, Stakeholders, Public Comment XXII. Technology XXIII. Priority of Service XXIV. Additional Local Elements Appendix A: Memorandum of Understanding Appendix B: Current Board List

3 Introduction The (NWDB) is the City s business-led governing body responsible for identifying the needs of the local job market and developing the strategy by which the workforce system will respond to these needs, including those of both employers and job seekers. The NWDB provides strategic direction and operational oversight to the Newark One-Stop Career Center. Established under the Workforce Investment Act and affirmed by the more recent Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, the One-Stop Career Centers offer a full range of assistance to job seekers and employers. Newark s network of one-stop centers includes NewarkWORKS, Newark Youth One-Stop, and the Newark Career Training Center. Under WIOA, each local workforce development board is required to submit a comprehensive four-year plan to the Governor. This document is the culmination of that effort, and reflects the mission and vision of the NWDB, as stated below: Our Mission: To lead and empower the Newark workforce system by leveraging assets and resources to ensure the educational, professional, and economic success of Newark residents and the prosperity of businesses. Our Vision: Newark thrives as an employment and business center with a nationally recognized workforce system. Our work in support of this mission and vision aligns well with the mission and goals of New Jersey s Talent Development Strategy, which focuses on building a skilled workforce to promote economic opportunity in New Jersey by leveraging partnerships and investments to increase the proportion of the population with an industry-valued credential or degree. This work is focused around five critical themes. The following paragraphs discuss each theme of New Jersey s Talent Development Strategy and how these themes align with the practices and plans of the NWDB. Theme 1: Building Career Pathways with a focus on Industry-Valued Credentials The NWDB is working with local employers and industry groups to develop career pathways that include both the attainment of industry-valued credential and training opportunities that create linkages with employers. These initiatives will target the following industries recognized by the State: Healthcare, Life Sciences, Financial and Business Services, Advanced Manufacturing, Transportation Logistics and Distribution, Technology and Entrepreneurship, and Hospitality, Tourism, and Retail. Theme 2: Expanding High-Quality Employer-Driven Partnerships It is the goal of the NWDB to create a customer-oriented business development strategy that reduces the gap between job seeker skills and those required by employers. These partnerships will enable the workforce system to best meet the needs of employers by increasing the overall capacity of the workforce system to develop job seekers with the skills in demand by the local economy. Theme 3: Providing Career Navigation Assistance through One-Stop Career Centers and Broad Partnerships 3

4 The NWDB will continue to provide high quality services to any job seeker that steps through the doors at Newark s one-stop centers. In particular, the NWDB recognizes the importance of ensuring the availability of basic skills, literacy, and workforce readiness training. Significant numbers of Newark residents are in need of re-entry services, literacy and basic adult education, English as a Second Language and job readiness instructional programs that lead to greater job placement. The NWDB will continue to take steps to coordinate these services across partners to promote access and increase engagement among job seekers that could potentially benefit from participation. Additionally, the NWDB will seek to develop and maintain relationships with all Newark Workforce System Partners to ensure the coordination and oversight of an integrated workforce delivery system. Theme 4: Strengthening Governance through Effective Workforce Development Boards and Regional Collaborations Strengthening the NWDB executive and governance structure as well as building stronger connections with the various stakeholders in the Newark community is a high priority for our organization. To achieve this, the NWDB will strive for regional collaboration by maintaining high-functioning joint-board committees with the Essex County Workforce Development Board that are responsible for executing the strategies identified in this plan. Theme 5: Ensuring System Integrity through Metrics and Greater Transparency The NWDB will continue to communicate transparently with all key stakeholders and the public regarding all performance measures adopted by the State of New Jersey as well as those required under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. More information on specific initiatives related to each of these key themes is available throughout this document. The NWDB looks forward to collaborating with its partners locally as well as at the regional and state level to serve the citizens of Newark and execute the plan throughout the four years that it will be in effect. I. Strategic Planning I. Describe the strategic planning elements consisting of (a.) An analysis of the local and regional economic conditions including existing and emerging in-demand industry sectors and occupations; and the employment needs of employers in those industry sectors and occupations. Unless otherwise noted, all data in this section was provided by the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJLWD) Office of Research and Information, Workforce Research and Analytics (ORI-WRA) team. Please refer to Section II. Regional Data Analysis of the North Regional Plan submitted to the State on October 3, 2016 for an initial analysis responding to this element. 4

5 Industry Sectors Designing programs that align with industries driving employment is a critical strategy for the NWDB. In Newark, the top five in-demand private industry sectors in terms of average annual employment include: Healthcare and Social Services, Finance and Insurance, Accommodations and Food Services, Administration and Waste Remediation, and Manufacturing. These industries account for approximately 43% of total private sector employment in Newark. Of these industries, only Finance and Insurance pays a higher average annual wage ($158,003) than Newark s private sector average ($71,504). The minimum annual wage required to sustainably support a single adult in Newark is $22, A single parent household with one child requires 46, Other industries offering higher than average annual wages include: Professional and Technical, Wholesale Trade, Management, Information, Arts and Entertainment, and Utilities. Employment in these relatively high paying industries represents approximately a third of Newark s total private sector employment, reflecting a concentration of the workforce in lower wage industries. The public sector also serves as a major source of employment in Newark. Employment in the local, state, or federal government and in public education institutions totals approximately 28% of all public and private sector employment in Newark. Table 1 depicts resident employment by industry in Newark and provides average annual wages. Table 1 Resident Employment by Industry Industry Average Annual Employment Average Annual Wages Healthcare & Social Services 12,992 $51,028 Finance & Insurance 8,975 $158,033 Accommodations & Food Services 8,242 $24,438 Administrative & Waste Remediation 6,727 $37,256 Manufacturing 6,494 $56,906 Retail Trade 5,435 $30,510 Professional & Technical 4,326 $111,930 Other Services 4,237 $37,390 Wholesale Trade 4,217 $73,173 Management 3,351 $198,989 Construction 2,764 $67,527 Real Estate 2,711 $38,037 Information 2,001 $124,836 Arts & Entertainment 1,525 $83,897 Education 1,256 $51,307 Unclassified 339 $28,070 Utilities 132 $162,878 Agriculture ND ND Mining ND ND Transportation & Warehousing ND ND Newark Kids Count: A City Profile of Child Well-Being; Advocates for Children of New Jersey 5

6 Federal Government Total 4,309 $100,629 State Government - Education 7,723 $79,669 State Government - Total 17,058 $78,898 Local Government - Education 9,612 $62,319 Local Government - Total 17,225 $68,522 Public Sector Totals 55,927 $74,634 Private Sector Totals 101,436 $71,504 In addition to the industries listed in the table above, the Transportation, Logistics, & Distribution industry cluster is a major source of both income and employment in Newark, which is home to both the Port of New York and New Jersey Port Newark Container Terminal and the Newark Liberty International Airport. The Transportation, Logistics & Distribution industry cluster is composed of two primary sectors. The first is the Transportation Sector, which includes the Air, Rail, Water, Truck, Transit and Ground Passenger, Pipeline, and Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation industries, as well as Support Activities for Transportation and Couriers and Messengers. The second is the Distribution/Logistics Sector, which includes: Durable Goods and Nondurable Goods Merchant Wholesalers; Agents, Brokers, and Wholesale Electronic Markets; and Warehousing and Storage. Approximately 41,719 people are employed in Transportation, Logistics, & Distribution in Essex County, earning an average annual wage of $69, Large industries are significant sources of opportunity for jobseekers in Newark, and hiring data suggests that these industries are growing. Newark employers advertised the most positions in It is notable that the NWDB includes members representing several of these employers, including Rutgers, the Saint Barnabas Healthcare System, Public Service Enterprise Group, Inc., and Panasonic. Private employers with the most online job postings listed in 2015 were concentrated primarily in the Healthcare & Social Services and Finance & Insurance industries, which represent the largest private industries in the City by employment overall. Aligning workforce services with those mid-to high-paying industries that are driving hiring in the area will allow the Newark WDB to increase the impact of its investments for both jobseekers and businesses. Across all of Essex County, projections from 2012 to 2022 show Education Services and Construction growing at the fastest rate in terms of employment, with each experiencing approximately 2% job growth per year. Information, Manufacturing, and Government sectors are expected to experience negative job growth, each projected to shed jobs over the 10-year period. Table 2 below summarizes these projections. Focusing workforce investments in industries that are growing will enable the NWDB to contribute to the future growth of the Newark economy while continuing to meet the immediate needs of job seekers and employers. However, in order to achieve this goal, it is important to go beyond industry analysis to identify the occupations that are in high demand in each of these sectors. 2 New Jersey s Transportation, Logistics, & Distribution Industry Cluster; NJ Department of Labor & Workforce Development Office of Research & Information Bureau of labor Market Information 6

7 Figure 1 Newark Employers with the Most Listings Prudential Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey Saint Barnabas Health Care System Public Service Enterprise Group Incorporated Horizon Blue Cross/Blue Shield Panasonic Horizon Healthcare Services Marriott International Incorporated Amazon.com St Barnabas Health Care System University Hospital Kipp IBM UnitedHealth Group New Jersey Institute of Technology Fresenius Compass Group Hertz Corporation Nestle USA Incorporated Saint Michaels Medical Center Covance Incorporated ,017 1,788 1, ,000 1,500 2,000 Table 2 Projected Employment Change by Industry, Essex County Essex County, Projected Employment Change by Industry Change: Industry Title (Two-Digit NAICS) 2012 Jobs 2022 Jobs Percent Number Total Annual Healthcare and Social Services 49,950 56,900 6, Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 25,150 29,300 4, Transportation and Warehousing 29,300 32,300 3, Educational Services 11,850 14,450 2, Accommodation and Food Services 20,300 22,400 2, Construction 8,200 10,050 1, Other Services 17,000 18,700 1, Wholesale Trade 14,450 15,550 1, Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation 4,000 4, Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 5,600 6, Administrative and Waste Management 20,300 20, Management of Companies and Enterprise 5,350 5, Retail Trade 27,000 27, Finance and Insurance 20,650 20, Utilities Natural Resources and Mining

8 Information 5,900 5, Manufacturing 17,400 15,750-1, Government 78,050 75,400-2, Total Nonfarm 361, ,550 21, Source: Department of Labor and Workforce Investment, Office of Research and Information: Key Industries in Essex County, NJ Occupations In order to prepare jobseekers with the skills demanded by growing industries, it is necessary to assess the major occupational groups driving employment in Newark. Employees performing similar tasks are considered to work in the same occupation, regardless of whether they are employed in the same industry. Occupational data for Newark is available at the sub-regional level, which includes Essex, Hunterdon, Morris, Somerset, and Union Counties. In this area, the top five occupations in terms of total employment include: Retail Salespersons; Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand; Cashiers; Office Clerks, General; and Customer Services Representatives. Of these occupations, none pay higher than the average salary of $58,520 across these counties. Additionally, of these occupations, only Office Clerks, General and Customer Service Representatives earn higher than $15 per hour. However, of the top 10 occupations in the area by total employment, six pay higher than $15 per hour. Additionally, of these top 10 occupations, Registered Nurses ($81,900) and Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products ($77,330) earn above the area s average wage. Table 3 depicts the top 10 occupations in Newark and the surrounding counties (Essex, Hunterdon, Morris, Somerset, and Union), providing the average salary across the area for each. Table 3 Employment and Average Annual Salary by Occupation SOC Occupation Essex-Hunterdon-Morris- Somerset-Sussex-Union County Area Employment Annual Salary Retail Salespersons 34,080 $26, Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand 23,420 $28, Cashiers 23,790 $21, Office Clerks, General 22,860 $33, Customer Service Representatives 18,810 $40, Registered Nurses 21,930 $81, Stock Clerks and Order Fillers 18,250 $26, Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical 20,700 $30,120 11,710 $77,330 16,860 $41,710 8

9 Total all occupations 1,143,320 $58,520 Data is also available for occupational groups at the sub-regional level, which combines occupations requiring similar skills under a single category. Occupational analysis at this level allows enables the identification of skillsets that may be versatile across numerous individual occupations. In Newark and the surrounding area, the top five occupational groups in terms of total employment are: Office and Administrative Support Occupations; Sales and Related Occupations; Transportation and Material Moving Occupations; Education, Training, and Library Occupations; and Food Preparation and Serving- Related Occupations. Of these occupational groups, none except Education, Training, and Library Occupations ($58,940) pay higher than the average annual salary in the area ($58,520). However, all of the top five occupational groups except Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations pay more than $15/hour. Table 4 below depicts the top 10 occupational groups in Newark and the surrounding counties (Essex, Hunterdon, Morris, Somerset, and Union) and provides the average salary across the area for each. Table 4 Employment and Average Salary by Occupational Group SOC Occupation Essex-Hunterdon-Morris-Somerset- Sussex-Union County Area Employment Annual Salary Office and Administrative Support Occupations 188,150 $40, Sales and Related Occupations 111,260 $46, Transportation and Material Moving Occupations 89,430 $36, Education, Training, and Library Occupations 88,050 $58, Food Preparation and Serving-Related Occupations 74,660 $25, Business and Financial Operations Occupations 73,500 $83, Management Occupations 70,190 $151, Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations 62,420 $90, Production Occupations 55,690 $38, Computer and Mathematical Occupations 42,210 $96, Total all occupations 1,143,320 $58,520 Employment Needs Aggregate occupational listings posted online in 2015 provide insight into the employment needs of Newark businesses. This data, summarized in Figure 2, shows the occupations that employers were hiring for at the highest rate, indicating both industry growth and skills demanded. Registered nurses were in the highest demand, with over 2,000 opportunities in Newark advertised online. Of the top occupational listings, only Labors and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand earn less than $15 per 9

10 hour. These relatively high wages for occupations that are hiring at a high level reflect the elevated demand for the requisite skills in the labor market. However, many of these occupations involve specialized technical skills or specific training or certification, including some which require specific industry-recognized credentials. For this reason, the NWDB recognizes that it is important to take stock of the skills demanded by employers and design strategies to develop the talent of the workforce to mitigate any gaps. These considerations will be addressed in detail in Section I(b). Figure 2 Newark Top Detailed Occupational Listings Registered Nurses Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Software Developers, Applications Managers, All Other Customer Service Representatives Management Analysts Sales Managers Retail Salespersons Medical and Health Services Managers General and Operations Managers Human Resources Specialists Information Technology Project Managers Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Marketing Managers Web Developers Maintenance and Repair Workers, General Computer Systems Analysts First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers Business Intelligence Analysts Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, , ,090 1,985 1,734 1, ,000 1,500 2,000 2,500 (b.) An analysis of the knowledge and skills needed to meet the employment needs of the employers in the region, including employment needs in in-demand industry sectors and occupations. Describe how the local area plans to work in conjunction with the New Jersey Talent Development Centers, Talent Networks, Targeted Industry Partnerships, and other industry and occupational associations and networks in developing and delivering in-demand services. Analysis of alignment between key industry pipeline and the provision of services by the one stop system should be included. In-Demand Knowledge and Skills Figure 3 below depicts the baseline skills in greatest demand by Newark employers, as reflected by occupational postings listed online in A baseline skill is considered a prerequisite to many positions in the job market across diverse industries and occupational groups. In Newark, the baseline 10

11 skills in greatest demand include essential or soft skills, such as communication, problem solving, and team work, as well as hard skills, such as writing, Microsoft Excel, and project management. Figure 3 Newark Baseline Skills in Greatest Demand Communication Skills Writing Microsoft Excel Problem Solving Team Work/ Collaboration Planning Organizational Skills Customer Service Research Project Management Microsoft Office Detail-Oriented Building Effective Relationships Computer Skills Microsoft Powerpoint Supervisory Skills Creativity Physical Demand Microsoft Word Troubleshooting Multi-Tasking 5,457 4,539 4,444 4,239 4,239 4,205 4,055 3,839 3,815 3,476 3,257 3,045 2,670 2,496 2,299 2,139 2,065 1,958 1,898 6,858 11, ,000 4,000 6,000 8,000 10,000 12,000 11

12 Figure 4 Newark Certifications in Greatest Demand REGISTERED NURSE PROJECT MANAGEMENT CERTIFICATION CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANT (CPA) CERTIFIED INFORMATION SYSTEMS CDL CLASS A FIRST AID CPR AED SERIES 7 CERTIFIED INFORMATION SYSTEMS COMMERCIAL DRIVER'S LICENSE CERTIFIED INFORMATION SECURITY BASIC CARDIAC LIFE SUPPORT INVESTMENT ADVISOR IT INFRASTRUCTURE LIBRARY NURSE PRACTITIONER SANS/GIAC CERTIFICATION CISCO CERTIFIED NETWORK ASSOCIATE CERTIFIED NURSING ASSISTANT CISCO CERTIFIED NETWORK HOME HEALTH AIDE AUTOMOTIVE SERVICE EXCELLENCE (ASE) EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIAN (EMT) In addition to baseline skills, some Newark employers also seek specific certifications. Some certifications, such as Registered Nurse, are requirements for given occupations. Others, such as project management, are signals to employers that candidates possess certain baseline or technical skills. Figure 4 above depicts the certifications in greatest demand in Newark. Developing and Delivering In-Demand Services One key strategy that the NWDB will employ to fortify the workforce with the skills in greatest demand will be to work with all available resources including the New Jersey Talent Development Centers, Talent Networks, Targeted Industry Partnerships, and other industry and occupational associations and networks to design services that enable jobseekers to meet the skills needs of Newark s employers. Specifically, the NWDB anticipates working with the New Jersey Health Care Talent Development Center at Rutgers to serve the joint mission of growing industry intelligence and developing local industry partnerships. Alignment Between Industry Pipelines and One Stop System Service Provision In addition to working with the New Jersey Talent Development Centers, Talent Networks, and Targeted Industry Partnerships as discussed above, the NWDB will continue to seek opportunities to develop strong partnerships between the One Stop system and Newark s key industries. These efforts will include strengthening the NWDB s partnership with the City of Newark s Department of Health and Community Wellness to implement training programs related to their hiring needs. Additionally, the 1,188 1,561 2, ,000 1,500 2,000 2,500 12

13 NWDB will pursue industry partnerships such as the Art (of) Code Initiative, which delivered training in front-end web development and job readiness through a partnership with the City of Newark s Office of Information Technology, CodeCrew, and the New Jersey Institute of Technology. The NWDB will rely on economic and labor market data, as well as the interests and connections of the Board, as well as the priorities identified by the State and region to identify specific industries to target with additional services. (c.) An analysis of the workforce in the region, including current labor force employment (and unemployment) data, and information on labor market trends, and the educational and skill levels of the workforce in the region, including individuals with barriers to employment. Employment Since 2010, Essex County and Newark City both carried higher unemployment rates than the statewide average; at 6.7% and 8.8% respectively in Newark City notably has the second highest unemployment rate of any local area in New Jersey. Overall, unemployment rates in New Jersey have decreased since 2010 with rates falling from 9.2% to 5.4%. Labor Market Trends The NWDB uses Labor Market Information (LMI) to assess historic information, current employment trends, and future projections for specific occupations within the local workforce area. LMI is provided to One-Stop Staff, NWDB Board & Committee Members and Vendor Agencies. This data allows them to understand how trainings should be aligned with growing occupations and help determine whether those offerings should be adjusted to meet future projections. By analyzing this data, the NWDB can guide One-Stop programs in identifying sectors of the various key industries likely to experience higher or lower growth and potential employer partners. This information is utilized during the Request for Proposal process when developing the RFP and evaluating training providers for contracts. The data allows the NWDB to set standards for training programs, define the kind of service strategy required for the customer base, and establish benchmarks that lead to employable skills and credentials. It is important for the NWDB to receive data specific to Newark in order to ensure that in-demand occupations, skill sets, education and experience are properly evaluated for the local population. The NWDB meets monthly with a representative from the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development Division of Workforce Research & Analytics to discuss information requested by the Board, Committees and Staff in order to remain connected to growing trends and on target for meeting training and employment goals and objectives. Information is also received for the county and region. This information greatly influences the kind of educational and vocational training that is provided, as well as the type of methods that are used in employer engagement and employment based training, such as On-the-Job Training, Internships and Apprenticeship Programs. Understanding key industry sectors, coupled with labor market data, allows the NWDB and One-Stop to provide a well-informed comprehensive workforce delivery system that positively impacts the Newark area and Northern region. 13

14 Demographically, total population in the region is forecasted to increase at decreasing rates with minority populations contributing significantly to that rate. Regionally, the Hispanic/Latino population is forecasted to grow from 14% to 11.4%, the African American population is forecasted to grow between 5% and 4.6%, and the Asian population is forecasted to grow between 17.8% and 13.8% towards Locally, the Hispanic/Latino population is forecasted to grow from 14% to 11.2%, the African American population is forecasted to grow from 3.5% to 1.8%, and the Asian population is forecasted to grow from 9.6% to 5.6% by However, the elderly population (65+) is forecasted to be the fastest among the aforementioned groups growing from 28.7% to 17.2% regionally towards 2034, and 24.4% to 14.7% locally. Concurrently, the labor force is projected to increase at a decreasing rate in the next 18 years. In particular, Essex county is projected to see an increase around 7.9% by 2024 and another 4.7% by Resultantly, the region may have a workforce in the future that retains older workers with a higher retirement age or a workforce with a large proportion of minority workers. Educational Attainment Educational attainment is an important metric for assessing the skill level of the local labor force. In Newark, approximately 18% of the population holds some post-secondary degree (Associate s, Bachelor s or above). This is dramatically lower than the proportion of the overall New Jersey population with post-secondary education, which is approximately 43%. Similarly, the proportion of the population lacking a high school diploma is higher in Newark than the rest of New Jersey (approximately 29% vs. approximately 12% respectively). This disparity in educational attainment between Newark residents and the state population highlights a priority of the NWDB: to promote educational attainment and skills development, including through training offering industry-recognized credentials, to prepare the local workforce to meet the needs of growing industries. Individuals with Barriers to Employment New Jersey s Northern Region boasts diversity, however, its local plan must reflect the consequent challenges many citizens face. Seventy-six point eight percent (76.8%) of all citizens of New Jersey who claim to speak English without complete proficiency, reside in the Northern Region. Furthermore, 18% of the population in Essex County report not being able to speak English with full proficiency. Resultantly almost a fifth of the available workforce in Essex County faces challenges in getting employed due to language barriers. Furthermore, for the working age population (18-64 years), 10% and 15.4% of the population of Essex county and Newark, respectively, have some level of identified disability, which negatively affects employment opportunities for those individuals. 14

15 (d.) An analysis of the workforce development activities (including education and training) in the region, including an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of such services, and the capacity to provide such services, to address the identified education and skill needs of the workforce and the employment needs of employers in the region. Local areas should address the range of current activities within the local area delivered by WIOA Core and Partner programs, including: WIOA Title I Adult, Youth, and Dislocated Workers; WIOA Title II, Adult Education and Literacy; WIOA Title III, Wagner-Peyser; WIOA Title IV, Vocational Rehabilitation; Senior Community Service Employment Program; Jobs for Veterans State Grant; Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers Programs; Ex-Offender Programs; Carl T. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act; Unemployment Insurance; WorkFirst New Jersey (TANF) Employment and Training Program; SNAP Employment and Training Programs; New Jersey Workforce Development Partnership Program; New Jersey Supplemental Workforce Fund for Basic Skills; and other local programs with which the workforce system collaborates. As the City of Newark s business-led governing body responsible for developing the strategy by which the workforce system will respond to employer needs and develop job seekers, the NWDB provides strategic direction and operational oversight for the Newark One-Stop Career Center (NOSCC), which provides a wide range of services to local job seekers and businesses, including training referrals, career counseling, job listings, and similar employment-related services, including positive recruitment events for employers. These services reach approximately 3,000 customers per month, delivered by the four agencies housed in the NOSCC the State's Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, Employment Services, Unemployment Insurance, and City's NewarkWORKS supported by the strategic-level work of the. Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services The Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services (DVRS) provides vocational services to individuals determined eligible based on a documented history of physical, cognitive, mental, or substance abuse disability that has been an impediment to employment or is anticipated to be such an impediment. Services provided by DVRS help individuals prepare for and obtain work that is consistent with their abilities, strengths, priorities, and capabilities. These services include, but are not limited to, the following: job placement and retention, vocational training, and assistive technologies. Division of Employment Services The Division of Employment Services is the State employment agency which provides what is often referred to as core services to all eligible customers, including WIOA Title I (Adult, Dislocated Worker, and Youth formula) programs, Adult Education and Literacy Act programs, and Wagner-Peyser Act employment services. This includes services like job preparation, tuition waiver, and placement services. Additionally, job search workshops provide assistance in identifying opportunities, interviewing, and writing resumes. Special populations, including veterans and job seekers age 55+, have access to resources dedicated to their specific needs. 15

16 Unemployment Insurance Any individual, regardless of where they live in the State, may file an unemployment claim at the NOSCC. Claims may be filed over any phone or online. Customers who either do not have access to a phone or would prefer to use the One-Stop phones may do so. These phones are equipped to only contact the call centers and cut off if the call volume is exceptionally high at the call center. Customers are randomly selected for Reemployment Orientation, which offers information about One-Stop Services as well as state and local labor market information. Additionally, recipients must participate in an in person oneon-one session with an interviewer to complete a UI eligibility assessment and individual work search plan. NewarkWORKS NewarkWORKS is the City of Newark s employment and training agency. Funded by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, the agency currently has staff at three locations across Newark, but will soon be consolidating under one facility at which all One-Stop services will be available. Services provided by NewarkWORKS include training programs and placement assistance, and testing. Specific training initiatives include the Newark Education Training Fund, which has served 40 participants with Basic Skills Education, GED/High School Equivalency, and Vocational Training at Essex County College. Additionally, the NJ Build offers training in construction trades resulting in placement rehabilitating homes in Newark s West Ward. NewarkWORKS also provides services to specific populations. The Newark Career Training Center provides services to the re-entry population including intake and assessment, case management, and job training or placement. Specific initiatives designed to serve the re-entry population include the Mayor s Transitional Work Program, which employs 50 participants in the City s Sanitation Department. Additionally, the NWDB has received On-the-Job training funds (OJT) to hire and train Newark Work First New Jersey recipients. The NWDB has partnered with the City of Newark Department of Health and Community Wellness to direct these funds to training in the in-demand healthcare field in occupations with defined career pathways, including Medical Assistant and Community Health Worker. Youth are served through the NewarkWORKS Youth One-Stop. Programs serving youth include the Summer Youth Employment Program, which matches over 2,000 young adults with jobs in the City of Newark. Additionally, the Newark College Internship Program helps college students supplement their education with meaningful work experience in job growth sectors. The NWDB s ability to provide relevant and meaningful services via, including education and training, is strengthened by proactive change efforts on the part of leadership and staff to increase collaboration and continuously improve service delivery. These changes have been overseen by the NWDB Partners Continuous Improvement Team (CIT). The CIT is comprised of eight members, including one representative from each major partner in the system. The Partners meet every month and prepare a joint agenda to discuss strengths, areas of concerns, and solutions. This structure has allowed the NWDB to further sustainable change in the local workforce system. Specifically, the NWDB has taken steps to implement management practices that improve staff morale with the effect of improving attentiveness 16

17 to caseloads and communication with clients. This includes the compilation of a comprehensive NOSCC Resource Manual to increase knowledge-sharing of workforce-related programs and procedures across the system. The manual provides detailed information about the local workforce development system s partners and resources. The document offers program descriptions, procedures, and contact information for programs across the three current sites, including those that are state-based and citybased. This resource allows staff to have information about the workforce system and its service offerings readily available, improving the client experience by making enrollment and referrals more efficient. Cooperative relationships with other regional workforce systems, notably the Essex County Workforce Development Board which has served as a partner in strategic planning for over a decade, is an example of such a resource. In addition to the strengths discussed above, NWDB is able to realistically assess challenges to service delivery for workforce development. Identified areas of improvement include a lack of tangible resources and information about services and benefits available, which has led to confusion among staff and customers. There also exist gaps along the customer service continuum, which include inefficiencies in intake, orientation, and service delivery. Additionally, staff experiences an array of difficulties in their day-to-day responsibilities due to internal challenges related to a lack of capacity and resources. Finally, gaps in coordination and collaboration between staff across the local workforce system have caused departmental silos to separate staff and impede service delivery. The NWDB will continue to take concrete steps to mitigate weaknesses and provide the highest possible quality of service to the citizens and businesses of Newark. Under WIOA, the local system must become more integrated and collaborative. Currently, core partners are co-located across three NOSCC locations. Within the year, these locations will transition to one facility, offering all NWDB services under one roof. This restructuring creates a valuable opportunity for the NWDB to weave connections across departments to produce an integrated system that allows all staff to smoothly transition customers to and from appropriate services. The NWDB CIT to further integrate partner activities throughout the transition to the shared facility, with the ultimate result being improved service delivery for all customers across all programs, including education and training. (e.) Describe the local board s strategic vision and goals for preparing an educated and skilled workforce (including youth and individuals with barriers to employment), including goals relating to performance accountability measures based on primary indicators of performance described in section 116(b)(2)(A) of the Act in order to support regional economic growth and economic self-sufficiency. Describe how this supports the regional plan efforts and potential for shared cost. Describe how the local plan may differ from the regional plan, with a justification for the variance. The strategic vision of the NWDB is to serve its mission to lead and empower the Newark workforce system by leveraging assets and resources to ensure the educational, professional, and economic success of Newark residents and the prosperity of businesses. Specifically, the NWDB aims to assist the City in achieving its Master Plan goals of reducing the unemployment rate in Newark and adding 25,000 new jobs to the area by To achieve this, the NWDB has identified several concrete goals: 17

18 Work closely with City Administration, City agencies, and the Municipal Council to develop a strong relationship that encourages system alignment and joint problem-solving for a city-wide workforce development system. Create a customer-oriented business development strategy that reduces the gap between job seeker skills and those required by employers. Strengthen the NWDB by maintaining high-functioning joint-board (Newark and Essex County) Committees that are responsible for ensuring that the NWDB s Strategic Plan, and individual committee plans, are executed. Develop and maintain relationships with all Newark Workforce System Partners to ensure the coordination and oversight of an integrated workforce delivery system. Strengthen the NWDB s administrative and governance structure, with a focus on organizational capacity, fiscal oversight, and system policies and procedures. These goals support the overall vision of the workforce development region, which is to create [a]n inclusive regional workforce system that proactively adapts to the needs of businesses and residents while sustaining the region s competitiveness and stimulating growth in an ever-changing socioeconomic environment, (see the North Regional Plan for additional information on the specific goals of the planning region). Given this directional alignment, the NWDB will continue to seek opportunities to share costs with the planning region with the goal of maximizing the impact and effectiveness of workforce system investments. The NWDB cannot achieve its overall vision and mission without achieving highly on each of the performance accountability measures outlined in Section 116(b)(2)(A) of the Act. As such, the NWDB will work to negotiate aspirational yet attainable levels with the state for each of these key indicators. (f.) Taking into account analyses described above, a strategy to work with the entities that carry out the core programs to align resources available to the local area, to achieve the local area s strategic vision and goals. The NWDB aims to implement an Integrated Service Delivery (ISD) model. The intent of the ISD model is to provide services that, from the customer s perspective, are seamless. Under this model, individuals seeking services are considered customers of the NOSCC and not of a specific program, regardless of the funding stream used to meet their needs. The NWDB will work with NOSCC staff and the entities that carry out the core programs to achieve this vision. Specific actions will include the following: Development of a new process for job developers to improve outreach to various stakeholders who can be used strategically. Coordination of monthly Partners Meetings at the NOSCC. Organization of regular Meetings to ensure all programs have the strategic information they require to make decisions on the ground in the best interest of customer goals. Integration of technology to create a common set of workforce system metrics to ensure greater accountability and continuous improvement. Identification of a data solution to allow for easy access to information across programs. 18

19 Provision of information on best practices for data collection and analysis. Execution of a joint staff retreat to create strategies for better coordination, communication, and integration at the One-Stop. Development of Committee goals that are inclusive of special populations (Veterans, Re-entry, Youth, Individuals with Disabilities, those with low literacy levels or limited English proficiency, etc.). Implementation of regular staff training across programs to ensure system fluency. Incorporation of opportunities to share updates and best practices during One-Stop staff meetings. Implementation of new Standard Operating Procedures for integrated service delivery. Each of the steps outlined above will contribute to a workforce system that provides integrated services to meet the full spectrum of need experienced by job seekers and employers. II: Workforce Development System Description Describe the workforce development system in the local area, including identifying the programs that are included in that system and how the local board will work with the entities carrying out core programs and other workforce development programs to support alignment to provide services. Identify any areas of weakness in service delivery or resources and discuss whether regional or local solutions are most appropriate. The local area should include in this description plans for services delivered by WIOA Core and Partner programs, and other programs, including WIOA Title I Adult, Youth, and Dislocated Workers; WIOA Title II, Adult Education and Literacy; WIOA Title III, Wagner-Peyser; WIOA Title IV, Vocational Rehabilitation; Senior Community Service Employment Program; Jobs for Veterans State Grant; Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers Programs; Ex-Offender Programs; Carl T. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act; Unemployment Insurance; WorkFirst New Jersey (TANF) Employment and Training Program; SNAP Employment and Training Programs; New Jersey Workforce Development Partnership Program; New Jersey Supplemental Workforce Fund for Basic Skills; and other local programs with which the Under Mayor Ras J. Baraka, Newark is guided by a Blueprint for Economic Development and Job Creation that recognizes and amplifies the vital linkages among the skills of the workforce, ameliorating poverty, and growing the economy. As an integral part of Mayor Baraka s strategy, the Newark Workforce Development Board (NWDB) is explicitly charged by him to: Identify the talent needs of the local job market and leverage resources to meet those needs. Collaborate with Newark s economic development team and related organizations to promote full utilization of the city s workforce system by employers to meet their workforce development requirements. Integrate publicly funded workforce services and job training programs into a system that is flexible, seamless, accountable, and responsive to the needs of both workers and businesses. These efforts will directly support the Mayor s Newark Jobs Plan, submitted to President Barack Obama earlier this year. The overall goals of that plan are to: Reduce the City of Newark s unemployment rate below the State of New Jersey s unemployment rate by putting unemployed Newarkers to work. 19

20 Transition chronically unemployed and traditionally underrepresented Newarkers into the labor pool. Create a better educated, more competitive workforce by furnishing our youth with job exploration through employment programs, year-round, providing workforce development programs and services to the unemployed and underemployed, and delivering workshops, grants and loads to entrepreneurs. Reintegrate returning citizens to society by providing them with educational and vocational training, employment opportunities, and supportive services, tools and resources to start their own businesses. Bolster the economic and cultural draw to the City by supporting arts, culture and tourism. The NWDB is a strategic body that carries out its work as further described in Section III: Board Activities. Related to the ways in which it carries out its work with regard to service delivery, NWDB has direct responsibility for providing strategic direction and operational oversight for the Newark One-Stop Career Center system, which includes: NewarkWORKS, providing WIOA adults, and dislocated worker services. These include jobrelated workshops, vocational counseling, supportive services, and training grants to eligible providers and/or programs. NewarkWORKS offers selected certifications on site, including the National Work Readiness Credential. Additionally, NewarkWORKS sites provide a range of partner services, including: services delivered by New Jersey s Division of Employer Services (WIOA Title III Wagner-Peyser) and Rehabilitation Services (WIOA Title IV Vocational Rehabilitation); assistance with unemployment insurance and filing disability claims; services such as driver s license reinstatement and through a partnership with ReLeSe Legal Program assistance with record expungement and child support collection; referrals to partnering agency such as adult literacy providers; recruitment activities; and specialized services to the reentry population through the Mayor s Office of Reentry. Newark Youth One-Stop, providing WIOA-funded services targeted to individuals years old. Newark Career Training Center, which provides direct placement services in a highly professional environment and on-site recruitment services for employers. The NWDB has an active One-Stop Committee that is integrated with the Essex County Workforce Development Board ECWDB, which is comprised predominately of Board members representing system customers: employers through private sector representatives and workers through organized labor representatives. This Committee provides oversight and direction in a number of critical areas: Developing of Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with required partners, as well as those who can bring resources necessary to support Mayor s Baraka s goal of putting the chronically unemployed to work, and reaching full employment in the City. Leveraging resources from across multiple partners, and pursuing additional resources, to advance strategic initiatives prioritized by the NWDB and ECWDB. Monitoring system performance and utilization, and informing continuous improvement goals for in each of these areas. 20

21 Addressing system-wide operational issues and partner disagreements, should they arise. Guiding the procurement of a one-stop operator, and overseeing the operator once selected. NWDB and ECWDB have also partnered to ensure individuals with disabilities have universal access and integrated services within the County s one-stop system, with a focus on leveraging resources to more successfully facilitate the connection to employment. The Disability Issues Committee is taking a threepronged approach to increase employment for individuals with disabilities: Ensuring all one-stop staff understanding the full range of resources available to customers with disabilities, which involves staff training as well as enhancing the referral mechanism to and communication with New Jersey Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services. Educating employers about the myriad ways their workplaces can benefit from hiring individuals with disabilities, as well as the many supportive resources and incentives available to them to ensure any necessary accommodations can be made. The Disabilities Issues Committee also plans to spearhead hiring events specifically designed to connect individuals with disabilities with jobs. Identifying and making both individuals and one-stop staff aware of services in place to assist individuals with disabilities, including transit and travel training resources. The NWDB and the ECWDB recognize there is a great demand for basic education services among unemployed residents, and that more can and should be done to deepen the linkages between traditional workforce system services and the adult literacy system authorized by WIOA Title II. To this end, its Education and Literacy Committee seeks to plan for and implement effective methodologies to correct for past failures of the K-12 public education system by providing remedial basic skills education to high school dropouts and individuals who possess a high school diploma but did not acquire the requisite basic skills. Specifically, this Committee is focused on: Developing and monitoring an efficient two-way client referral process between WIOA Title I and WIOA Title II services, as well as those programs supported by the Supplemental Workforce Fund for Basic Skills. Deepening program integration (e.g. collaborating to inform targeted contextual literacy programs that lead directly to meaningful employment). Creating a standardized assessment for all participants in workforce readiness programming (including, but not limited to, WIOA- and TANF-funded programs) to Increase the identification of job seekers who have basic literacy deficiencies. The work of the Education and Literacy Committee is particularly critical in the context of emerging career pathway strategies described in Section IV: Engagement, Coordination, Linkages. Additionally, NWDB recognizes that the workforce system has the opportunity to better align with Carl T. Perkins Career and Technical Education programs, particularly to support career pathways work, and plans to pursue deepening integration with this program in the coming program year. NWDB and ECWDB have also partnered on a Welfare-to-Work Committee, with the goal of ensuring that individuals receiving public assistance (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or TANF) are transitioned into permanent, unsubsidized employment. This Committee oversees the local implementation of WorkFirst New Jersey, encompassing its programs, services, contracts, and providers. The Committee is in the process of developing a comprehensive plan to ensure the county s one-stop 21

22 system is positioned to provide the comprehensive menu of employment-related that non-tanf residents currently enjoy. To compliment this plan, the Welfare-to-Work Committee also focuses on TANF participation rates, placements into jobs and training programs, and performance of TANF vendors as well as the City and County case management system. NewarkWORKS Re-entry Program partners with community and federal organizations, such as Bridges for identification assistants, NewarkWORKS provides referrals for vocational training and Social Services, and assists in the determination of welfare and TANF eligibility. Clients are also given the opportunity to work with career advisors to design resumes, attend weekly job readiness trainings as well as secure job interviews that they are properly prepared for. As a leading Re-Entry program, the office of Reentry, Safer Newark Council and Newark Rutgers recently received a $1 million grant. The goal is to design a strategic plan that aims to decrease recidivism by 50% in the City of Newark within the next five years. Currently the Reentry department averages about 75 clients per week and confidently secures between 5-8 jobs weekly for reentry clients. Over the past year, about 60% of clients have been placed into job training NewarkWORKS offers a range of other services to targeted customer groups, either on site or through referral to partners. These groups include mature workers (55 and older), Veterans, and those eligible for SNAP Employment and Training programs. The site also assists unemployed individuals who have exhausted their federal benefits to complete their training programs by extending those benefits for us to 26 weeks through the New Jersey Workforce Development Partnership Program. Newark has not traditionally served migrant or seasonal farmworkers, and does not offer any targeted workforce services for that group at its sites. However, individuals with this profile would be eligible for all workforce development and placement services available. For additional opportunities to enhance these services, please see the analysis provided in Section I: Strategic Planning. III. Board Activities III. Describe how the local board, working with the entities carrying out core programs, will (a.) Expand access to employment, training, education, and supportive services for eligible individuals, particularly eligible individuals with barriers to employment. The NWDB anticipates that implementing the integrated service delivery (ISD) model will facilitate increased access to the full spectrum of workforce system services including employment, training, education, and supportive services for all job seekers, including those experiencing barriers to employment. Under this model, the focus of first engagement staff will be to identify and understand the needs of each customer and direct them to the appropriate staff person/program to meet those needs, allowing for seamless service delivery from the customer s perspective across Adult, Dislocated Worker, Youth, Wagner-Peyser, and Vocational Rehab programs. Populations with barriers to employment will still have dedicated services available to meet their specific needs. Additionally, the NWDB will continue to work with partners in the community to develop innovative programs and services that address the unique challenges of those with barriers to employment to improve outcomes. 22

23 The NWDB will work to expand awareness of the workforce system and the services it provides among potential customers, including both job seekers and employers. This will increase the pool of potential candidates as well as potential employment opportunities, expanding employment by facilitating a higher volume of job placement. This outcome will be achieved by refining the NWDB brand, developing marketing materials, and increasing the rate of communication with the public. (b.) Facilitate the development of career pathways and co-enrollment, as appropriate, in core programs. Building career pathways with a focus on industry-valued credentials is a key theme of the New Jersey Combined State Plan for WIOA, and as such the NWDB will work to develop and promote these opportunities in Newark. To achieve this, Newark is actively engaged in State and regional initiatives, including partnership with the Talent Networks, as well as working locally to strengthen relationships with training providers and employers to develop well defined career pathways, particularly in priority industries such as healthcare, life sciences, financial and business services, advanced manufacturing, transportation logistics and distribution, technology and entrepreneurship, and hospitality, tourism and retail, construction and utilities, and the food industry. The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) of 2014 require states to promote career pathways and focus on increasing the number of individuals in New Jersey who have earned an industryvalued post secondary credential or degree. SETC Policy Resolution # was developed in preparation to implement WIOA of In 2016, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJ LWD) released a list of nearly 198 industry valued credentials based on in-depth analysis of labor market data and extensive feedback from employers throughout the state. The credentials list acts as a consumer protection for job seekers and those seeking career advancement. The Industry-Valued Credential List is compiled and maintained by LWD through the Credential Review Board, and is available online at: The NWDB uses this list to guide WIOA-funded training investments across federal and state workforce programs and increases the number of individuals in New Jersey who have earned an industry-valued post-secondary credential. Per the resolution, the local area goal is to increase the percentage of funds spent on programs leading to an industry-valued credential. In State Fiscal Year 2021, the goal is that at least 80% of all federal and state funds spent on occupational training by the local area will result in an industry valued credential or degree. All job seekers follow the same service model: Referral from NJ Division of Unemployment Insurance, county welfare organization, One-Stop Partners, or other community-based, faith-based organizations Attend Reemployment Evaluation Assessment session Attend training orientation With WIOA counselor, develop preliminary Individual Service Strategy 23

24 Research labor market information and training providers Secure counselor approval for training; finalize Individual Service Strategy Report to classroom or On-the-Job Training or apprenticeship Discuss training problems and issues, if any, with counselor Participate in training provider placement activities Report employment information to counselor As necessary, participate in additional WIOA placement activities Provide follow up information in response to counselor s requests The NWDB and WIOA counselors use intelligence gathered from our Board members, community colleges, chambers of commerce, One-Stop Partners, business associations, committees, Business Representatives, LWD labor market information, individual employers and training providers to determine training areas and curriculum development. The community colleges and private training providers often have their own advisory bodies which guide curricula and instruction. This guidance is often shared with the NWDB. The Combined State Plan for the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act identifies the certifications that are most desired by employers within New Jersey s seven key industry clusters. Placement in training programs is by customer choice but counselors provide employment data to help individuals select training in key industry clusters that will lead to employment in an in-demand occupation and provide an industry-valued credential. In particular, the NWDB intends to develop pathways through employer-driven partnerships that include stackable training opportunities with exit points leading to sustainable employment at each level of training that is achieved. This approach requires close coordination with the local business community, including both industry groups and employers. Additionally, NWDB s strong partnership with the community college system and other training providers is an asset to the development and implementation of skills development programs provided by employers. The NWDB will work to enhance relationships with all critical stakeholder groups for the purpose of designing meaningful career pathways offering job seekers increased opportunity and earns potential within growing industries and occupations. The work of several of NWDB s joint committees, including the Education and Literacy Committee and the Welfare-to-Work Committee will support this work. Lessons learned from several of the programs and priorities described in Section V: Local Boards are critical to understanding the program delivery methodologies that work best for employer and job seeker customers. Finally, and critically, NWDB s efforts to leverage the employment opportunities offered by its board members, the economic growth objectives of the City, and its work with Newark s broader employer community will significantly enhance the pathways available to Newark residents. 24

25 (c.) Improve access to activities leading to an industry valued credential, as made available through the Industry-Valued Credential List published by the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Highlight how the local area s education and occupational training programs will include employability skills (soft skills) training, experiential learning opportunities; including classroom training, on-the-job training, internships, externships, registered apprenticeship, and any other training methods that are delivered. The attainment of industry-valued credentials is another thematic priority for both the State and region, The NWDB recognizes the importance of these programs to building the skillset of the workforce to meet the needs of local employers. NWDB s work with business includes learning about the credentials that are locally valued, and work with those employers to give priority to job seekers with such credentials. NWDB will also ensure any such credentials are included on the NJ Department of Labor and Workforce Development list. NWDB will collaborate with the appropriate partners, including the community college system and the State s Talent Development Centers, to ensure that these programs are available to Newark residents and accessible via the training investments of the workforce system. Information about the credentials that are in the highest demand by employers will be promoted among one-stop staff so they can most effectively provide guidance to job seekers. This information will also be promoted directly to job seekers so that they can make informed decisions with respect to the training opportunities that they pursue. Providers contracted to deliver training services through the NWDB have accountability to prepare individuals to both connect to employment and successfully perform in the workplace. Therefore, providers are required to deliver a blend of services that provide both occupational credentials and the imbue job seekers with the employability skills necessary to succeed. NWDB funds and leverages resources to support a range of program delivery models, including those that include classroom training, simulated work environments, experiential learning, apprenticeship programs, internships and externships, and mentoring. Job seekers are connected to programs that represent the best alignment with their needs and aspirations to support their immediate and longer-term career success. IV. Engagement, Coordination, Linkages IV. Describe the strategies and services that will be used in the local area in order to (a.) Facilitate engagement of employers, including small employers and employers in indemand industry sectors and occupations, in workforce development programs. The adoption and implementation of WIOA has led the NWDB to further their ongoing efforts to work collaboratively across Newark to promote stronger relationships and better engage the business community. To achieve this goal, the NDWB Joint Business and Economic Development Committee has identified several strategies to increase employer engagement with workforce development programming. Included in these efforts, the NWDB will take steps to expand collaboration and communication practices internally and with employers in order to increase information sharing among 25

26 parties responsible for business engagement. Additionally, the NWDB will develop and implement a marketing strategy targeted to local businesses to make them aware of the local workforce system and the services it provides. Finally, the NWDB will continue to identify strategies to take maximum advantage of limited resources to increase employer engagement. Increasing communication between the NWDB, the ECWDB their joint committees and the one-stops was identified as a high priority for improving business engagement at the NWDB and ECWDB 2016 Joint Retreat. To improve internal information sharing, the NWDB will begin to either include one-stop staff members on relevant committees or encourage their participation in committee meetings. Additionally, members of different committees will begin to attend each other s meetings to increase awareness of the Board s activities. To make this information accessible to members that do not participate in crosscommittee meetings, each committee will designate an intern or staff person to take minutes and distribute them to members. Beyond strengthening internal processes, the NWDB will perform direct outreach to local employers, including small businesses and in-demand industry sectors, through targeted marketing and networking strategies. To achieve this, the NDWB will invite local businesses to participate in committee meetings to communicate their needs with respect to hiring, identifying the occupations they are seeking to fill and the associated skillsets. This strategy will allow the NWDB to target specific industries by identifying employers representing those industries and inviting their participation. The NWDB has developed a partnership with the Newark Community Economic Development Corporation (NCEDC) through which the NWDB receives information regarding new and expanding businesses in Newark who may have employment opportunities. NCEDC connects businesses to the NWDB and assists in building relationships. Additionally, the NWDB will execute broader employer outreach strategies by hosting events for businesses to meet local job seekers, including themed events with partners such as Dress for Success. These events will benefit job seekers by providing opportunities for career exploration and networking. Additionally, employer feedback following the events will provide the NWDB with insight into the type of candidates that businesses are seeking for specific occupations, allowing the NWDB to align their skills development initiatives with the needs of the local community. This type of mutually beneficial engagement will encourage further participation in the workforce system on the part of employers. The NWDB will also work to become more accessible to employers online by marketing resources for jobseekers and employers on the NWDB website and through associated social media accounts. The effort to increase the NWDB s online presence may also include collaborating with partners to crosspromote available services on each other s websites. Several years ago specific target industry clusters were developed in support of New Jersey s State Workforce Plan. These seven key employment sectors are: Retail & Hospitality, Financial Services, Advanced Manufacturing, Health Care, Life Sciences, Transportation, Logistics & Distribution, and Technology. According to the State Plan, it is because these sectors combined make up almost 70% of all employment in New Jersey, the State decided to focus on economic growth by promoting opportunities, statewide as well as by region, which attract and grow industries. The State established Talent Networks gather information on and work with these specific growth sectors and provide 26

27 linkages to the local areas. The NWDB has followed the lead of the State of New Jersey utilizing the employment-based strategies for partnership, collaboration and engagement outlined in the State Plan. The NWDB has partnered with the Talent Networks in assisting with employer engagement and providing insight on in-demand occupations, labor market data and work-based credentials that is utilized in customer training and One-Stop programs and services. These strategies are also outlined in the Regional Plan authored by North Jersey Partners (NJP), which includes the NWDB. The NJP Regional Plan includes a list of Strategic Priorities that connect the NWDB: 1. Develop deep, strong and effective partnerships with the business community, and a thorough understanding of their workforce needs; 2. Collaboratively establish the best practices and standards that WDBs and One-Stop Career Centers will deploy throughout the region; 3. Convene partners and advocate strategies, including policies and programs to government and political leaders; 4. Become the recognized primary resource for creating and maintaining an integrated and coordinated workforce system; 5. Obtain, develop and leverage resources, including financial, human, data and technology to support the mission; 6. Develop and sustain a trusting, collaborative and inclusive governing partnership and Regional Workforce Team; 7. Attract additional federal, state and private philanthropic funds to align with and support workforce initiatives in the Region. The NWDB and NJP have partnered in its efforts to offer targeted employment opportunities to its customer base. The NJP Regional Plan discusses Newark s efforts to engage youth and sharing Newark s successes throughout the region. The NJP Regional Plan states that it recognizes that Newark has developed new intensive models of identifying, serving and training out- of-school youth, and that the other WDBs are in the process of identifying ways to replicate this program in their areas. The collaboration has included joint regional forums, workshops and seminars on industry sector opportunities, educational and professional requirements and training options. NWDB and NJP has included the Talent Networks in our Board and Committee Meetings, as well as send staff to attend the various Targeted Industry Partnerships (TIP) meetings held throughout the State on each of the seven key employment sectors. The NWDB has also coordinated training opportunities for the Local Area through the Talent Development Centers. They develop training programs and services based upon the information obtained by the Talent Networks. With the alignment of in-demand skills training, educational enhancements and labor market data, the Talent Networks and Talent Development Centers have established a Talent Development System, of which the NWDB and NJP are partners. The NWDB is also a partner with the City of Newark in several employment initiatives. Mayor Ras J. Baraka has enlisted the help of the NWDB and the Newark One-Stop Career Center to assist him in reaching his goal of employing 2,020 Newark Residents in gainful, full-time sustainable employment by the year 2020 with the Newark2020 program. The program objectives are to: Bridge the gap between the unemployed and available jobs in and around Newark Create pathways to living-wage employment Expand employment opportunities for Newark workers Mayor Baraka and his Administration has worked with the NWDB to identify businesses that have committed to providing employment opportunities to Newark Residents for current and future 27

28 projected hiring needs. The NWDB is also working with the City of Newark on My Brother s Keeper Alliance (MBKA). This initiative, created by President Barack Obama, seeks to provide opportunities and resources that help to improve the quality of life for young men of color. The NWDB is partnering with the City of Newark to facilitate an Opportunity Summit that will provide a connection to employers, educational institutions, career mentors, training providers and other social services and resources for young men of color ages in the City of Newark, NJ. Finally, the NWDB will explore the possibility of creating additional resources, including an employer engagement database or content library, to improve internal and external communication and information sharing. (b.) Support a local workforce development system that meets the needs of businesses in the local area. In addition to improving internal communication as discussed in section IV(a.), the NWDB will take steps to increase communication with employers regarding the types of positions available and the skills and qualifications for which they are looking. Improving the dialogue between the NWDB and local employers will enable the workforce system to design programs and make investments around the 28

29 specific needs of the local business community. To meet this need, the NWDB will develop a strategy to reach out directly to businesses to request information on the occupations for which they are hiring and their desired skillsets. Additionally, the NWDB will continue to support employers hiring needs through the NewarkWORKS job matching process, which includes both screening and assessment. The NWDB will strive for continuous improvement in this area to promote the timely referral of job applicants that meet businesses skills specifications. NewarkWORKS will have full service units designed to link employers with a wide range of services, including: hiring, assessing training needs, and improving access to additional resources and services. To further this goal, NewarkWORKS, as of October 1, 2016, has redesigned the job descriptions and objectives of the Job Developer Staff. The updated goal of each Job Developer is to identify prospective businesses for the purpose of expanding the pool of NewarkWORKS Partner Employers. Job Developers must work daily to establish and maintain productive relationships with employers; promote the various benefits of hiring Newark residents to perspective employers, and supply city residents with career opportunities within these companies. By partnering with area employers, NewarkWORKS will create training programs that meet the specific needs of the companies and assist Career Advisors and Counselors in preparing newly hired residents with the skills necessary to succeed in their careers. (c.) Better coordinate workforce development programs and economic development. The NWDB recognizes that one of the primary purposes of WIOA is to better align the workforce system with economic development in an effort to create a collective response to labor market challenges at the local level. In this spirit, the NWDB will continue to pursue opportunities to work in conjunction with local economic development entities and related organizations to promote economic growth and fully utilize the workforce system. As discussed in Section II, a key component of this strategy will be to collaborate with the City of Newark and other local organizations to uphold the Mayor s Blueprint for Economic Development and Job Creation, as well as the more recent Newark Jobs Plan. Specifically, the NWDB will work to strengthen partnerships with the Mayor s Office, the City s Department of Economic and Housing Development, the Newark Community and Economic Development Corporation, the Newark Downtown District, the Adult Education and College Readiness Taskforce, the Department of Health and Wellness, and the Office of Philanthropy. The underlying goal of these partnerships will be to further system alignment and joint problem-solving while promoting use of the City s workforce system as a tool to mitigate skills gaps in the labor force and connect employers with qualified candidates. (d.) Strengthen linkages between the one-stop delivery system and unemployment insurance programs. The NOSCC offers assistance filing for unemployment insurance benefits to all residents of New Jersey, regardless of where they live in the state. Visitors to the NOSCC may file claims online or over the phone. The NOSCC provides customers access to dedicated phone lines equipped to only contact the 29

30 unemployment insurance call centers. The NWDB will continue to seek opportunities to provide these services more efficiently to best serve customers, including reorganizing the lines to access the phones to reduce wait times and optimize the use of space. Some recipients of unemployment insurance benefits are scheduled to attend a group Reemployment Orientation Meeting hosted at the NOSCC. This meeting provides information on the services and training opportunities available to job seekers via the NWDB. Following the orientation, customers meet one-on-one with staff to develop an individual work search plan. The NWDB strives for continuous improvement in each of these processes, and will continue to seek new opportunities to connect Newark s job seekers with all services for which they are eligible, including unemployment insurance and all other services offered at the NOSCC. (e.) Create linkage during program delivery between individual customers and employers. The NWDB will use Labor Market Information to create linkage programs to bridge the skills gap between workers and local employers. Understanding which employment sectors are having a substantial impact in both local and regional areas will provide the NWDB and One-Stop the information needed to focus their business engagement efforts in a manner that is intentional and effective. The focus on in-demand occupations and labor market trends assists in connecting the NWDB to industry specific training programs and grants through the NJ State Department of Labor and Talent Development Centers. It also provides the NWDB and One-Stop the ability to develop On-the-Job Training programs and Apprenticeships with employers that have established career pathways leading to self-sufficiency. These programs will create skill development and employment opportunities for job seekers while providing financial incentives to the business community to encourage the hiring and training of new employees. This approach allows the job seeker to receive work experience and relieves the burden on the employer of costs associated with developing new hires. The NWDB will promote OJT placement provides full-time unsubsidized employment for the job seeker while meeting and exceeding the needs and expectations of the employer. Additionally, the NWDB will develop strategies to make incumbent worker training available to employers who qualify to improve the quality of the workforce and help individuals advance in their careers. Customized training opportunities will be developed in partnership with local businesses in the Newark service delivery area for incumbent worker training. NewarkWORKS will pursue training grants to support the development of a customized training program to serve workers with limited proficiency and other basic needs. By building on the aforementioned NJBUILD Program, the NWDB will continue to promote apprenticeships as a viable option for employers with specific training needs. The NWDB will focus specifically on developing these opportunities in the following growing industries and occupations, for which apprenticeships are appropriate: Community Health Worker, Electrician, Heavy Truck Driver, Carpenter, Plumber Pipe Fitter, Sheet Metal Worker, Construction Craft Laborer, Roofer, Ironworker and 30

31 Painter. The NWDB will collaborate with local union representatives to coordinate these programs for both youth and adults. V. Local Board V. Describe how the local board will drive an effective partnership between workforce development activities and economic development activities in both the local area and the region. This will include a description of how the local board will coordinate local workforce investment activities with regional economic development activities that are carried out in the local area and how the Local WDB will promote entrepreneurial skills training and microenterprise services. The is situated within the City of Newark to amplify the coordination of local workforce activities with the City s economic development activities. The NWDB reports in to the Deputy Mayor for Workforce Development, who also directly oversees NewarkWORKS, the City s Office of Affirmative Action, and all port-related development activities. The Deputy Mayor sits at the nexus of job creation, economic development, and workforce development, and helps ensure NWDB has the support necessary to achieve Mayor s Baraka s Blueprint for Economic Development and Job Creation and Newark Jobs Plan, the goals of which are descripted in Section II of this plan. The NWDB also works closely with the Newark Community and Economic Development Corporation (CEDC), which is the primary economic development catalyst for the city. It is organized to retain, attract and grow businesses, enhance small and minority business capacity, and spur real estate development. As a business development company whose sole client is the City of Newark, Newark CEDC collaborates with the Department of Economic and Housing Development to initiate and execute economic development activities to produce sustained economic growth, generate jobs, and create wealth for the citizens of Newark. The NWDB and CEDC work closely together to ensure their respective workforce development and economic development strategies are both aligned and complementary. Mayor Baraka has led the way in tying the updating of the City s infrastructure to a multi-faceted strategy for Newark s economic growth and the prosperity of its residents. Over the next several years, many projects are planned that will result in employment opportunities and the NWDB will continue to implement strategies to ensure that unemployed and underemployed Newarkers can access them. Job opportunities are tied to the following infrastructure projects: Transportation (the port, as well as repair of the roads, bridges, and rails) Site remediation (Passaic River clean up, as well as remediation of several Brownfields through the City of Newark and at Port Newark) Repairing municipal buildings Technology infrastructure Water infrastructure Arts and culture infrastructure NWDB currently has four flagship programs that directly support this economic development strategy. 31

32 Newark Education and Training Fund: Created with a $200,000 sponsorship from L&M Developers, this fund provides a stipend to Newarkers while studying for their High School Equivalency diploma or in a vocational training program at Essex County College. The goal of this program is to maximize the number of graduates, who can then qualify for the first rung on their career ladders. The Art of the Code: Created in partnership with the City of Newark s Office of Information Technology, CodeCrew, and the New Jersey Institute of Technology, the NWDB piloted a 12-week training program that equips participants with training in front-end web development and job readiness, enabling them to support the City s emerging technology infrastructure. NJ Build: This program provides Newark residents with the necessary skills to qualify for a certified apprenticeship program in the construction trade. Participants receive stipends during the six-week training, and upon completion are placed in jobs with the Carpenters Union, which is working to rehabilitate homes in Newark s West Ward. Partners on this project include Sisters in the Brotherhood (a program under the Northwest Council of Carpenters that focuses on women in non-traditional roles), Laborers Local 55 Carpenters Union, the Urban League of Essex County, and Essex County College. As the demand in the skilled trades increases, this program will become an important pipeline for the talent necessary to fuel economic growth. Newark On-the-Job Training Program: NWDB has partnered with the City of Newark Department of Health and Community Wellness to provide training and jobs specifically as medical assistants and community health workers for Newark residents receiving TANF benefits. This program was seeded with a $200,000 grant from the NJ Department of Labor and Workforce Development. NWDB anticipates expanding this program to other major healthcare providers in the City and region, as well as expanding this model to other high-demand occupational sectors. Further, private sector partners of the Newark Department of Economic and Housing Development, the Newark Community Economic Development Corporation, and Newark s workforce development system will be called upon to hire a percentage of their workforce through the workforce system. In addition, the NWDB is particularly focused on aligning vocational training with in demand occupations that show regional and statewide growth. These include: Transportation, logistics, and distribution Advanced manufacturing Retail, arts and hospitality Healthcare and the life sciences Business and financial services Science, technology, engineering and math careers Construction Finally, the NWDB is dedicating resources to support training for sole proprietorship/independent employment through its competitive procurement of WIOA Title I Adult, Dislocated Worker, and Youth services, as noted in Sections VII, Adult and Dislocated Worker Employment and Training Activities and IX, Youth Activities. 32

33 VI. One-Stop Delivery System VI. Describe the one-stop delivery system in the local area, including (a.) Describe how the local board will ensure the continuous improvement of one-stop operator/providers of services through the system and ensure that such providers meet the employment needs of local employers, and workers, and jobseekers. Include in this description the local board s process for selecting and evaluating providers through solicitations for services, process for utilizing the Eligible Training Provider List (setting of local standards of the Eligible Training Provider List), review of sub-grantee budgets and reports, and a description of the local area s monitoring and compliance unit and their activities. According to the Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act, Section 188 WIOA Nondiscrimination and Equal Opportunity Regulations states that discrimination against individuals (whether it is based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, political affiliation, belief or citizen status) in any program or activity that receives financial assistance under Title I of WIOA as well as by the one-stop partners listed in WIOA Section 121(b) that offer programs or activities through the one-stop/american Job Center system is strictly prohibited. The NWDB engages the internal and external community One-Stop partners, as well as the Board Committees and staff to ensure all customers have proper access to the One-Stop facilities, programs and services. The facility is handicapped accessible and meets the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. There is also staff on site to assist customers for whom English is not their native language. Spanish, Portuguese, Creole, French, as well as several African languages and Caribbean dialects are spoken by staff in order to provide a comprehensive service delivery system. The NWDB provides consistent professional development training on WIOA regulations and provides oversight on implementation through regular One-Stop Partner meetings. Also, through a committed partnership agreement the Essex County One-Stop provides transportation services through its Workforce Accessible Vehicle (W.A.V.E.) and transports customers between the two One-Stop Centers, as well as to various training programs and community agencies. Bus and rail tickets are also available through the One-Stop to make programs and services more accessible to customers. The NWDB has an active One-Stop Committee that is integrated with the Essex County Workforce Development Board, as described in Section II: Workforce Development System Description. This Committee provides oversight and direction in a number of critical areas, including developing Memoranda of Understanding, leveraging resources to meet unmet customer needs, monitoring system performance, and establishing continuous improvement goals. In 2015, the NWDB engaged with Public Consulting Group, Inc. (PCG) to conduct a systems review process leading to a business process review of operations and customer flow. This work was particularly timely, as NWDB s adult-focused one-stop center will be moving before the end of 2016, and this work has helped the NWDB incorporate a more modern, efficient, and customer-friendly layout that also promotes program coordination and collaboration into the design of the new facility. 33

34 From a service design perspective, Newark s one-stop system is evolving to a more common customer approach, focusing on three core functions: Welcome and intake services Career and training services Business services These functions will be fulfilled by functional teams, comprised of staff members with specific management and subject matter expertise organized according to work function, regardless of their agency, program affiliation, or funding source. Figure 1 shows core and supplemental activities designed to optimize the customer s experience for employment and training activities. Figure 1 34

35 In order to ensure the best possible and most diverse array of service options are available to customers, NWDB utilizes best practices in competitive procurement from developing requests for proposal that are in line with funding source goals and the board s strategic priorities through a transparent review process and contracting. The State of New Jersey s Eligible Training Provider List (ETPL) ensures job seeker customers have access to training programs and providers that have met validated standards for performance. Job seekers who require additional skill development in order to qualify for employment, and who meet WIOA Title I eligibility requirements, qualifies for ITAs tuition support for ETPL programs as funding of last resort. As the NWDB works with employers to better understand the credentials they most value (as well as the ones that have little or no bearing on employment outcomes in the City), the board may work with the State to further refine the way in which ETPL programs are utilized by customers, so that all training investments optimize employment prospects for job seekers. System providers are monitored by the NWDB and its operating partner, NewarkWORKS. Program monitoring ensures site compliance, as well as provider compliance with WIOA guidelines and its own program plan. Budget management includes an upfront contractual agreement related to the cost of service, and the use of a fiscal management and vendor payment system overseen by the City of Newark. This is a brief summary of the ways in which the system operates to optimize employment outcomes for both job seekers and employers. All operating procedures for the one-stop delivery system are outlined in NWDB s Standard Operating Procedures Manual, which is currently in the process of being finalized. This SOP manual was created in consultation with the NWDB and its operating partners, and its purpose is to provide instruction and guidelines for standardized, high-quality, and continually improving services. (b.) Describe how the local board will facilitate access to services provided through the onestop delivery system, including in remote areas, through the use of technology and through other means, such as distance learning. EZ Ride: The local board has an advantage as it is in an urban area where its one stop centers are readily accessible by the New Jersey Light Rail and NJ Transit Public Transportation Services. Additionally, the local board is able to utilize the local shuttle program, EZ Ride, through its special WAVE service, which transports low-income residents from the Essex County Department of Economic Development, Training, and Employment to Newark s One-Stop Center. Newark Career Training Center: The Newark Career Training Center (NCTC) will continue to coordinate with private and public sector businesses, including high demand industries, on ways to provide training, job opportunities, internships, and related activities to produce a skilled workforce. In addition, job seekers and employers that require more hands on attention from the Newark Career Training Center will be able to utilize this facility to host positive recruitments, job seekers have 35

36 access to computers to apply for jobs or type resumes. The NCTC will essentially begin e-learning for residents who are entering the workforce. (c.) Describe how entities within the one-stop delivery system, including one-stop operators and the one-stop partners, will comply with section 188 of the Act regarding nondiscrimination, and applicable provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C et seq.) regarding the physical and programmatic accessibility of facilities, programs and services, technology, and materials for individuals with disabilities, including providing staff training and support for addressing the needs of individuals with disabilities. The NWDB and its operational partners are committed to delivering services to all customers, regardless of their age, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, or political affiliation or belief. To this end, all partners in the one-stop system agree to comply with section 188 of the American with Disabilities Act of 1990, and received training on the specifics of the act related to the provision of services and accessibility. NWDB examined the accessibility of its physical locations. Accessibility was viewed from every angle; staff knowledge, technology, signage, marketing materials and access to programs and services. The Committees also seek to educate and inform their members and their organizations on critical disability workforce issues. The relationship between the two State Rehabilitation Councils and the SETC provides the platform where ongoing conversation will continue to ensure that the full array of One Stop services is available to individuals with disabilities. In order to expand the number of jobseekers and students who have access to high quality career guidance and job search assistance, New Jersey is building a new network of One Stop Career Centers, community colleges, libraries, community based organizations and faith based organizations, organized labor and educational institutions. The Newark One-Stop Career Center (NOSCC) offers services for WIOA customers and priority populations listed in the Unified State Plan. The NOSCC has WIOA funded counselors who serves Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Adult, Dislocated Workers and Youth customers. Foreign language resources are available to everyone who visit the NOSCC. We have multiple bi-lingual staff, as well as literature and forms available to accommodate residents in our community. Customers are also able to use the Language Line, or use the online service Google Translate within our offices in order for services to be rendered as effectively and efficiently as possible. A. Continuous Improvement of Services The NWDB s main purpose is to plan and oversee the Newark One-Stop Career Center (NOSCC). The One-Stop system is a collaboration of partners whose goal is to provide workforce development, education and social services in a unified, seamless manner to residents and businesses of Newark. The local board ensures the providers of services through the system meet the employment needs of employers, workers and job seekers and undergo a process of continuous improvement. This is accomplished through the work of the NWDB committees making policy recommendations to the entire board. The policy recommendations and oversight of the One-Stop System are carried out by the Director of the NWDB. The NWDB Director provides oversight of the One-Stop Operator, who directs program operations and staffing for Title I, II, IV, Learning Links and WFNJ employment and training activities. Included in operations is the selection of training and service providers through the 36

37 procurement process and utilization of eligible training providers. Monitoring and compliance is also a program operation responsibility of the One-Stop Operator and is performed through the use of an inhouse monitoring system which provides monthly monitoring and compliance reports. The NWDB Director and the One-Stop Operator ensures accountability and continuous improvement of One-Stop operations and performance of services by providers. B. Access to Services The NWDB facilitates access to services provided through the one-stop delivery system based on the oversight of location of services, availability of transportation and the utilization of distance learning. NWDB examines the accessibility of its physical locations. Not limited to physical accommodations, but accessibility looks at staff knowledge, technology, signage, marketing materials and access to programs and services. The committees also seek to educate and inform their members and their organizations on critical disability workforce issues. The relationship between the two State Rehabilitation Councils and the SETC provides the platform where ongoing conversation will continue to ensure that the full array of One Stop services is to individuals with disabilities. C. Disability Services The local board ensures its NOSCC is fully accessible and offers the necessary accommodations to provide job seekers with disabilities effective and meaningful participation in all job seeker services. Several steps have been taken to guarantee the Career Center design is useful and marketable to people with diverse disabilities. For example, most printed material and presentations request customers to inform staff if assistance is required, both in the form of onsite accommodation and transportation needs. Resource rooms are equipped with furniture to accommodate wheelchairs, computers that read text aloud, and audio for the hearing-impaired. In addition, a One-Stop Physical Accessibility Checklist for all facilities and services is conducted by the One-Stop Operator and One-Stop Manager or by the landlord every 3-4 years. An accessibility checklist was last completed in D. Service Delivery The NOSCC One-Stop is composed of both state and locally funded staff to deliver WIOA Title I, III, IV, WFNJ, and Workforce Learning Links services. Customers entering the NOSCC are served through the State triage model which emphasizes identification of customer characteristics that result in referrals to appropriate state and local staff and services. The goal is for staff to identify and recognize customers from various target groups so they can effectively develop service strategies and interventions most appropriate for each customer. A description of this model can be found in the NJ Combined State Plan for the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. E. One-Stop Partners The purpose of the NWDB Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is to establish the respective roles, responsibilities, financial and institutional commitment of each entity in the development and operation of a One-Stop workforce service delivery system pursuant to the provisions of Section 121 of Title I of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) of Partners provide the following services: career services, training services, work activities (Work First NJ), and business services, as identified in the MOU. All Partners agree to provide, to every extent feasible, career services at their respective sites. Ideally a customer should access orientation, intake, eligibility for services and other activities offered at the NOSCC as described in Sec. 134 (d) 2 of the WIOA. The MOU includes a commitment by the Newark One-Stop Partners to jointly and mutually implement processes for referral of customers to the NOSCC. NOSCC referral methods primarily include: NJ LWD website, Career Connections, county level Human Services websites, Partner specific websites, and verbal referrals to/from One-Stop Partners. 37

38 F. Partnership with public libraries: Newark WDB works closely with their libraries. Every year, the WDB sends to the librarians a request for workshops they would like offered that the region s system can offer. The WDB provides a menu of available trainings from which they can choose, as well as works to develop additional ones that are desired. This helps drive services outside the One-Stop to other community locations where workers, particularly unemployed workers frequent and has begun to serve as a solid outreach method as well as a value to the communities. WIOA TITLE I - ADULT, DISLOCATED WORKER AND YOUTH Title I sets performance standards and eligibility criteria for a broad array of training services for Youth, Adults, and Dislocated Workers. It encompasses numerous programs including: Job Corps, Veterans Workforce Investment programs, Youth Opportunity grants, technical assistance efforts to State and local areas, program evaluations, and National Emergency grants. Wagner Peyser funds cover the majority of costs for providing employment and training services to jobseekers in New Jersey. The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) extends Youth services to age 24 and shifts the emphasis from In School to Out of School young adults. The NWDB/NewarkWORKS has been met with challenges when it comes to transitioning to recruiting the out-of-school youth population; better communication with NJ Department of Education and the local high schools to be informed of their high school drop outs would be useful information to obtain but not necessarily the easiest to retrieve. Newark is currently only serving a small portion of their out of school population. We are accessing and tapping into other resources as to how we can reach out to the out-of-school population to serve them more effectively. Common characteristics of disadvantaged youth (single or no parent families, multiple residence changes, low literacy, low awareness of and/or low regard for basic documents and limited capacity for obtaining them) often prevent youth from providing eligibility documentation. Legislative relief from youth eligibility requirements, similar to waiving income requirements for WIOA Adult customers, appears to be the most comprehensive and effective strategy for addressing this challenge. Newark has a sufficient number of organizations that can meet Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) requirements for Adult and Dislocated Worker programs. The area is the location of a community college, several public vocational and technical schools, and numerous public and private academic institutions and proprietary schools. The workforce staff regularly partner and meet with these organizations to discuss workforce and educational trends. NewarkWORKS is committed to entering into training agreements with those organizations offering in-demand industry valued credentials for customers. Those training providers are encouraged to list in-demand industry-valued credentials on the NJ Eligible Training Provider List. Individual Training Accounts (ITAs) are awarded based on the expected earnings and industry relevance of training. These training partners assist the NWDB in consistently exceeding WIOA Adult and Dislocated Worker metrics. TITLE II - ADULT EDUCATION / LITERACY Title II programs help adults age 16 or older to reach higher levels of literacy in order to obtain and retain employment, enter postsecondary education or occupational training, and attain a high school diploma or its equivalency. Adult education is provided to help adults increase their educational attainment levels while preparing them for successfully entering the workforce. WIOA defines English Language Acquisition (ELA) as programs to help English language learners to improve reading, writing, 38

39 and speaking skills. Adults participating in these programs are given the skills needed to obtain a high school diploma (or equivalent) and transition to postsecondary education and training or employment. The state s second largest literacy enrollment is in Adult Basic Education (ABE), a refresher program in reading and writing for students whose test scores are too low to gain entrance to postsecondary training or education courses. The workforce staff work closely with Title II awardees such as the vocational and technical schools in the local area, and refer customers to Title II funded programs. The NewarkWORKS staff is working with Title II providers to address the limited number of programs and hours in our area. In addition, staff can provide a Learning Link literacy program not funded by WIOA. TITLE III - WAGNER-PEYSER EMPLOYMENT SERVICE PROGRAM The One-Stop delivery system provides labor exchange services for workers, job seekers and businesses. Services include: job search assistance, job referral, and placement assistance for job seekers; re-employment services for the unemployed; and recruitment services for employers with job openings Services are delivered in one of three modes, including self-service, facilitated self-help services and staff assisted service delivery approaches. Additional services are available, such as: job seeker assessments of skill levels abilities and aptitudes career guidance when appropriate job search workshops referrals for trainings The services offered to employers, in addition to referral of job seekers to available job openings, include: assistance in development of job order requirements; matching job seeker experience with job requirements, skills and other attributes; assisting employers with special recruitment needs; arranging for Positive Recruitments and Job Fairs; assisting employers with hard-to-fill job orders; assisting with job restructuring; and helping employers deal with layoffs through Rapid Response Job seekers who are Veterans receive priority referral to jobs and training as well as special employment services and assistance. In addition, the system provides specialized attention and service to individuals with disabilities, migrant and seasonal farm-workers, ex-offenders, youth, minorities and older workers. According to the 2016 NJ Combined State Plan for the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, in 2015 New Jersey s Employment Service reached 196,000 customers. A challenge in the local area is that the Employment Service customers are older (the average is years of age) and often have difficulty securing employment due to age discrimination. The local workforce system strength is the ability to help the older jobseekers identify new career paths, change industries, and obtain new skills. 39

40 The racial/ethnic profile of Employment Service customers is changing in the local region. The local workforce system is adapting to meet the needs of the diverse population by addressing language and cultural barriers to employment. The use of soft skills curriculum available through Employment and Training Services helps customers to communicate and interact with employers and co-workers more effectively. TITLE IV - VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION Title IV helps customers with disabilities to access state and local workforce development systems, and return to the workforce. Individuals with disabilities are served by New Jersey s Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services (DVRS) under Title IV. The workforce system is providing an integrative approach through Employment Services to provide the disabled customers employment training opportunities to meet the skill levels required for many occupations. CARL T. PERKINS CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION ACT The Carl T. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act: provides an increased focus on the academic achievement of career and technical education students, strengthens the connections between secondary and postsecondary education, and improves state and local accountability The NWDB and the Newark Municipal Council reviews and approves the funding requests to ensure a diversity of in-demand, industry valued career and technical programs. Programs are reviewed by the WDB for their integration with secondary and postsecondary education and to identify duplication of programs. Some Perkins-funded entities are WIOA training providers that provide individual training grants to support customer enrollment in industry-valued career and technical programs. These training partners assist the WDB in consistently exceeding WIOA metrics. UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE Unemployment Insurance is temporary income for eligible workers who have lost employment through no fault of their own. To qualify, workers must have earned enough wages in covered employment. Eligible individuals must actively look for work during the time benefits are claimed. These individuals are supported by the workforce system and receive employment search and training benefits, if eligible. Individuals receiving unemployment are required to report to the local One-Stop Career Centers and are provided with initial counseling. A weakness in the workforce system is the inability to remain connected to individuals who are long-term unemployed. Once benefits end, the individuals no longer take advantage of workforce system services. Work First New Jersey (WFNJ) Temporary Aid for Needy Families (TANF) Supplemental Nutrition Program (SNAP) General Assistance (GA) The state's welfare reform program, WorkFirst NJ (WFNJ), is designed to help people get off welfare, secure employment and become self-sufficient through job training, education and work activities. WFNJ provides temporary cash assistance and many other support services to families through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. New Jersey is one of only a few states that also provide cash benefits and support services to individuals and couples without any dependent children through our General Assistance (GA) program. Services under WFNJ are limited to five years. After that, clients may be eligible for additional supportive assistance. The program is under the supervision of the NJ Division of Family Development (DFD) and county welfare agencies administer the 40

41 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), TANF and GA programs. WFNJ, TANF and GA customers are integrated into One-Stop activities with special attention to their unique re-entry needs. Our WIOA counselors have a strong working relationship with several social service agencies in our local area and the ability to engage customers. Challenges include determining employability and the cumbersome process of being approved for Social Security Disability Insurance. These issues often result in individuals being required to work while being a WIOA customer as well, but unable to secure employment. One weakness of the program is the time period for benefit eligibility, which is a disincentive for customers to secure employment. An additional weakness of the program is the inability for Case Managers to access NJ Division of Family Development database systems such as FAMIS for client information. Case Managers are dependent on Social Services staff to provide detail, which is not always timely or efficient. NEW JERSEY WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM (WDPP) WDPP funds, when available and released earlier in the program year, are utilized for unemployed adults. Funds have been used to supplement Adult and Dislocated Worker funding. The utilization of these funds is less restrictive than WIOA funds, but the weakness of the program is that funds are awarded late in the program year and cannot be expended in time to complete training and achieve performance metrics. EX OFFENDER PROGRAMS Ex-offenders are mainstreamed into local One-Stop activities with special attention to their unique reentry needs. The strength of the program is that each One-Stop has a point of contact who introduces the customer to state programs and the federal bonding program. Jobs for Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers Program are not offered in the area. Additionally, as outlined in Section II: Workforce System Description, NWDB has partnered with the Essex County Workforce Development Board to ensure individuals with disabilities have universal access and integrated services. The Disability Issues Committee is particularly focused on building staff capacity and resources to serve individuals with disabilities, creating more employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities, and ensuring that such individuals, as well as all staff located in the One-Stop, are fully aware of all the resources and services available to them. (d.) Describe the flow of services delivered at the One-Stop centers, including a discussion of the utilization of state and local staff for each area, in compliance with federal and state law. A diagram of customer flow and services provision may be provided as an appendix to the plan, as appropriate. The flow of services at Newark s One-Stop centers revolves around their customer-centric Integrative Service Model (ISD). The ISD involves a first visit, standardized initial skills assessment, easy access to a wide range of skill development service, and the opportunity to improve employment opportunities through skill upgrading, skill validation, and credentialing. All incoming individuals should have their needs identified, skills assessed, and are referred to the proper service area by functional and formal supervision. 41

42 As outlined in Part (a) above, services are grouped into three core functions: Welcome and Intake Services, Skills Development, and Business Services. These are described below. Welcome and Intake Services: Helping new and returning customers know their skills, career opportunities, and the service offerings available in the product box. The primary purpose of Welcome and Intake Services is to act as an information and referral source for new and returning customers. Members of the Welcome and Intake team serve as an initial point of contact as customers enter the one-stop system. Their role is to greet customers, conduct a quick, basic oral assessment (triage), collect initial registration data and connect the individual to another functional team or outside resource based upon the customer s need. Team members provide a common customer service focused message that includes: introduction to workforce options, jobseeker and business services information, answering the phone, completing research on the internet, faxing, and other means for distribution of general information. Key Functions for welcome and intake services include: I Function Greeting Description Welcome new and returning customers with greeting, and immediately determine their reason for visiting Provide general information to customers upon arrival II Triage Quickly assess and triage customer needs III V VI VII Security Intake Forms Early Recommendations Eligibility Request and review customer identification (e.g. driver s licenses) upon entry Provide safety and security monitoring services throughout the center Collect all necessary documentation from customers upon arrival Provide intake forms for new customers to complete Process forms and send them to the appropriate department Recommend product box offerings based on need, situation, and level of engagement Navigate customers to self-directed services (computer resources, UI phones, etc.) Refer customer to appropriate services Determine program enrollment eligibility and conduct program registration (UI, WIOA, TANF, etc.) VIII Partner Referrals Provide referrals to partners co-located in the one-stop system IX Follow Up Services Provide follow up services to returning customers 42

43 Best Practices for this function include: Streamline application and eligibility process Appropriate referral to external service providers Understanding who you are not best positioned to serve Hybrid orientation model Concise what to bring list Quick front end assessments Skills Development: Focus on skills development with the ultimate outcome of employment. The Skills Development Team is usually comprised of staff that operates in the traditional roles identified by titles such as Case Managers, Career Advisors, Job Developers and Workshop leaders. Career information dissemination and exploration takes place in this area and employment preparation options are provided to customers. Access is provided to any skills related services necessary. These team members also work with customers to develop a strategic individualized employment plan. Focus is on job identification and securing employment and provision of customized job search guidance and support. Customers are directly connected to employers and are provided job readiness services and job leads and referrals directly from the state data system. Career and training services are delivered after WIOA program eligibility and enrollment has been completed. Customers are provided the opportunity to brush up on their skills through additional training or to participate in job related work experience training through Individual Training Accounts, On the Job Training, Customized Training, or through Apprenticeships. All customers are provided the opportunity to improve their skills in order to obtain the best possible job. Key Functions for skill development include: Function Description I Client Orientation Video, classroom, or one-on-one introduction to One-Stop services II Career Services Career Planning Individual career counseling Assessments and pre-employment testing/remediation Identification of barriers to employment Individual Employment Plan (IEP) to establish appropriate career goals, objectives, skill development and employment seeking activities Job Readiness Basic skills and skill brush-up Workshops (resume writing, interview preparation, etc.) Computer and internet skills Customer service skills 43

44 Soft skills III IV V Training Partner Referrals Follow Up Services Job Placement Job search activities Job identification Job matching/labor exchange Recruitment and referral activities (job fairs, hiring events) Career pathway programs Occupational skills training and credentialing Skill-based work experience Job and/or industry-specific skills training Apprenticeships, On-the-Job training (OJT), and Customized Training Entrepreneurial training Vocational Rehabilitation Adult Education Job training/ojt GED preparation, ESL classes, basic skills training Supportive services Monthly/quarterly communication with customers Reengagement to One-Stop services Career counseling Product box activities (continue to promote and schedule additional services from the Product Box until employment goal is met) Job search activities Best Practices for this function include: Standardize common case notating Streamlining IEP process Job ready checklist Constant client engagement always schedule the next step Weekly hot jobs huddles Intelligence and analytics Pre-package and standardize referrals into training Consider group services vs. one-to-one Full understanding of product box Validate job-ready checklist Positive recruitment in and outside of the center Business Services: Provide a broader strategy to meet the business talent and human capital needs of the region. 44

45 The role of the Business Services Team, also referred to as the Recruitment and Placement Team, is to provide services to job ready customers and to employers that are hiring. Although this team may work with job seekers, their primary customer is the business customer. The business community is a critical and necessary part of the work of the NOSCC system. Business Services team members provide services to the business community through the assessment of employer or business needs. This strategy, combined with data analytics, should inform product box development within the NOSCC model. This function utilizes information obtained to develop strategies and activities that focus on providing workforce solutions that meet the current and future needs of the business community. Key Functions for business development include: Function Description I Business Analysis and Planning Layoff aversion Outplacement services Business analytics Labor market services Assist businesses in planning workforce solutions that meet and anticipate economic needs along identified targeted industry sectors II Outreach and External Recruitment Develop outreach initiatives that build cooperation and effective leveraging of resources Create marketing materials and strategies to engage new employers III Job Fairs and Onsite Recruitments Plan and facilitate onsite recruitment activities, serving as the liaison between employers and jobseekers IV Partner Referrals and Relationship Management Actively engage in local and regional workforce partnerships with collaborative efforts to identify, address, and resolve workforce needs of employers Provide strategies that enable businesses to remain competitive and keep pace with ongoing challenges Best Practices for this function include: Focus on building partnerships with employers in high-growth industries Develop relationship-based connections with employers 45

46 (e.) Describe the roles and resource contributions of the one-stop partners. This should include a description of the local Workforce Development Board s Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) agreements with the local one-stop partners and resource sharing agreements. Also include a description of the steps taken, and any agreements reached with partners, regarding One-Stop infrastructure costs and shared costs. These local MOUs and agreements should be included as attachments. Parties to the Newark One-Stop Career Center Memorandum of Understanding, executed in March 2016, are the: NWDB, which provides governance functions that promote a progressive and innovative workforce development system that effectively leverages community assets to ensure the success of Newark businesses and residents. NewarkWORKS, the City s workforce operations arm and current operator, which provides resources for training (procured through the NWDB), referral services, and supportive services consistent with the service strategy described in (d) above. New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development Division of Employment services, which promotes employment and economic stability in Newark by providing high-quality human resource consultations and services that empower employers and job seekers to make informed decisions regarding employment and training choices. These services are delivered to customers consistent with the strategy described in (d) above. New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services, which provides services to that include vocational counseling, training for eligible individuals, and adaptive devices as appropriate to enable eligible individuals with disabilities to achieve an employment outcome consistent with their strengths, priorities, needs, and abilities. These services are delivered to customers consistent with the strategy described in (d) above. New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development Division of Unemployment Insurance, which provides a range of support services to UI claimants consistent with the service strategy described in (d) above. NWDB is in the process of renegotiating the one-stop cost allocation plan. However, as per the MOU: Each partner takes full responsibility for their respective costs for services performed under the MOU. Partners are encouraged to enter into additional resource sharing agreements to enhance services to customers; such agreements are considered part of the MOU. Partners have taken on the responsibility for identifying opportunities to leverage additional resources either from their own portfolio, or between/among each other to enhance service offering. The MOU is attached: see Appendix A. 46

47 VII. Adult and Dislocated Worker Employment and Training Activities VII. Describe and assess the type and availability of adult and dislocated worker employment and training activities in the local area. Include a description of how your education and occupational training programs will include employability skills training content (soft skills) that prepares workers for a range of workplace activities and behaviors and a range of skills that are required to succeed in today s workforce. Newark s workforce system offers employment and training services to support job seekers through all phases of employment/reemployment. These services include: Onsite resources at the one-stop centers: a career resource room; personal computers; internet access; office equipment (copiers, fax machines, and telephones); business resource centers and private interview rooms. Onsite training and support: individualized career assistance and counseling; referral to job/career training, GED/ESL programs, and partners; labor market information; and tuition assistance and direct program placement. Vocational training, leading to industry-valued credentials; where appropriate, these programs are blended with soft skill training to fully prepare trainees for success in the workplace. Training for Sole Proprietorship/Independent Employment: supporting the new economy, this strand of training and related support services (e.g. business documentation and certifications) is for business start-ups, where the client is self-employed or where they can, as an independent contractor, secure freelance or sub-contracted work. Additionally, the following programs are also available to individuals receiving public cash assistance or food stamps: The Job Search/Job Readiness Assessment, a 4-week program designed to help individuals acquire basic job search techniques, as well as gain sufficient knowledge and skills to navigate today s labor market from their first job to a better job and, ultimately, a career. About 20 percent of participants in this program enter directly into employment; the balance receives a job readiness assessment that provides the foundation for matching them with a more occupationally-oriented training program and/or other appropriate services. The Alternative Work Experience Program is a combination of unpaid work experience and remedial education designed to equip participants to enter and succeed in a vocational training program or work-based learning environment leading to an entry-level position. VIII. Statewide Rapid Response Activities VIII. Describe how the local board will coordinate workforce development activities carried out in the local area with statewide rapid response activities, as described in section 134(a)(2)(A) of the Act. 47

48 The NWDB will continue to collaborate and coordinate with the State of New Jersey to respond to disasters, mass layoffs, plant closings, and other events that adversely impact workers. As the NWDB enhances its partnerships in both the public and private sectors as described in this plan, and develops a deeper well of data regarding transferrable skills across occupations, we anticipate Newark will be positioned even better than it currently is to support the state in layoff aversion and reemployment activities. IX. Youth Activities (a.) Describe and assess the type and availability of youth workforce development activities in the local area, including activities for youth who are individuals with disabilities, which description and assessment shall include an identification of successful models of such youth workforce development activities. Local Areas should use their WIA to WIOA Youth Transition Plans as the baseline for this section and may add additional activities and plans if developed since those Plans were submitted. Youth services and programs are fully integrated in our One-Stop. In addition, the Newark Youth One- Stop Service Center (NYOSCC) has full-time youth counselors who specialize in recruitment, counseling and retention of Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Youth customers. Most out-of-school youth customers are referred to the One-Stop by our Program Monitors being in the field conducting outreach in the community, through other social service agencies or by youth training providers. The recruitment strategy includes recruiting eligible youth through maintaining relationships with a large number of organizations that offer services to youth in the Newark area. They include social service agencies, such as the Youth Corps. Many of our connections are fostered and maintained through attendance and participation in periodic meetings, and career industry and job fairs that create referral, contact and information sharing. The goal is to highlight available services for disconnected youth in the Newark workforce area. Youth who wish to enroll in WIOA youth programs are referred to the dedicated youth counselors for eligibility determination, counseling and enrollment. Youth who decline program enrollment are offered employability counseling and referral to social services. Most importantly, in regard to program integration, WIOA Counselors actively promote work experience opportunities offered by training providers and On-the-Job Training (OJT) for year old youth. OJT is offered to every youth as an alternative to full-time youth programs. Apprenticeship opportunities are offered as well. In early 2014, the NYOSCC introduced the 12+1 program for Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act youth. The program is based on statistics showing that one year of post-secondary education or skills training have a significant positive effect on lifetime earnings and career mobility. NYOSCC deploys a counselor in each ward of the City to recruit youth program participants for an additional year of 48

49 education/training once they have received their High School Equivalency diploma. The counselor will facilitate entry into post-secondary training through guidance on appropriate courses and arranging support services to maximize the opportunity for successful completion. The NWDB and NYOSCC have increased use of social media to engage and recruit area youth. The NWDB is developing additional social media strategies to inform youth of labor market information and career planning tools to augment their youth program experience. NWDB strives to provide every youth served with a unique, personalized Individual Service Strategy (ISS) that shows them the path to their chosen job or career, and is instrumental in helping them understand how shorter-term decisions such as completing school or training impact achievement of their aspirations. Youth counselors work with the young people on the development of the ISS and, where appropriate, high school guidance counselors are part of this process. In the case of youth with disabilities, their Individualized Education Program (IEP) is embedded in the broader ISS. The NewarkWORKS Youth One-Stop has on-site rehabilitation counselors to ensure resources are in place to support the ISS for youth with disabilities. NWDB also actively engages with NJ Department of Children and Families, Child Protection and Permanency to ensure youth aging out of foster care have full access to the services they require to successfully transition to adulthood, including GED/high school completion support and employment and/or vocational skills training. NWDB has implemented a six-week work readiness program to prepare young people for success on the job. Program components include customer service, office etiquette, resume building, interview skills, and job search and culminate with real-world interviews that, ideally, lead directly to employment. For individuals who are not hired in that interview process, NewarkWORKS provides ongoing placement support. As NWDB moves forward on WIOA implementation, several additional learning and career/career development options will become available for to the City s young people. These include stronger connections to Career and Technical Education programs, articulated career pathways, access to additional employer-valued credentials, and entry into registered apprenticeship programs. (b.) Describe how your area will satisfy the requirement for 75% of WIOA Title I Youth funds to be used for Out of School Youth, and 20% of total youth funds to be used for work experience activities. NWDB has already made the transition to investing 75 percent of its WIOA Title I Youth funds to serve Out-of-School Youth, and 20 percent of its total youth funds into work experience activities. To ensure NWDB meets the 75%/20% requirements in any given year, the Board reviews actual versus budgeted expenditures in this area quarterly, and make any necessary adjustments to service levels. NWBD has developed close partnerships with systems that serve disconnected youth such as welfare, foster care, and the juvenile and criminal justice systems for the purpose of recruiting program 49

50 participants and insuring alignment of public funding in supporting these young people in making a successful transition to adulthood. Out of School Youth also are recruited through general outreach to community-based partners, such as child welfare agencies, social service organizations, group homes, basic education programs, and the probation and parole departments. As per the NWDB funding solicitation, 20% of all WIOA funds at a minimum will be allocated to paid and/or unpaid work experiences. (c.) Describe the design framework for youth programs in the local area, and how the 14 program elements required in are to be made available within that framework. NWDB competitively procures all youth program services. Specifically, youth program monitors provide: Externships Apprenticeships and On-the-Job Training Opportunities Job readiness training Vocational training Innovative blended program design, encompassing a combination of training and employment services Career pathway programs Training for independent employment, consistent with the Newark Jobs Plan to support new business start-up and growth. While WIOA supports educational attainment for out-of-school youth, NWDB favors programs that immediately engage this population in work-based learning or education related to immediate employment. The NWDB will continue its practice of competitively procuring all 14 required elements to ensure they are available to all youth. The 2016 procurement for services explicitly outlines the following program elements: Training and similar services, including dropout prevention strategies, leading to a high school diploma. Alternative education services with a priority on exposing youth to technology and nontraditional jobs. Summer employment linked to academic and occupational learning. Paid and unpaid work experience. Occupational skills training. Leadership development, including community service and peer-centered activities encouraging responsibility and other positive social behaviors. Supportive services. Comprehensive guidance and counseling, including drug and alcohol abuse counseling. Adult mentoring during program participation. 50

51 Dropout recovery services and strategies. Financial literacy education. Entrepreneurial skills training. Postsecondary preparation and transitional activities. Integrated education and training for a specific occupation or cluster. Services that provide labor market information about in-demand industry sectors and occupations. The delivery of specific elements will be determined by the ISS, as well as any additional assessments administered by the youth provider(s). The Youth Investment Council will look for opportunities to leverage some program elements such as mentoring, leadership development, and alternative secondary school services from other partners/funding streams to maximize the number of youth served. Youth services at and through Newark s Youth One-Stop Center. (d.) Clarify how and if the area will be securing any youth program elements without the procurement of programs and services. NWDP will competitively procure all youth program elements. X. Coordination of Secondary and Post-Secondary Education X. Describe how the local board will coordinate education and workforce development activities carried out in the local area with relevant secondary and postsecondary education programs and activities to coordinate strategies, enhance services, and avoid duplication of services. As noted throughout this plan, the NWDB recognizes that enhanced coordination between and among partners is essential to Newark s economic growth and the prosperity of its residents. Several programs that involve secondary and post-secondary education institutions such as those described in Section 5: Local Board represent new models for collaboration that are either currently being piloted/tested or scaled. The NWDB membership includes senior officials from Newark Public Schools, Rutgers-Newark, Essex County College, Thomas Edison State College, and Eastwick College. These members are actively engaged in the work of the Business and Economic Development Joint Committee, which is charged to design and execute a business-centric process to recruit, service, educate, and engage local employers and organized labor to support hiring needs and identify training and education requirements to close skills gaps. In addition, Newark Public Schools is engaged with the Education & Literacy Joint Committee, which is chartered to provide adult learners with the skills in reading, writing, math, and basic computing to support skill development and credential attainment while providing a continuum of 51

52 instructional services for basic adult and ESL learners to facilitate the transition to post-secondary education and work readiness. At the service level, the NWDB s integrated service delivery (ISD) approach is also helping to coordinate resources around the customer. The Board is actively looking at how this approach is enhancing partnerships in support of customers, and through its committees will recommend additional work in this area if necessary. Moving forward, NWDB is exploring ways to leverage the engagement of its representatives from education to facilitate stronger alignment with Carl T. Perkins programs as well as broader partnerships with educational institutions at both the service and strategic levels. XI. Supportive Services XI. Describe how the local board will coordinate workforce development activities carried out under this title in the local area with the provision of transportation, including public transportation, and other appropriate supportive services such as; child care and public housing. NWDB ensures the provision of supportive services to customers consistent with state and federal guidelines. Transportation: NewarkWORKS provides individual bus tickets to clients requiring transportation to attend training or job interviews. Once individuals are placed into employment, they are eligible for a one-time free month bus or train pass. Based on income, they are assessed for eligibility for either free or reduced costs bus or train pass for up to an additional six months through New Jersey Transit. Also, TANF clients are eligible to receive additional six-months of transportation services once they provide proof of employment. Childcare: Customers are screened for eligibility for TANF-funded supportive services. These services include transitional child care, as well as extended benefits for 24 months after leaving welfare. Housing: NWDB coordinates with the Newark Emergency Services for Families (NESF) group, which provides supportive housing services through rental assistance programs, security deposit assistance, and utility assistance. Additionally, as detailed in Section II: Workforce Development System Description, NWDB through its Disabilities Issues Committee has taken steps to ensure individuals with disabilities have full knowledge of and access to the supportive services available to them. XII. Wagner-Peyser Employment Services: Maximizing Coordination 52

53 XII. Describe plans and strategies for, and assurances concerning, maximizing coordination of services provided by the State employment service under the Wagner Peyser Act (29 U.S.C. 49 et seq.) and services provided in the local area through the one stop delivery system, to improve service delivery and avoid duplication of services. Wagner-Peyser Employment Services, delivered by the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development Division of Employment Services, is a core partner in the Newark one-stop system. The NWDB s integrated service delivery (ISD) model, outlined in Section III: Board Activities, and the delivery strategies outlined in Section VI: One-Stop Delivery System have been designed to maximize coordination, improve service outcomes, and eliminate duplicative services among system partners. XIII. Title II: Adult Education (Literacy, ESL, ABE, Civics) XIII. Describe how the local board will coordinate workforce development activities carried out under this title in the local area with the provision of adult education and literacy activities under Title II in the local area, including a description of how the local board will carry out, consistent with subparagraphs (A) and (B)(i) of section 107(d)(11) and section 232, the review of local applications submitted under Title II. (a.) This section must include a description of how the local area will effectively refer One Stop clients to WIOA Title II programs and how Title II program recipients will access One Stop Career Center services. Include information about existing and planned efforts for colocation and co enrollment of Title II activities within the one-stops system. The NWDB recognizes that literacy is an essential skill both for employment purposes and for navigating the complexities of adulthood. As such, the NWDB eagerly awaits guidance from the State regarding the application of Title II. Until this guidance is released, the NWDB will continue to research and develop strategies for delivering adult education and literacy services as specified under WIOA. The primary goal of the Joint One-Stop Committee and the Education and Literacy Committee is to ensure that various funded programs (WIOA Title I, Title II, and Title IV) work cooperatively and interdependently to achieve the common purpose of providing educational and employment opportunities for adults at all levels. To achieve this goal, the NWDB will pursue numerous objectives, including the alignment of service delivery with federal and State plans and guidance. (b.) Describe all literacy services including those provided through the Workforce Learning Link, WFNJ and any other WIOA program and services. The NWDB provides literacy services through the Workforce Learning Link located at NewarkWORKS, the operational arm of the City s one-stop career center. The Workforce Learning Link (WLL) is an initiative in partnership with the NJ Department of Labor & Workforce Development to help job seekers 53

54 with instruction in reading, writing and math, communication, financial literacy, job search, employability and life-skills. Using the computer, the Workforce Learning Link provides interactive training services that allow participants to learn at their own pace. To participate, customers must register with NewarkWORKS to take part in reemployment programs and mandatory programs. They also are required to attend an orientation to understand the full range of services available to support their employment and career aspirations. Registered participants must attend a mandatory 15 hours per week workshop. The workshops are Monday through Friday, with the exception of holidays. To ensure that all literacy programs result in high quality outcomes, New Jersey has adopted the College and Career Readiness Standards for Adult Education, developed by USDOL OCTAE (Office of Career, Technical and Adult Education) in The College and Career Readiness Standards for Adult Education are aligned to the needs of employers and the post secondary community. The College and Career Readiness Standards for Adult Literacy not only meet the requirements of WIOA, the standards measure proficiencies up to a 12th grade level and beyond. Title II programs in the Newark area are coordinated through Essex County College. All applications requesting Title II funding are reviewed by the NWDB Board of Directors and our joint Literacy Committee with the Essex County Workforce Development Board who is responsible for assessing, recommending, ensuring implementation of and monitoring the committee s strategic plan and services relate to the development of a literate workforce. WIOA mandates the NWDB to oversee planning of Title II services in order to align with local literacy needs and ensure efficient use of resources and lack of duplication between WIOA funded literacy activities. Representatives of our local literacy providers are members of our joint Essex County Workforce Development Board and NWDB Literacy Committee. The organizations represented include New Community Corporations, La Casa De Don Pedro, Essex County College, Jewish Vocational Services, and DVRS. The purpose of the committee is for all the literacy providers to meet every other month to discuss local literacy programs, the educational levels served, and to coordinate the delivery of services. These activities support continued communication and the continued availability of all literacy educational levels. English Language Acquisition (ELA), Adult Basic Education (ABE) and Adult Secondary Education (ASE) programs are available in both Newark and Essex County. The management of services and referral is fluid and based on the needs identified by the Joint Newark and Essex County WDB Literacy Committee. Adult education and literacy services needs are determined at the One-Stop. Upon testing for adult basic education (TABE), customers requiring adult basic education remediation, ESL and/or computer basics training are referred to Title II providers. For Newark residents, some Title II services are provided through the Newark Workforce Learning Link (WLL), specifically, ESL for those not prepared for WIOA-funded training. Overflow from the WLL are referred to another vendor (specifically, Essex County College) for services with confirmation the customer is a Newark One-Stop Career Center referral. The referral form process is also utilized for Newark customers. ECC acknowledges receipt of the referral. At the conclusion of remedial training, those passing the required literacy testing are then referred back to the One-Stop for further occupational/vocational training or employment services. A. Literacy Services 54

55 The NOSCC currently provides on-site job seeker services, including counseling for training. Literacy services are provided at the NOSCC. The Workforce Learning Link is located inside the NOSSC, and the offices provide basic computer instruction. All ABE and ESL classes are directed to Essex County College or La Casa de Don Pedro. WorkFirst NJ clients are referred to Work Readiness Programs, and are then referred to Essex County Department of Training and Employment for literacy referrals. B. Literacy Referral Process After completion of their Work Readiness activity, customers are referred to Title I training (those meeting eligibility) or Title II training by their WIOA counselors. In Newark, classes are held three times per week in a designated WLL room. There are both morning and afternoon classes and the curriculum covers Literacy (Reading, Grammar, and Vocabulary) and Math. Through WorkFirst New Jersey, NWDB selects providers that appreciate the necessity of remedial education and soft-skills training to support those on some sort of public assistance (specifically those receiving benefits through Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, General Assistance, and/or the receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). Those providers are accountable to assess individual needs, and ensure obtain the appropriate foundations skills necessary to secure and retain employment. (c.) Describe the referral process out of literacy program into a career pathway. It is the mission of the NWDB Education and Literacy Committee to enable adult learners at all levels to attain skills that support academic development and credential training through a continuum of instructional services leading to academic achievement, a credential, post-secondary education, citizenship, and/or employment. Therefore, referral to a career pathway is a desired outcome for adult education participants. The existence of a seamless referral process from literacy and adult education programs into a career pathway is a recognized gap and a priority for the Education and Literacy and One-Stop Committees. It is the goal of the Committees to create systems within the One Stop that enables all parties to effectively serve participants for literacy, job readiness, and job placement (including placement in career pathways) within two years. To achieve this, it is necessary to create seamless paths for back and forth referrals. Recognizing that many participants experience environmental factors that pose additional barriers to success, including limited financial resources and poor financial education, the NWDB is working to create structured referral processes that will guide participants through transitions while offering uninterrupted supportive services whenever possible. These efforts include joint training sessions with One Stop staff and provider agencies to ensure that work with the One Stops reflects a trained staff with the knowledge and ability to refer appropriately and seamlessly. This involves work with the literacy consortium, the State Council for Adult Literacy Education Services and the New Jersey Association for Lifelong Learning to establish effective and 55

56 relevant professional development training for both One Stop and Educational program staff. Additionally, the NWDB will encourage regular participation in webinars offered through NJALL and professional development meetings organized by the State. The culmination of these efforts will be the development of a referral process that transitions participants from literacy programs to career pathways without causing disengagement in the process. XIV. Cooperative Agreements and Linkages with DVRS and CBVI XIV. Describe the replicated cooperative agreements (as defined in section 107(d)(11)) between the local board or other local entities described in section 101(a)(11)(B) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 721(a)(11)(B)) and the local office of a designated State agency or designated State unit administering programs carried out under title I of such Act (29 U.S.C. 720 et seq.) (other than section 112 or part C of that title (29 U.S.C. 732, 741) and subject to section 121(f)) in accordance with section 101(a)(11) of such Act (29 U.S.C. 721(a)(11)) with respect to efforts that will enhance the provision of services to individuals with disabilities and to other individuals, such as cross training of staff, technical assistance, use and sharing of information, cooperative efforts with employers, and other efforts at cooperation, collaboration, and coordination. Describe in this section what internal mechanisms will support these initiatives and how these technical assistance initiatives are coordinated with or supported by the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services and the New Jersey Commission for the Blind and Visual Impaired. The NWDB is committed to providing full access to workforce services for all residents, regardless of their needs or requirements. The New Jersey Labor and Workforce Development Department, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation is a full partner in Newark s one-stop system. The service strategy that ensures customer needs are assessed, and that they are connected to the proper resources at the outset of their services, is fully described in Section VI, One-Stop Delivery System. The NWDB relies on its partnership with the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation to ensure individuals who are blind or visually impaired are connected to services available to them through the New Jersey Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired. Additional efforts to ensure individuals with disabilities have access to the full range of services available to them are coordinated at the board level through the Joint Disabilities Issues Committee, described in Section II, Workforce Development System Description. Section XIX, Staff and Partner Training Activities further describes how the NWDB ensures that staff is fully trained on the services available to all customers. XV. Identify Fiscal Agent XV. Identify the entity responsible for the disbursal of grant funds described in section 107(d)(12)(B)(i)(III), as determined by the chief elected official or the Governor under section 107(d)(12)(B)(i). 56

57 The City of Newark receives all workforce funds and NewarkWORKS acts as the fiscal agent for those funding sources. The Mayor of Newark serves as the local grant recipient and is liable for the grant funds allocated to the local area, unless the Mayor applies for a waiver and reaches an agreement for the Governor to act as the local grant recipient. In order to assist in the administration of the grant funds, the Mayor of Newark has designated the NWDB to serve as a local grant sub-recipient for all workforce funds. The NWDB also has fiscal authority from the State to address all Notices of Obligation and Corrective Actions. The MOU constitutes commitment of specific resources/services that will enhance the offering of services to the customers of the NOSCC. All infrastructure costs are supported by the grantee or grant recipient. USDOL has stated that the WIOA requirements of Sec. 121(h) for local agreements related to shared and infrastructure costs do not have to be satisfied in Program Year However, an agreement has been developed pursuant to guidance SETC # In order to ensure that no local entity is issuing payment to itself, the NWDB submits invoices to NewarkWORKS Chief Fiscal Officer (CFO). The CFO reviews the invoices, and will either approve or deny submitted invoices. If approved, the CFO signs off on the invoices, of which will be returned to NWDB for signature. The CFO will have his team forward the invoices to the City s Fiscal Department for processing. If invoices are denied, the CFO returns the invoices to NWDB with reasons for denial and requests resubmission with additional information as requested. XVI. OSOP Competitive Procurement; Sub-Grants and Contracts XVI. Describe the competitive process to be used to competitively select the One Stop Operator, and to award the sub grants and contracts in the local area for activities carried out under WIOA The NWDB s Joint One-Stop Committee, which oversees all aspects of system operations, will guide the procurement of a one-stop operator by June 30, To support their work, the NWDB will: Utilize a range of resources from across the country including (but not limited to) those provided in Workforce GPS, by the US Conference of Mayors Workforce Development Council, the National Association of Workforce Boards, the National Association of Counties, and peers in the North East Regional Employment and Training Association to ensure the best possible foundation for the Request for Proposals. Incorporate the priorities established as part of the Newark and Essex County 2015 and 2016 Joint Workforce Board retreats. Fully engage with one-stop MOU signatory partners and other partners with whom the NWDB collaborates to provide services to ensure their interests are reflected in the Request for Proposal and the scoring criteria. Convene an appropriate subgroup of staff, partner staff, and board members to evaluate the proposals received, and make a recommendation to the full board for operator selection. 57

58 The NWDB will utilize the same procurement process steps in selecting the operator as it does in procuring all other contracts, which is outlined in the Standard Operating Procedures Manual: A publicly posted RFP. A technical conference for prospective bidders, with sufficient notice for potential national bidders to attend. A subsequent Q&A document posted on the NWDB s website clarifying any questions received in writing before the published deadline for such submissions. Review by a representative group, using a clear scoring grid. Recommendation to the NWDB for approval and contracting through the City of Newark s system, which includes reviews (in order) by the Law Department, Business Administrator, Mayor, City Clerk, and City Council. Upon approval, the contact will be signed by the selected vendor, the Law Department, the Business Administrator, the Mayor, and the City Clerk. Facilitation of One-Stop Operator Procurement for the : The procured and contracted with an independent consultant (Power Notes, LLC) to manage and complete the procurement of the Board s One- Stop Operator to prevent a conflict of interest in the procurement process. The consultant did not discuss the request for proposal or request for qualifications at any time with the current provider or other potential proposers. Prior to contracting with the consultant and releasing the RFP, the NWDB engaged in open discussion and dialog with the Mayor, Board, One-Stop Partners and Community Stakeholders One-Stop Operator will communicate with the Management of the One-Stop Partners informally through daily interaction and formally through the monthly One-Stop Partners Meeting to help maintain firewalls One-Stop Operator will provide reports quarterly to the NWDB on operations and one-stop performance The One-Stop Operator will be formally monitored twice annually by an independent monitor and the results will be provided to the. Project Steps: Consultant reviewed local plan and other relevant information. Consultant reviewed current Federal, State and Local policies and procedures for One-Stop Operator. Consultant request from the administrative entity a list of all partners, Board members, Chief Elected Officials, and a list of anyone who has asked to be on the local bidders list. This list included addresses. Consultant wrote request for proposal. Consultant submitted notices for public comment and solicitation for responses in local media Consultant released request for proposal/request for qualifications. Consultant prepared evaluation tool and finalizes it. 58

59 Consultant reviewed and evaluated proposals and provided result to Board and Chief Elected Officials. The NWDB voted to approve the One-Stop Operator and the subsequent agreement All One-Stop Operator procurement documentation, including policy and agreement, can be located on the NWDB website. WIOA One-Stop Operator Information Introduction The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) require a Local Workforce Development Board to certify through a competitive process the one-stop operator for the local workforce system. Can Serve as a One-Stop Operator Public Entity Private-for-Profit Entity Non-Profit Entity Consortium of Entities that Must Include 3 or More Required Partners An Institution of Higher Education A State Wagner-Peyser Employment Agency A Community-Based Organization Chamber of Commerce Business or Labor Organizations Cannot Serve as a One-Stop Operator Elementary School Secondary School Firewall If the selected One-Stop Operator has multiple functions there must be a clear delineation of duties outlined in a written agreement between the Chief Elected Officials and the Local Board. If staff who work for or support a Local Workforce Development Board and want to serve as One-Stop Operator or Youth/Career Services Provider there must be an independent procurement process done and at least once annually an independent program monitoring conducted. One-Stop Operator Requirements Coordinate Service Delivery among Partners Coordinate Service Delivery among Physical and Electronic sites Coordinate Services across Local Area System Manage hours of operation Manage technological resources such as websites, case management information, business networking software, on-line testing sites Manage daily operations thru coordination with WIOA Fiscal Agent for lease, utilities, and other Invoice remittance as appropriate Manage partner responsibilities as defined in the Memorandum of Understanding Provision of basic services such as orientations, information on careers and labor markets, and resource rooms Following federal and state regulations pertaining to handling of EEO responsibilities, customer complaints, and physical and programmatic accessibility 59

60 Implementation of Board policies Reporting to Board on operations, performance accountability, and continuous improvements One-Stop Operator Cannot Do Convene System Stakeholders to Assist in the Development of the Local/Regional Plan Prepare and Submit Local Plans Be Responsible for Oversight of Itself Manage or Participate in the Competitive Selection Process for Operators Select or Terminate One-Stop Operators, Career Services and Youth Providers Negotiate Local Performance Measures Develop and Submit Budget for Activities of the Local Board One-Stop Operator May Also Do Provide Career Services Provide Business Services Functionally Supervise Partners as Agreed Upon Create daily work schedules, team assignments, and work flow Coordinate vacation times to ensure coverage Ensure all partners are trained and provides technical assistance Facilitate timely resolution of problems, complaints, and other issues Facilitate partner meetings Ensure tracking information on referrals Provide input regarding employee performance to formal supervisors Serve as liaison to connect business services and youth services with One-Stop Center service delivery Oversees and creates a customer-centric environment Serves as community liaison Other Information A Local Workforce Development Board may provide career services described in Section 134(c)(2) through a one-stop delivery system or be designated or certified as a one-stop operator only with the agreement of the chief elected official in the Local Area and the Governor. Required to competitively bid at least every 2 years, with two possible one-year extensions. 60

61 XVII. Local Performance Targets XVII. Describe how the local levels of performance negotiated with the Governor and chief elected official pursuant to section 116(c), will be used to measure the performance of the local area and will be used by the local board for measuring the performance of the local fiscal agent (where appropriate), eligible providers under subtitle B, and the one stop delivery system, in the local area. Describe any additional performance measures developed or used locally. The NWDB and the Deputy Mayor for Workforce Development, on behalf of the Mayor, negotiate with the NJ Department of Labor, on behalf of the Governor, to reach an agreement on local performance levels as outlined in the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. Adjustments will be made during negotiations in order to account for expected economic conditions and characteristics of individuals to be served in the local area. Performance report templates developed by the Secretary of Education will be the principal vehicle by which NWDB will report on the performance of core programs. In conjunction with state partners, the NWDB will report on customer feedback, outcome, and process measures analyses in order to evaluate these programs. Training contract periods last up to 24 months and overlap with the contract performance period of WFNJ funded services, which lasts 18 months. Negotiated levels of performance are targeted to meet or exceed 80% of State benchmarks with regard to the percentage of program participants who are in unsubsidized unemployment following the fourth quarter after leaving the program. Currently, in order to meet NWDB s goal of matching employer workforce needs with job seeker skills, 2016 Program Year (July 1, June 30, 2017) performance benchmarks include the following: 1200 customers will be placed in unsubsidized jobs 70% of those customers will be in those jobs (retained) after 6 months 75% of training vendors will receive their full compensation, reflective of customers completing their full course of training. In order to re-tool workforce system service and enhance career opportunities and hiring, NWDB has established the following additional targets: A 10% increase in total workforce dollars through alternate funding streams A 20% increase in the number of participants receiving training Increased staff training, with the goal of attaining 85% positive feedback from customers A 20% increase in the number of business and community based organizations using NewarkWORKS services to meet their hiring needs 61

62 With regard to WIOA performance measures, primary indicators include: The percentage of program participants who are in unsubsidized employment during the second quarter after exit from the program; The percentage of program participants who are in unsubsidized employment during the fourth quarter after exit from the program; The median earnings of program participants who are in unsubsidized employment during the second quarter after exit from the program; The percentage of program participants who obtain a recognized postsecondary credential, or a secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent, during participation in or within 1 year after exit from the program; The percentage of program participants who, during a program year, are in an education or training program that leads to a recognized postsecondary credential or employment and who are achieving measurable skill gains toward such a credential or employment; and The indicators of effectiveness in serving employers. In their performance reports, training vendors are required to report on the levels of performance achieved with respect to the primary indicators outlined above for all customers. This information will be used to inform customers about the performance of training vendors and their outcomes. Additionally, NWDB has examined a wide range of trends, issues and challenges that have resulted in five strategies aimed at furthering its vision and mission to build a stronger workforce for the City of Newark. While there are not precisely performance measures, they are measurable overarching strategies that the work of NWDB and its system partners substantively contributes to achieving: Supporting the City s Master Plan goal of creating 25,000 new jobs by 2025, supported by a strong partnership and alignment among the City of Newark, the NWDB, and the State of New Jersey. To support the growth of New Jersey s seven foundation industries Healthcare; Life Sciences; Financial and Business Services; Advanced Manufacturing; Transportation, Logistics and Distribution; Technology; and Hospitality, Tourism and Retail by continuing to strengthen the range and quality of its workforce activities to increase the number of residents who can participate in all these key industries. Ensuring basic skills, literacy and workforce readiness training are available to all Newark residents who require them. Strengthen the capacity of providers, including the school district, to help young people successfully navigate the labor market and start on a career pathway. Continue to diversify and expand resources available to the NWDB to strengthen the workforce. XVIII. Local Board Membership, Recruitment, Development and High- Performing Board Activities 62

63 XVIII. Describe the local board as follows: (a.) Membership: provide a list of members, and indicate alignment with new requirements per SETC policy # and WIOA. Include description of how membership aligns with New Jersey key industries and local area priorities. The NWDB has 28 members. Of those: Sixteen (16) are from the private sector, representing several of Newark s high-growth, highwage industries, including healthcare, finance, manufacturing, and construction. One private sector member represents economic development. Collectively, they support the NWDB as we strive to continuously improve the alignment of workforce services to address the talent needs of Newark s employers. Six (6) represent organized labor and community based organizations, bringing the voice of workers and customers to NWDB s discourse. Three (3) represent education including Essex County College, Rutgers-Newark, and Newark Public Schools who work closely with the NWDB to ensure training and education offerings results in the best possible outcomes in terms of completion, competency attainment, and jobs. Three represent our state and government partner agencies; the Division of Employment Services, the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, and the Newark Housing Authority who work with the NWBD to ensure publicly funded workforce services are fully leveraged and optimally aligned. The NWDB s current board list is available at and is included as Appendix B. (b.) Discuss recruitment plans to address any deficiencies. The NWDB membership is in compliance with New Jersey State Employment and Training Commission Policy # : Local Workforce Development Board Member Appointments and Process. With regard to recruitment, the NWDB Executive Committee and Executive Director work closely with nominating entities to ensure there is a strong pipeline of individuals ready to be appointed should there be a vacancy. (c.) Describe development/training programs with board members. Board members are oriented to their roles and responsibilities, as well as the workforce system overall, when they are appointed to the NWDB. They receive further orientation as part of their committee service. Beginning in 2015, the NWDB holds annual retreats in conjunction with the Essex County WDB to deepen board member knowledge and engage them in an annual joint strategic planning process. (d.) Describe the actions the local board will take toward becoming or remaining a highperforming workforce development board, consistent with the factors developed by the state. 63

64 The NWDB as a whole, as well as each Committee, has developed a Strategic Plan. These plans are aligned to the State, Regional and Local Workforce Plans, as well as the workforce development strategy of the Municipality. The plans assist the Board in maintaining clearly defined goals and objectives that include performance targets, policy issues and operational oversight of the One-Stop system. The NWDB Members receive annual Board Training and the Executive Committee meets regularly to receive current information updates to use in their respective committees. Members are also included in local One-Stop activities, workshops, conferences and RFP process for training providers. NWDB looks forward to New Jersey s formal release of high-performing board criteria. In the meantime, consistent with the State s Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Combined Plan, NWDB is aligning its efforts both locally and regionally with the statewide Talent Development Strategy. The elements of that strategy are: New partnerships with employers across the state s key industry sectors. Strong collaborations between workforce programs, education, and higher education. The use of technology to better connect job seekers and employers. Better labor market intelligence to inform workforce investments. Innovative partnerships between the state, local governments, community and faith-based organizations, and educational institutions. Related to how we deliver services, New Jersey has identified five (5) themes, which the NWDB has embraced and are reflected throughout this plan: Building career pathways with a focus on industry-valued credentials. Expanding high-quality employer-driven partnerships. Strengthening career navigation assistance through one-stop career centers and broad partnerships. Strengthening governance through effective workforce development boards and regional collaborations. Ensuring system integrity through metrics and greater transparency. The way in which Newark is approaching this work is also delineated in the North Jersey Partners Regional Plan for the Innovation and Opportunity Act. XIX. Staff and Partner Development and Training Activities XIX. Describe staff and partner development and training efforts. Provide plans/timeline for such trainings. Include both local and partner staff efforts. The training and development of one-stop system staff and partners is critical to the NWDB s mission to serve the area s employers and job seekers. Identifying and mitigating gaps in staff capacity is a priority of the NWDB. As part of this effort, the NWDB will conduct an ongoing assessment of staff and partner training needs to identify opportunities to better develop staff to serve workforce system customers. 64

65 Based on an initial assessment, NWDB, in partnership with the Essex County Workforce Development Board, conducted its most recent training on November 3 and 4, This two-day One-Stop Joint Training and Retreat provided 16 hours of training to all staff on the following topics: Fundamentals of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) WIOA Career and Training Services WIOA Case Management, Assessment and Referral Team Dynamics and Developing Seamless, Integrated Teams, to support the enhanced customer service model described in Section VI: One-Stop Delivery System Problem Solving for Customers Job Development Documentation and Compliance (Data Validation, Case Notes, Fiscal) Serving Difficult Clients Cross-training to create a better understanding of partner roles will be ongoing, occurring both on the job and in more structured settings. Training will also be determined based on any gaps determined by NWDB s Joint Committees, including but not limited heightening staff understanding of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the resources available to customers. Training will also be provided as determined necessary to optimize staff success in implementing the enhanced customer service model. Additional training will be based on future assessments and performance, and may include: refreshers on all rules and regulations; an enhanced understanding of the board s role in supporting service delivery; specific strategies for serving key industry sectors and/or client groups; and any policy or practice changes. All training will be designed to ensure staff are fully equipped to fulfill their roles and empowered to provide the best possible customer experience to businesses and job seekers. In addition to all-staff trainings, NWDB will encourage operational partners to create continuous improvement plans for individual staff member professional development, which will include additional opportunities for training through the NWDB or other organizations, if possible. Training for professional development will be offered at a minimum of one per quarter. Finally, the NWDB will create a centralized location for informational and training resources available both through the NWDB and other sources to be identified. The NWDB will make efforts to ensure that all resources remain up to date. XX. Training Services: ITAs, Informed Customer Choice, and Industry- Valued Credentials XX. Describe how training services under chapter 3 of subtitle B will be provided in accordance with section 134(c)(3)(G), including, if contracts for the training services will be used, how the use of such contracts will be coordinated with the use of individual training accounts under that chapter and how the local board will ensure informed customer choice in the selection of training programs regardless of how the training services are to be provided. Within this section, be sure to address how training will lead to industry valued credentials. 65

66 Training services are available to WIOA-eligible customers who require additional skills in order to obtain employment. Such customers must have the basic literacy competencies required to success in training, affirmed through a Test of Adult Basic Education (normally with a score of 8.0 or higher) or validated with a college degree. As outlined in Section III(c), Board Activities and Section VI (a), One-Stop Delivery System, NWDB has a strategy in place to ensure training that leads to in-demand jobs is available to customers, and they have information about credentials prioritized by local employers. An important component of this strategy includes the labor market information dashboard described in Section XXII, Technology and the staff and partner development activities described in Section XIX. Customers eligible for training are referred to a counselor. The counselor assesses individual needs, goals, and any additional eligibility, including income, Selective Service enrollment, and identity information. The customer identifies three programs in their desired field of study from the Eligible Training Provider List, and visits each program to make an informed choice. Proof of visits must be given to the counselor before at Individual Training Account can proceed. The counselor sends a Provider Referral Form to the provider for signature, and initiates the contacting process. The MIS Unit and NWDB review the request and, if appropriate, execute an ITA contract. Once the contract is approved, the customer begins training. After the NWDB collaborates with its partners throughout the community college system and talent development centers as well as assess a customer s eligibility, skill sets, and needs, the local board will be able to ensure that customers will receive adequate recommendations and information from counselors regarding training programs. Additionally, the occupational skills training will be industry specific according to the locally identified in-demand industries. This will ensure ITA trainings will result in industry-valued credentials as well as well-informed customer decisions. The Labor and Workforce Development Industry-Valued Credential List is used when assessing customers for training grants. The Career Counselors have been trained on the importance of credential focused programs. As a result, the customers served will also know the importance of obtaining nationally recognized certifications post training. The $4,000 cap on training limits access to some providers and in-demand occupations such as Registered Nurse. In-demand are occupations in Management and Administrative, and Professional, Scientific and Technical sectors. The following training programs were completed in these sectors: Project Management Microsoft Office User Specialist Computerized Bookkeeping Paralegal Computer Assisted Drafting Automobile Technician 66

67 Human Resources Professional HVAC Customers completing training in Truck Driving, Microsoft Certified System, Administrator, Web Design, and Systems Applications often find employment in these in-demand sectors. In addition, NWDB will begin providing access to e-learning programs. Due to their typically strong employment histories, motivation, computer skills and networking ability, many Dislocated Workers are especially suited for e- learning. In addition, a menu of career pathways will be developed, taking into account identified in-demand occupations as identified by the NJLWD through Labor Market Information and local area occupational data. Essential skills are a critical need in all training, and weaving essential skills into all curriculums is a goal of the City of Newark and its regional partners. NWDB holds annual vendor meetings for eligible training providers and identifies the expectations related to providing occupational training. The providers are encouraged to ensure that the training curricula and credentials are valued by industry. The NWDB is planning to work towards a goal of 80% of training funds leading to the successful acquisition of credentials by trainees/participants. XXI. Local Planning Process: Transparency, Stakeholders, Public Comment XXI. Describe the process to create the local plan, and provide assurances that it was an open and transparent process, including: (a.) List and describe any meetings of workgroups, taskforces or similar efforts. Documentation of these meetings, including minutes and attendees, must be maintained locally. Include a list of the participants and their organizations. (This should include local elected officials, local public entities, regional and local economic development partners, WIOA system partners such as Adult Education and Literacy providers, community colleges, Talent Networks, Talent Development Centers and other entities with a stake in the local workforce system and plan.) A Stakeholder is defined as a person, group or organization that has interest or concern in an organization. During the development process of this local workforce plan, the NWDB engaged all stakeholders, including community based organizations, educational institutions, corporate partners, government agencies and one-stop customers. Elements of the plan were discussed and developed during weekly meetings with the Chief Elected Official and his Administration, Monthly One-Stop Partner Meetings, Monthly Vendor Meetings, as well as Committee and Board Meetings. The NWDB assembled various public and private entities who, as stakeholders, are concerned with the NWDB and the Local One-Stop delivering intended results and meeting its objectives. 67

68 The most detailed exchange occurred during the convening of the 2 nd Joint Newark and Essex County Workforce Development Board Retreat on May 17, This full-day retreat at the Robert Treat Hotel in Newark, NJ was comprised of Board Members, Committee Members, Businesses, Employers, NJ State Department of Labor, Training Vendors, Community Colleges, Universities, Newark Public Schools, Non- Profit Agencies, Government Agencies, One-Stop Partners and Customers. Contractors at Public Consulting Group, Inc. (PCG) led participants through varied facilitated discussions around their roles and responsibilities in regards to the local plan for workforce development. The majority of retreat activities were accomplished in breakout sessions for each of the five joint board committees, which include: 1. Business & Economic Development Committee 2. Disability Issues Committee 3. Welfare-to-Work Committee 4. Youth Investment Council 5. Education & Literacy Committee Each committee represents a different customer pool and has a different perspective on how to best engage the One-Stop customers. Building upon the strategic planning work of the committees during last year s retreat, these attendees engaged in a day of reflection, collaborative visioning, and additional strategic planning, all through the lens of local workforce development. The information exchange, stakeholder engagement, strategic planning and process mapping conducted at the retreat served as the foundation for the Newark Workforce Local Plan. This plan represents two years of intentional collaboration and discussion with a wide range of partners and stakeholders: The Mayor was engaged through the Deputy Mayor of Workforce Development, Rahaman Muhammed, who oversees the NWDB. Deputy Mayor Muhammed also attended the 2015 and 2016 Newark and Essex County Workforce Development Board Joint Retreats, which provided the basis for major components of this plan. In partnership with the Essex County Workforce Development Board, the NWDB board comprised of business, labor, economic development, education, and public partners held strategic retreats in both 2015 and The NWDB, in its role as the governance body for the local workforce system, regularly seeks input to strengthen that system that input is reflected in this plan. Elements of this plan have been discussed at NWDB meetings, as well as committee meetings. The dates, times, and locations of all these meeting which are open to the public are posted on the NWDB s website. Minutes of these meeting also are posted on the website. This plan was also shaped by Newark s engagement, since 2008, with the North Jersey Partners (NJP) Regional WDB/One-Stop Consortium, which is an innovative and strategic regional partnership of public, private, and government organizations collaborating to ensure that a talented and skilled workforce will help drive economic growth in northern New Jersey. The NJP service area encompasses the counties of: Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Hunterdon, Morris, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, Union, and Warren. Bordering the 68

69 Delaware River, New York City, and the Atlantic Ocean, this region includes more than 4.2 million people and over half of New Jersey s private sector jobs. It is a national economic powerhouse, and home to many global corporate leaders. It is an attractive, diverse region that also hosts some of the richest and poorest communities in our nation. Newark is also part of a three-county sub-region of NJP (Essex, Hudson, and Passaic) to address needs specific to the unique demographics of that region. (b.) Describe the process used by the local board to make available copies of the proposed local plan to the public, through electronic and other means such as public hearings and local news media; ensuring that the document was made available in accessible formats. The NWDB will do the following to promote the availability of this plan to the public: Prominently post the plan, and the request for public input, on the NWDB s website. Place a public notice in the Star-Ledger notifying the public of the plan and directing them to the NWDB s website. Distribute the link to the plan to all partners and stakeholders, with a request that it be forwarded to any and all interested parties. Distribute the link to the plan to all NWDB members, with a request that it forwarded to any and all interested parties. The NWDB will also make printed copies of the plan available upon request. (c.) Describe the process used to provide an opportunity for public comment, including comment by representatives of businesses, representatives of labor organizations, and representatives of education and input into the development of the local plan, prior to submission of the plan. Describe any additional local requirements or processes for local public comments. Provide a list of stakeholders who were notified of the opportunity for public comment. Include as an attachment to the Local Plan any such comments including those that represent disagreement with the plan. A list of those directly informed of the plan s availability and actions taken to incorporate public comments will be completed after the comment period. XXII. Technology XXII. Describe how one stop centers are implementing and transitioning to an integrated, technology enabled intake and case management information system for programs carried out under this Act and programs carried out by one stop partners. The implementation of technology will play a critical role as the NWDB transitions to the integrated service delivery model at the Newark s one-stop centers both in terms of operations and oversight. Specifically, the NWDB is exploring strategies to use technology more effectively to manage the system as well as to provide service to customers by leveraging the outcomes of its 2012 Workforce Innovation Fund Grant Managing for Success: Investing In technology, performance management and customer 69

70 services to make Newark s workforce system more efficient and cost-effective. Newark anticipates integrating a common set of workforce system metrics into its operational strategy consistent with WIOA requirements, ensuring greater accountability and continuous improvement. This effort will include the creation of labor market information dashboards to support customers, direct service staff, workforce partners, and board members. Additionally, NWDB s Joint One-Stop Committee and its workforce system partners will collaborate to identify opportunities to further integrate technology-based tools into direct services to maximize efficiency and facilitate broader access. XXIII. Priority of Service (a.) Describe how the local board will ensure priority for adult career and training services will be given to recipients of public assistance, other low income individuals, and individuals who are basic skills deficient consistent with WIOA sec. 134(c)(3)(E) and The NOSCC has implemented the Priority of Service strategies documented in the NJ Combined State Plan for WIOA. Newark has identified the process for implementing and monitoring the priority for public assistance recipients, other low income individuals, or individuals who are basic skills deficient in accordance with the requirements of WIOA sec. 134(c)(3)(E). Recipients of public assistance, other lowincome individuals, out-of-school youth and individuals who are basic skills deficient and those with additional barriers who seek career services are a priority and served first. Funds for adults and dislocated workers support training services for unemployed individuals unable to obtain employment after receiving core services or employed but determined to be in need of intensive services. The NOSCC area implements the priority of service provisions for veterans embedded in the eligibility guidance issued to local workforce development areas. The local area is implementing priority of service for veterans and eligible spouses in accordance with 38 USC 4215 in all workforce preparation, development or delivery of programs or services funded directly, in whole or in part, by the Department of Labor. Covered veterans have priority of access to all One Stop services including employment, training, and placement services. A. Service to Low-Income and Basic Skills Population Public assistance recipients, low-income, and individuals who are basic skills deficient are each thoroughly assessed by WIOA staff to ensure they are referred to the most appropriate activity necessary to improve their work readiness skills and employment preparedness. Such activity could include assignment to a four-week Work Readiness class, Community Work Experience worksite, occupational and vocational training, remedial training (ABE, ESL) or monitored job search. B. Service to Veterans Veterans and eligible spouses receive first priority referral to all job and training opportunities for which they qualify. Staff at the NOSCC help veterans find suitable jobs and opportunities. Services include: Free job search workshops Resume development assistance Career training consultations Assistance with the many benefits available through the Veterans Administration and state and local government agencies 70

71 The local board will ensure priority of training services for recipients of public assistance, other lowincome individuals, and basic skills deficient individuals for career and training services. Individuals are identified through assessment as well as personal disclosure of circumstances. Each service will be tailored and individualized to fit customer interests, skills, needs, and industry demands. Eligible veterans and their eligible spouses are given priority of service for federal job training programs, with the exception of any program with mandated priority groups (such as programs targeted to, for example, recipients of public assistance). To facilitate services to Veterans, proper signage is in place at the one-stop that encourages Veterans to self-identify. Additional, NWDB has established a Veteran Customer Flow Plan to ensure the proper identification and pre-assessment of Veterans with significant barriers to employment. If they are eligible, they may also receive services under the Disabled Veteran Outreach Program in additional to WIOA workforce and training services. XXIV. Additional Local Elements Re-Entry Support (b.) Veterans Services: Each local area must develop and describe its policy for providing Veterans services and maintaining the Priority of Service as required by USDOL. Local boards may include any additional elements to the local plan that they believe are relevant that do not fit within the framework outlined above. In order to retain formatting and order of elements, all additional sections should begin with this item number and be placed here at the end of the plan. Reintegrating the re-entry population into the Newark community by providing them with opportunities for education and employment is one of the main goals articulated in Mayor Ras J. Baraka s 2016 Jobs Plan (previously discussed in Section II), which establishes an employment target of 6,000 permanent jobs for ex-offenders. Each year, approximately 1,700 individuals return to Newark upon release from incarceration, according to data from the New Jersey State Parole Board. These individuals require stable employment in order to make a successful transition back into society, but they experience significant barriers due to their status as ex-offenders. To support the Mayor s initiative and to ensure that this population receives the assistance they require to obtain sustainable employment, the NWDB offers dedicated services to ex-offenders including access to education and training programs with linkages to job opportunities through apprenticeships. Currently, the Re-Entry Department, which is housed in the Newark One-Stop and overseen by the NWDB, serves an average of 75 clients and transitions 5-8 individuals into sustainable employment on a weekly basis. Over the past year, approximately 60% of re-entry clients have been placed into job training. 71

72 Service offerings available to meet the needs of the re-entry population include staff members dedicated to assisting individuals who were formerly incarcerated with seeking employment. This assistance includes a general assessment to identify barriers such as lack of government identification. The NWDB partners with Bridges to provide assistance to ex-offenders requiring identification. Additionally, NewarkWORKS screens for eligibility for TANF or other social services. Once these needs are met, clients are paired with a Career Advisor to begin WIOA eligibility certification, attend orientation, and take the TABE. Clients will work with a vocational counselor for job training if necessary, or with their Career Advisor for placement assistance, including resume development, job readiness training, and mock interviews. Specific initiatives serving ex-offenders accessible through the NWDB include the Mayor s Transitional Work Program, which hires participants through the NewarkWORKS Re-Entry Program to work for the City s Department of Sanitation at a rate of $15 per hour for six months. Participants work Monday through Thursday and receive leadership training on Friday. At the end of the program, participants are enrolled into vocational or educational training, or placed in another source of sustainable employment. This program has served 50 individuals to date, and will continue to enroll cohorts until 200 total participants have been transitioned to training or employment. The NWDB will continue to work with the Re-Entry Department and other key partners, including the Safer Newark Council and Newark-Rutgers, who recently received a $1 million grant as a coalition, to identify strategies to best serve the ex-offender population, with the goal of decreasing recidivism by 50% in the City of Newark over the next five years. 72

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86 Appendix B: Current Board List Last Name First Name Committee Title Business / Organization Business Members: Must comprise 51% of membership Amin Dhiren Business President Indian Business Association Cahn Mitch Business President/CEO Unionwear Camillo Al-Qadr Business Vice President NCEDC Glover Aisha Business President + CEO Newark Alliance Hendricks Dexter Business Director Turner Construction Kozba Jonathan Business Sales Representative People Ready a True Blue Co. Ledford Calvin Business Regional Public Affairs Manager PSEG Lipner Zachary Business Vice President, HR Newark Beth Israel Medical Center Morrison Angelique Business MWLBE Program Director L + M Builders Group Epps Joseph Welfare to Work Public Adjuster Metro Public Adjustment Seiam Farag Business President Omasal Shah Mahesh Business Vice Chairman Indian Business Association Tailor Bhavna Business Vice President, Operations Eastwick College Wise Ron Business Vice President Jerico Group LLc. Planning and Marketing Wilson Shanequa Business Senior Mgr, Talent Acquisition United Airlines Economic Development: 1 member required, counted as business member Okparaeke Samuel Welfare to Work Division Director Division of Training and Employment Organized Labor and Community-Based Organizations: Must comprise 20% of membership Clark Welfare to Vesta Godwin Work Director St. James Social Services Clark Robert Literacy Director YouthBuild Hallock Chip Business President/CEO Newark Regional Business Partnership Lewis Rhonda Welfare to Work Executive Director Local Initiatives Support Corporation Olagbegi Joy Adesumola YIC Director Academy of Training and Employment Searcy Safanya Welfare to Work Coordinator Services Employees International Union Education Representatives: 3 members required (additional members optional) Hill Diane Literacy Assistant Chancellor Rutgers University - Newark Choudhury Mitra Business Director Essex County College- Training Inc. Johnson Barbara George Business Public Policy Thomas Edison College 86

87 Government Partners: 2 members required (additional members optional) McLilly Elizabeth Disability Manager DVRS Representative Murray Morris Welfare to Work Manager ES / Wagner-Peyser Representative Gonzalez Danny Denise Director Newark Housing Authority 87

88 Newark City Hall 920 Broad Street Newark, NJ 07102