Workforce Development Board: 2019-2020 Accomplishments

Annual Accomplishments July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020

Programs, Initiatives, Partnerships, and Success!

Published December 2020

This publication is in honor of Patti Castro, former Director of the Alameda County Workforce Development Board, who recently retired after dedicating 38 years of public service to workforce development. Ms. Castro built several programs that equipped job seekers and workers with relevant industry skills, while proactively partnering with employers and community stakeholders to meet the needs of businesses. Ms. Castro groomed the next generation of workforce practitioners and professionals and enhanced the quality of life for thousands of people. Thank you, Patti Castro for your leadership!

You have made a difference in so many people’s lives, including ours! – ACWDB Staff

Alameda County Workforce Development Board OVERVIEW The Alameda County Workforce Development Board (ACWDB) is a dynamic 27-member employer-led group and oversight body of Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) programs and additional workforce development programs in response to business and industry needs. ACWDB ensures the availability of relevant career services for job seekers, including adults, dislocated workers, youth, and young adults, and provides resources for businesses to assist in talent identification and growing, training, and retaining their workforce.

ACWDB’s career services are delivered through community and education partners located within Alameda County. Job seekers learn about high-growth employment opportunities in Alameda County, acquire in-demand occupational skills and certificates through training, and find assistance with employment placement.

ACWDB has two employer-focused programs that offset the business expenses associated with worker training. The On-the-Job Training program provides a subsidy to employers who hire and onboard WIOA job seekers, while ACWDB’s Customized Training provides resources to support businesses looking to train new hires or upskill their current workforce for better and higher paying jobs. Both programs offer a win-win for employers and job seekers/workers.

ACWDB also has a portfolio of re-entry programs and initiatives, delivered through community partners, that aim to prepare justice-involved individuals for meaningful and successful employment and retention.

Vision The best workforce development system that benefits both employers and job seekers.

Mission To provide employers and job seekers with universal access to tools, resources, and services that assist them with obtaining employment and business goals.

Learn more about us at: https://www.acwdb.org

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A YEAR IN REVIEW:

WIOA Performance from July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020 ADULTS AND DISLOCATED WORKERS • • • •

631 participants enrolled into WIOA Title I program $433,302 invested in occupational training 87 participants earned industry-recognized credentials 94.5% of participants on average were placed into ACWDB’s priority industries and occupations • 314 participants entered employment

YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS • • • •

220 youth and young adult participants enrolled into WIOA Title I program 123 participants enrolled into training leading to credential attainment 181 participants received work-based learning training 180 participants received core skills and leadership training

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DISCRETIONARY PROJECTS Justice-Involved Projects and Initiatives

• 75 participants enrolled into Operation My Hometown Expanded, which aims to reduce recidivism and promote job readiness through evidence-based strategies • 65 participants enrolled into Metrix Online Learning to attain in-demand occupational training and certificates • 48 participants enrolled in the Construction Pre-Apprenticeship Pipeline Program, which prepares participants for careers in the building trades through the Multi-Craft Core Curriculum • 110 participants referred to the Second Chance Smart Re-Entry Program for clinical case management services, career readiness, and employment placement

Dislocated Worker Projects and Initiatives

• 141 participants enrolled into the Biotech and Advanced Manufacturing Rapid Re-employment Grant (BAMRR) Initiative, which expanded training options and industry certifications for participants

BUSINESS SERVICES • 372 businesses served including 303 COVID-19 impacted businesses • 241 COVID-19 impacted businesses referred to workforce system and partner services • 312 businesses assisted in Rapid Response events to assist employers with compliant and ethical downsizing and averting layoffs when possible • 32,726 COVID-19 impacted laid-off workers assisted during Rapid Response events to avert layoffs or mitigate the impact of the layoff • 24 individualized services delivered to small businesses • 22 events attended to serve the business community and heighten awareness of ACWDB business resources

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COLLECTIVE SUCCESS AND CLIENT STORIES COVID-19 Responsiveness • Awarded $400K in National Dislocated Worker Grant funds to address the needs of COVID-19 impacted laid-off workers with barriers for placement into public sector employment.

• Awarded $153K in state grant funds to provide supportive services to job seekers to cover utility bills, housing, child-care, and internet expenses.

• Formed a new partnership with the Alameda County Community Food Bank to address community needs during COVID-19 pandemic.

• Re-ignited the Business Assistance Program in partnership with the Corporation for Manufacturing Excellence (MANEX), to address COVID-19 impacts to small-to-mid size manufacturing companies, and assisted eight Alameda County businesses in the areas of re-opening protocols, strategy, finance, and operations.

• Collaborated with the East Bay Economic Development Alliance, local economic development stakeholders, and the Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa, to develop a Regional Business Survey and learn the needs of COVID-19 impacted small businesses. Actively reached out to nearly 400 of more than 1,000 survey respondents from Alameda County to provide additional information on COVID-19 resources.

• Produced a successful Press Release about Metrix Online Training, highlighted

by KRON 4 News and the Livermore Independent, to reach job seekers seeking to acquire new skills and industry certificates.

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Jaslyn’s Story Jaslyn was laid-off from the North Face, due to the company’s plan to relocate out of state. She wasn’t sure about her next step until she met with one of our career service providers - College of Alameda Career and Employment Center at a Rapid Response event (a service offered by ACWDB staff to mitigate impacts to recently laid-off workers, with a goal to rapidly reconnect laid off workers to employment opportunities and other resources).

The College of Alameda Career and Employment Center worked quickly with Jaslyn and offered her career coaching, professional resume assistance, interview preparation assistance, and paid training to earn a Project Management certificate at CSU East Bay. Jaslyn earned a Project Management certificate and found a Project Management/ Product Development position with Athleta (owned by the Gap), making more than she earned previously – over $80k per year. This was her dream company and position being that she has worked in the apparel industry for over 20 years.

“I learned that my company would be moving from California to Denver. I was not prepared for the rapidly changing job market. I needed new skills to navigate the new world of recruiters, social media networking and resume screening. The support I received from the WIOA team was positive and encouraging. I felt empowered and more confident about the possibilities ahead. I have now accepted a job and will also receive a certificate in Project Management with the help of the WIOA team to further my career. The WIOA program helped me clarify what I wanted for the next chapter of my life, pinpoint the necessary skills and requirements for my desired career, overcome feelings of low self-confidence about my skills, and presenting myself in interviews effectively to showcase my skills and experience in a confident manner.”

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Additional Grant Awards • Awarded and successfully implemented the Biotech and Advanced Manufacturing Rapid Re-employment grant, which provided 141 dislocated workers with training and employment opportunities in manufacturing, transportation and logistics, information technology, and construction.

• Successfully partnered with the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory’s Quantum Systems Accelerator Hub to develop career pathways into the emerging field of quantum information science and enhance the STEM Core Network in California.

Workforce Community Partnerships and Engagement • Successfully launched a workforce partners meeting in July 2019 to energize and mobilize workforce system partners for new collaborative opportunities to serve mutual clients.

• Sponsored the Women in Manufacturing Summit at Chabot College to highlight diversity and inclusion opportunities for women in manufacturing and shatter myths about the manufacturing sector.

• Supported community-based organizations in applying for Assembly Bill 1111 (AB 1111), a grant program designed to address the needs of marginalized job seekers with barriers to employment.

• Sought opportunities to pursue partnerships with BART and Caltrans and formed a new working relationship with the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

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Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Performance and Program Success • Tri-Valley Career Center (TVCC) met 100% of their goals in Adult and Dislocated Worker enrollments, training obligations, and On-the-Job Training (OJT) enrollments by the end of the program year on June 30, 2020. TVCC served clients through a variety of successful strategies: job seeker workshops, community outreach, community partnerships, regional job fairs and Coffee Breaks with Employers (casual yet professional employer networking event).

• Tri-Cities Career Center (TCCC) at Ohlone College in Newark, met 100% of their goals in Adult and Dislocated Worker enrollments, training obligations, and OJT enrollments by the end of the program year on June 30, 2020. TCCC delivered job seeker workshops, engaged in community partnerships, and provided numerous regional job fairs and partnerships with employers throughout the East Bay and Silicon Valley.

• ACWDB’s Business Services Unit provided an overhaul of the WIOA OJT program to provide more robust guidance and oversight intended to enhance WIOA program outcomes for businesses and local area job seekers.

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Successful Re-entry Programs, Strategies, and Partnerships • Awarded $25,000 to collaborate with other organizations to develop a solutions plan that will articulate a strategy to address the needs of justice-involved job seekers and increase access to relevant training programs and middle-skilled employment and wages.

• Re-established partnership with Cypress Mandela, Rising Sun for Opportunity, and the West Oakland Job Resource Center to connect re-entry clients to services that cultivate successful employment and training outcomes.

• Solidified partnership with the Construction Trades Workforce Initiative to develop pre-apprenticeship opportunities in building trades for re-entry clients.

• Collaborated with Career Services Providers (Career Centers) to initiate referrals to the Prison-to-Employment Initiative, geared toward preparing re-entry clients for robust career training.

• Worked successfully with the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office to implement Metrix Online Learning training curriculum within the America’s Job Center of California at Santa Rita Jail, which continuously positions re-entry clients for attainment of industry-recognized certifications.

• Established a working relationship with the Restorative Integrated SelfEducation - RISE program at Chabot College for placement of re-entry clients into employment.

Sebastian’s Story Sebastian received support from the Youth Enrichment Services program at the Hayward Adult School, in partnership with the Eden Area Regional Occupational Program, to make his dream of starting a career as an Electrician a reality! Sebastian worked full-time in the day and attended school in the evenings to earn a certificate in General Electrician Studies. He is now well on his way to a successful career and is thankful of the support and care he received along his journey!

“I did not have money or resources to go to a proper college to get my certification to become an Electrician. The WIOA program helped me to pay for my training but it also helped me find a school to quickly get my certification and begin my career. My Case Manager was very helpful, supportive, and resourceful. I was able to get all my questions answered and felt supported throughout the process of earning my certificate. I have completed my training, and now I have my certification to begin my career as an Electrician and my family has encouraged me to keep going in this direction. I am very happy with the outcome.”

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ALAMEDA COUNTY WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT BOARD 24100 Amador Street, Hayward, CA 94544-1203 6th Floor | Suite 610 C (510) 259-3842 https://www.acwdb.org