Okaloosa County BOCC — April 19, 2016 — CareerSource Okaloosa 2016-2020 Plan for County Commissioners Review — reading text

advertisement in the local newspapers, website, workforce regions within Florida, and direct notification through the yellow pages if the vendor list for services is found to be limited. Written notification of Intent to Issue a Request for Proposal (RFP) or Invitation to Negotiate (ITN) is sent to each addressee on the Vendor list with instructions on how to request a copy of the solicitation. In an effort to continually improve the solicitation process and to ensure open and free competition, the CareerSource Board has a policy of conducting periodic surveys of vendors who request copies of the solicitation and then do not submit proposals or bids. This is done to determine if the process discouraged competition or if other factors were the primary reasons for the decision not to submit a proposal or bid. Information gained from the surveys is factored into improvement of the solicitation process. CareerSource Okaloosa Walton April 30, 2016 69 | P a g e The final selection of Service Providers is made by the CareerSource Board following a recommendation from an appointed Ad-Hoc Selection Committee named by the Chairman of the CareerSource Board. The staff of the CareerSource Board is charged with the responsibility of certifying the integrity of the solicitation process was met by ensuring that all requirements of the RFP are met in each proposal, that the proposal was received by the published deadline, and that the proposal was responsive to the RFP. After the proposals have been received and deemed responsive by the Board staff, the proposals are provided to the named members of the Ad-Hoc Selection Task Force for review, evaluation, and rating. The Ad-Hoc Task Force then meets in an open and advertised public meeting to complete the evaluation and rating process. The Ad-Hoc Task Force will report its results and make a recommendation to the full CareerSource Board for selection of the Service Provider/s. The Competitive Solicitation process includes a provision for any proposing agency to protest the decision of the Ad-Hoc Task Force or the CareerSource Board. The final decision is made by the CareerSource Board. 5) System Improvement: The state's certification policy has not been finalized by the state workforce board. Following its completion and issuance, please describe any additional criteria or higher levels of service than required in order to respond to labor market, economic and demographic conditions and trends in the local area. WIOA §108(b)(6)(A). Continuous improvement, professional development for individual staff, and system-wide training are under the purview of the Career Council. The Career Council also oversee youth services and provides leadership and coordination to prevent overlapping of services; and identify gaps in services for youth and adults who are in need of career services. The Career Council also coordinates and collaborates with the Business Competitiveness Council in the design and delivery of employed worker services to the local business community. Staff Training and Development The CareerSource Board recognizes staff training as a critical component to System Improvement; and to ensuring high quality service delivery to CareerSource customers. To ensure the professional development of all CareerSource staff: • The Chief Operating Officer and Quality Assurance Manager will ensure staff are trained on all new systems, policies and procedures, and other guidance. • The Center Managers and Program Coordinators, as appropriate, are responsible for the initial training of all newly hired staff, as well as on-going staff training. They are encouraged to request technical assistance, when needed. A key piece of the CareerSource center standards is the credentialing of CSOW staff. All frontline staff, including temporary staff expected to be with the organization for more than six months will complete Florida’s Workforce Professional training requirements (Tier 1 certification). Tier 1 certification must be completed within 6 months of the individual’s hire date. All volunteers must, at a minimum, complete all appropriate no-charge DEO and Dynamic CareerSource Okaloosa Walton April 30, 2016 70 | P a g e Works on-line training as defined by CareerSource Okaloosa Walton with-in 90 days of assignment. CareerSource frontline staff are required to complete 15 hours of continuing education (CE) each year, with the first annual time period beginning one year after the employee’s date of hire. Currently, CareerSource tracks CEs by Program Year. Each staff member is expected to complete their 15 hours of continuing education during each Program Year. If a staff member does not successfully completed initial training, including Tier 1 certification, by the established dates, the applicable staff member will NOT be permitted to work at any of the CareerSource centers until all requirements are met. This requirement may be modified by the Executive Director to align with CareerSource Florida, Inc. and/or DEO’s One-Stop Certification Policy when finalized. The objectives of the continuing education requirement are to: a. Obtain information on current trends; b. Acquire knowledge in specific content areas; c. Master new skills and techniques; d. Expand and upgrade current knowledge and skills; e. Develop critical inquiry skills; and f. Achieve more balanced professional judgment. DESCRIPTION OF PROGRAM SERVICES (1) System description: Please describe the local workforce development system. Identify the programs that are included in the system and how the local board will work with the entities carrying out core programs and other workforce development programs to support alignment in provision of services, including programs of study authorized under the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2301 et seq.), that support the strategy identified in the State Plan under WIOA section 102(b)(1)(E). WIOA §108(b)(2). The CareerSource Okaloosa Walton Board and Councils oversee the local CareerSource One- Stop System. The system provides an integrated delivery of employment and training services for the local business community and job seeking customers. CareerSource Okaloosa Walton April 30, 2016 71 | P a g e There is one full-service One-Stop Career Centers currently operating in Region 2 Ft. Walton Beach (Okaloosa County). In addition to the one comprehensive Centers, there is a CareerSource One-Stop satellite site located in DeFuniak Springs in Walton County. The CareerSource Board also support Community Outreach Centers (COC) located at local community-based/faith-based organizations, and military installations at Eglin AFB, Hurlburt Field, and 7th Special Forces Group (SFG). The CareerSource Okaloosa Walton serves as the One-Stop Operator providing and operating several workforce programs such as the Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act (WIOA), Welfare Transition Program, Wagner- Peyser (WP) Labor Exchange Programs, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and other employment and training programs. As administrative entity and grants recipient, CareerSource Okaloosa Walton has responsibility for oversight and accountability for the CareerSource centers in Okaloosa and Walton Counties. Reemployment Services System All CareerSource programs are fully integrated with an entire menu of services offered in the Career Centers. These programs include Wagner-Peyser services, Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act services, the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) Program services, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program services, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)/Welfare Transition Program services, Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessment (RESEA) Program services, Emergency Unemployment Compensation/Reemployment services, Veterans services, Military Family Employment Advocate (MFEA) services, Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) services, child care services, and the Senior Employment Program (SEP) services are all co-located in at least one of the Career Centers. The provisions of the LWDA 2 Reemployment Services ensure a seamless integration of service offerings availabl e to claimants and other Career Center customers. This approach seeks to maximize resources and enhance the job seekers' ability to return to the labor force at the earliest opportunity. The Business Competitiveness Council and the Career Council provides the vision, guidance, direction, and evaluation of performance of the CareerSource One-Stop System, as well as design and delivery of employed worker services to the local business community. Chaired by private sector Board members, the councils provide continual feedback and recommends policy changes or new policy development to the full CareerSource Board. The councils also monitors the system for overlapping and gaps in services for targeted groups and universal customers who are in need of services. The Business Competitiveness Council provides leadership through communication, coordination, and collaboration with local businesses, chambers of commerce, economic development organizations, and education providers, including school districts in Okaloosa and Walton Counties. CareerSource Okaloosa Walton April 30, 2016 72 | P a g e The Business Competitiveness Council oversees the development of the region’s Targeted Occupations List (TOL) and makes recommendations to the full Board on which occupations are included on the Regional Targeted Occupations List (RTOL). The Business Competitiveness Council will also oversees the development of the region’s Eligible Training Providers List (ETPL) and makes recommendation to the full Boards on which training providers should be approved as Eligible Training Providers (ETP). Having a single council oversee both the RTOL and ETPL will ensure the inclusion of programs of study authorized under the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2301 et seq.). This structure also supports the strategy identified in the State Plan under WIOA section 102(b)(1)(E) and WIOA §108(b)(2) . (2) Subgrants and contracts: Please provide a description of the competitive process to be used to award subgrants and contracts in the local area for WIOA-funded activities. WIOA §108(b)(16) Direct Services Model The CareerSource Okaloosa Walton Board has chosen to operate a Direct Services Model that streamlines the delivery of services through the elimination of duplicate management layers. The Direct Services Model is clear, well defined, and allows maximum decision making at the Career Center level while clearly delineating expectations for performance and accountability. The Board will continue to operate under the waiver until such time as CareerSource Florida and the Department of Economic Opportunity provides additional guidance on what the structure should be in the future. As provided in the Florida state legislation, the CareerSource Okaloosa Walton Board unanimously chose to request a waiver from the Governor to allow the Board to serve as the One-Stop Operator and to provide Core and Intensive services. In lieu of procuring Service Providers, the Board has elected to