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

transitional opportunities based on their individual interests and needs; c. Allocating time in work readiness workshops to promote speakers from local business and educational institutions; and d. Holding career transition workshops or related work fairs following the conclusion of the work experience; e. Partner with Vocational Rehabilitation for transitioning experiences for youth with disabilities; and f. Develop On-the-Job Training opportunities for selected, older youth. Unsubsidized Employment Many youth, particularly older/out‐of‐school youth, aim to directly transition from subsidized to unsubsidized employment. Prior to a youth completing a work experience, utilizing local labor market information, Career Planners should identify employers with greater potential to hire youth into unsubsidized employment. The ETA evaluation found that a number of local areas reported that private sector employers were more likely to hire youth into unsubsidized positions and that private sector employers can offer high‐quality jobs, particularly for older youth with greater work experience. Therefore, the CareerSource Okaloosa Walton Board continues to encourage staff to expand engagement efforts to private sector employers, thereby increasing unsubsidized employment opportunities. Education For out‐of‐school youth, a work experience can provide a potential path back to education. Through work experiences as well as career mentoring provided by employers, youth are exposed to the skills and education needed to achieve their career goals. This may reinforce the importance of earning secondary and post‐secondary credentials. The CareerSource Okaloosa Walton Board encourages staff to link work experiences with opportunities that expose youth to educational pathways. The CareerSource Okaloosa Walton Board also encourages staff to partner with local colleges to explore the possibility of providing integrated work and training experiences that increases the exposure of youth to higher education including the opportunity to earn college credits. A strategy that may be considered is to use academic training to CareerSource Okaloosa Walton April 30, 2016 34 | P a g e address basic skill deficiencies or stationed staff at partner schools to help promote the return of out‐of‐school youth. Occupational Skills Training Moving from a work experience to occupational skills training can be a natural transition for youth. The CareerSource Okaloosa Walton Board encourages staff to partner with regional occupational training programs, adult education programs, and local colleges to enroll older youth in programs that have successful completion and high placement rates for serving this population of youth. Training areas can include, but are not limited to: allied health, solar installation, aviation mechanics, customer service, welding and diesel mechanics, information technology, and topics related to science, technology, engineering, and math occupations. Occupational skills training should result in the attainment of employer/industry recognized credentials that promote career pathways. Training should be related to occupations listed on the Regional Targeted Occupational List (RTOL). Registered Apprenticeship Pre‐apprenticeship programs can include summer employment opportunities and work experiences that provide an introduction to the skills and knowledge required to be eligible for registered apprenticeships. The CareerSource Okaloosa Walton Board encourages staff to look for opportunities that transition youth from pre‐apprenticeship programs into registered apprenticeships. Through partnerships with schools, employers, labor organizations, registered apprenticeship program sponsors and state apprenticeship offices, staff should work collaboratively to determine how best to coordinate these efforts. Co‐Enrollment in WIOA Adult Services Older youth who meet the eligibility criteria for the WIOA Adult Program can co‐enroll in both the WIOA Youth and Adult programs (including both WIOA‐funded services. WIOA regulations at 20 CFR 681.430, states that individuals who meet the respective eligibility requirements may participate in adult and youth programs concurrently. If such concurrent enrollment occurs, expenditures must be tracked separately by program. Work Opportunity Tax Credit adds Transition Incentive for at-risk Youth The Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) is a Federal credit available to private for profit employers who hire eligible participants from particular target groups into unsubsidized employment. The WOTC is a potential incentive for employers to hire youth into unsubsidized, permanent employment following the completion of a work experience or summer job. CareerSource Staff are encouraged to promote the awareness, benefits, and execution of the WOTC through multiple strategies that may include the use of promotional materials, employer outreach, and administrative assistance to employers with the WOTC application process. CareerSource Okaloosa Walton April 30, 2016 35 | P a g e LOCAL WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AREA VISION AND STRATEGIC GOALS (1) Please provide a description of 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 primary indicators of performance described in WIOA section 116(b)(2)(A) in order to support regional economic growth and economic self-sufficiency. WIOA §108(b)(1)(E) CareerSource Okaloosa Walton’s Mission Statement: Insure that every local citizen has the opportunity and skills necessary to engage in meaningful employment; and, that every business has access to educated, trained and prepared employees. The CareerSource Okaloosa Walton plan parallels the Florida’s strategic vision for WIOA implementation and will be realized by accomplishing these three goals: • Enhance alignment and market responsiveness of workforce, education and economic development systems through improved service integration that provides businesses with skilled, productive, and competitive talent and Okaloosa and Walton citizens with employment, education, training and support services that reduce welfare dependence and increase opportunities for self-sufficiency, high-skill and high-wage careers and lifelong learning. • Promote accountable, transparent and data-driven workforce investment through performance measures, monitoring and evaluation that informs strategies, drives operational excellence, leads to the identification and replication of best practices and empowers an effective and efficient workforce delivery system. • Improve career exploration, educational attainment and skills training for in-demand industries and occupations for Okaloosa and Walton Counties youth that lead to enhanced employment, career development, and credentialing and post-secondary education opportunities. Successful workforce investment models for out-of-school youth include pairing secondary education with work-based learning opportunities and post-secondary exposure. This provides career pathway development while the youth is in school. In-school youth are able to participate in work based learning opportunities such as subsidized work experience, job shadowing opportunities, work-place tours etc. to assist in the development of their career plan. Successful workforce investment models for out-of-school youth include re-engaging disconnected youth who have dropped out of school, or obtained their high school diploma or equivalent. Out of school youth ore exposed to post-secondary opportunities such as occupational skills training, two year and four year degree programs and the opportunity to participate in work based learning opportunities to determine their career interest. Youth create a career plan based on their desired career pathway and are given the tools and resources necessary to accomplish career goals. (2) Please describe the local area’s strategy to work with entities that carry out the core programs to align resources available to the local area to achieve the strategic vision and goals established by the local board. CareerSource Okaloosa Walton April 30, 2016 36 | P a g e The CareerSource Okaloosa Walton Board and its staff have partnered with the Economic Development Council in the identification of skills needed in the business community through the use of the E-Synch Survey. Follow up visits are scheduled based on the outcomes of the original interview. Focus groups have been used very successfully for verification of survey results and for clarifying the needs and expectations of the businesses. Focus groups that include businesses, educational representatives as well as Board members and staff provide the optimum forum for any needed designs in delivery of services and services content as well as specific training needs. Industry Certifications have been cited by businesses as clear evidence of an applicant or employee’s ability to perform. Public education is responding to this message from businesses and is redesigning career education to award not only a high school diploma, GED, or educational degree but to also award industry recognized credentials to indicate the skill level of job seekers. Ideally, the successful job applicant has earned the educational degree, industry-recognized credentials, and the nationally recognized worker readiness credential. The Florida Career and Professional Education Act (CAPE) distinguishing features include a requirement that all Academies be tied to national industry certifications. CAPE was created to provide a statewide planning partnership between business and education communities, to expand and retain high-value industry, and sustain a vibrant state economy. This emphasis on industry certifications has had a huge impact on Adult Training in the Region as well. Armed with these qualifications, job applicants will be successful in gaining employment and businesses will remain competitive in the regional, national, and international market. Okaloosa County Schools have implemented over 62 secondary career academies + 10 postsecondary programs. There were 2,030 certifications/licenses earned in school year 2014-2015 by Okaloosa County youth. Local employers have repeatedly cited the need for worker readiness skills for entry-level workers. Businesses have consistently provided feedback on lack of worker readiness skills as the number one cause for involuntary terminations. This lack of worker readiness skills also negatively impacts an employee’s chance for advancement and promotion. Businesses have repeatedly cited the need for entry level workers to have the soft skills necessary to be productive and to grow and develop for higher level positions within the company. Because of this expressed need and concern, the CareerSource Okaloosa Walton Board aggressively promotes the “Ready to Work” credentialing to businesses, job seekers, and currently employed workers and conducts scheduled applicable workshops for soft skills training. (3) Please describe the actions the local board will take toward becoming or remaining a high-performing board, consistent with the factors developed by the state board pursuant to section 101(d)(6) of WIOA. Historically, CareerSource Okaloosa Walton has been a