Sponsor: Workforce Solutions
Title
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Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Local and Regional Plan for 2024-2027
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Recommendation
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1. Approve and authorize the submission of the Local and Regional Plans for Adult Employment Services in Program Years 2024-2027 (July 1, 2024 - June 30, 2027) to the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development as required by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.
2. Authorize the acceptance and expenditure of funds for Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Adult, Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Dislocated Worker, and Minnesota Dislocated Worker programs for the Program Years 2024-2027.
3. Authorize the County Manager to enter into agreements and amendments to agreements in accordance with the county’s procurement policies and procedures, provided the amounts are within the limits of the grant funding.
4. Authorize the County Manager to apply for and accept additional grant funds from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development for the period of
July 1, 2024 - June 30, 2027.
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Background and Rationale
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Ramsey County Workforce Solutions operates the Federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Title I Adult and Dislocated Worker Programs and the Minnesota Dislocated Worker Program through a Grant Agreement with the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) to deliver employment and related training services for Local Workforce Development Area #15 - Ramsey County. LWDAs, under the strategic direction of the Local Workforce Development Boards, are required under WIOA to prepare a Local Unified Plan and, in collaboration with the other Local Workforce Development Boards in Regional Workforce Development Area #4 - Metro, create a Regional Plan. Ramsey County’s Local Unified Plan and the Regional Plan must be approved by the Workforce Innovation Board of Ramsey County (WIB) and the Ramsey County Board of Commissioners before being submitted to DEED.
The Title I Adult program serves any Ramsey County resident who is eligible for employment services based on the federal regulations. The Dislocated Worker program serves anyone residing or working within Ramsey County who has been laid off from a job through no fault of their own.
Ramsey County’s Local Plan is a collaborative effort that reflects the alignment of services among partners under WIOA. Those partners include Vocational Rehabilitation Services, Wagner-Peyser, Adult Education and Literacy, Veteran Services and programs under Temporary Assistance to Needy Families.
Funding allocations have not been released at this time. Although partially based on a formula attributed to the current unemployment rate, federal funding levels have historically fluctuated and are difficult to predict.
Input on the Local and Regional Plans was sought through a 30-day public comment solicitation, by requesting input and comments from WIOA partners and through a panel of external reviewers. The Plans were also reviewed by WIB members, including representatives from private sector employers, community-based organizations, public agencies, educational institutions, and organized labor organizations.
The Local Plan reflects several key priorities:
Multi-Faceted Labor Market Data with Increased Focus on Equity
With a mission to address both employer and job seeker needs, the WIB is committed to the prioritization of interventions that expand equity of access and diversity within our workforce and promote good jobs paying living wages for Ramsey County residents. Facing a significant talent crisis both locally and statewide, the WIB prioritizes career pathways for investment based on a number of criteria, beyond demand (growth, replacement needs, job openings, unemployment, and job posting volumes), local concentration (a.k.a. location quotient), and contribution to local GDP. Rather, an intentional focus on talent equity for pathway prioritization based on race/ethnicity and gender as targeted industries were identified. The WIB also considers early indicators of emerging technologies, outside investments, and other external impacts that may change the future of work.
Deepening Focus on Alignment, Coordination and Partnership
The WIB has continued to deepen its leadership role to support the alignment and coordination within the Local Workforce Development Area. The One-Stop Operator consortium continues to help to lead and support partners to have better awareness of the work of each partner while also convening and connecting around key topics to ensure a seamless workforce delivery system. In addition, in an effort to increase the access to quality employment services for youth and young adults, Ramsey County launched Youth Works! to serve as an intentional initiative to increase alignment and reduce duplication in the youth workforce ecosystem. Youth Works! also provides a network of youth employment professionals the opportunity to meet regularly to support each other and the wider community. On the employer side, there have been new investments with local chambers and economic development organizations as part of the Inclusive Employer Champions program. This effort has led to many more partnerships uplifting the public workforce systems in the eyes of employers.
Optimizing Service Delivery and Operations Post Pandemic
Coming out of the pandemic, there continue to be shifts in the way that job seekers and employers find value in connecting to workforce services and programs. As part of the county’s COVID-19 response, there was a significant acceleration of a service center model that integrated cross county services for residents. This strategy builds on the WIB’s hub and spoke (federated) model developed in 2017 and aligns with Ramsey County’s strategic priority of “Residents First: Effective, Efficient and Accessible Operations”. The Local Plan builds on that model by recognizing the opportunity to serve residents more holistically through an anticipated relocation of the CareerForce Saint Paul location to have closer proximity to the county’s downtown Metro Square Service Center. This is in addition to Career Lab services being offered at other county Service Centers and other future identified community sites. In person services are complimenting newly discovered hybrid efforts to ensure the full range of connection options and increased investments into the county’s Ramsey County Means Business digital platform.
Investing in the Future - A More Inclusive Workforce and More Inclusive Employers
Recognizing the unique opportunity to leverage the most diverse county in the state, as well as the youngest workforce, a keen focus toward building a more inclusive workforce at the same time as supporting employers to become more inclusive workplaces is key. For job seekers, this means accessibility to supportive programs as well as support in removing barriers to employment. For employers, it means providing tools and supports to ensure more equitable hiring practices in all stages of an employee lifecycle through more inclusive workplace policies, practices and culture. Investing in the future also includes a strategic focus on current and future federal funding streams, recognizing the acceleration of the future of work that impacts job seekers and employers and identifying the opportunity to support intergenerational wealth building through deepening connections between workforce development and entrepreneur pathways.
The Plans reflect recommendations and updates approved by the WIB’s Policy and Oversight Committee on March 13, 2024, the Executive Committee on March 27, 2024, and the WIB on April 4, 2024. The Plans are due to DEED on May 31, 2024.
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County Goals (Check those advanced by Action)
☒ Well-being ☒ Prosperity ☒ Opportunity ☒ Accountability
Racial Equity Impact
As the most diverse county in the state, Ramsey County continues to position itself as a regional leader in local racial equity efforts. Embedded into the Plan is a commitment to creating a regional economy that includes prosperity for everyone and aligns with the county’s Economic Competitiveness and Inclusion Plan. <https://www.ramseycounty.us/your-government/projects-initiatives/economic-development-initiatives/economic-competitiveness-inclusion-plan>
The pandemic illuminated employment disparities even further. As the economy continues to shift after COVID-19, and despite record low unemployment, residents who are racially and culturally diverse continue to face higher levels of unemployment and difficulties to fully participate in the economy due to systemic barriers to employment and training which continue to fuel the WFS and the WIB’s efforts on behalf of jobseekers and employers.
Using labor market data and community input, the Plan outlines strategies for providing services to those in greatest need. This data driven approach gives Ramsey County the potential to positively impact racial equity through increased opportunities for training and employment of all Ramsey County job seekers.
Program dashboards are also used to regularly monitor demographic program outcomes. The WIB proactively adopted priority of service policies for both WIOA Adult and Dislocated Worker programs to ensure that in times of limited resources and heightened demand, those with the most barriers are being served first.
Community Participation Level and Impact
Prior to plan development, a survey was created to gather input on local workforce development strategies and needs. The survey was promoted at an event attended by over 150 employers and community organizations, featured in the workforce board newsletter and emailed to representatives from business, organized labor organizations, community organizations, elected officials, educational organizations, job seekers and other stakeholders.
The Local Unified Plan was developed in collaboration with several local WIOA partners, members of the WIB’s Policy and Oversight and Executive Committees, and WIB members, including representatives from private sector employers, community-based organizations, public agencies, educational institutions, and organized labor organizations.
An external review panel was also established to provide opportunities for additional participation and contributions into the development of the Plan. Members of the panel included representatives from the Ramsey County’s Equity Action Circle, the disability community, the Vadnais Heights Economic Development Corp., Ramsey County’s Community and Economic Development department, and a Ramsey County Race and Health Equity Administrator.
Input from the broader community was solicited by publishing a notice notifying the public that the Plan would be available for review and public comment for 30 days. The Plan was posted on the County’s website and was available via US mail upon request.
☒ Inform ☒ Consult ☒ Involve ☐ Collaborate ☐ Empower
Fiscal Impact
DEED allocations covered in the Local Plan are both federal and state funded employment and training grants. Ramsey County Workforce Solutions administers these programs through direct services and as a passthrough entity to subrecipient vendors. Programs are maintained within the allocated grants and have no net fiscal change impact to Workforce Solutions as estimations of grant awards are included in the biennial budget process.
Last Previous Action
On March 12, 2024, the Ramsey County Board approved the Unified Local Youth Plan for the Program Year 2024 for Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act programs, and the State Fiscal Year 2025 for the Minnesota Youth Programs (Resolution 2024-052).
On January 16, 2024, the Ramsey County Board approved the 2024-2028 Grant Agreement with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development for Workforce Programming and Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Funding (Resolution 2024-015).
On April 20, 2021, the Ramsey County Board approved the Local Unified Plan for Program Years 2021-2024 (Resolution 2021-088).
Attachments
1. Local-Regional Plan 2024-2027