Goals and Strategies Status Report - Goal 2 Initial Update - Goal 2 February 09, 2009 The High Country Workforce Development Board's Youth Council set two locally meaningful measures to support the goals of the Strategic Plan: (1) that at least 50% of youth enrolled in the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) will enter post-secondary training and/or short-term credentialed training; (2) that at least 30% of WIA youth will participate in internships, job shadowing, or other work experience activity during their enrollment. The Youth Council monitors performance on a quarterly basis and will issue an annual report on progress towards the three-year goals following each program y ear. July 2008 - March 2009: Goal 2 April 16, 2009 Reporting processes have been developed for the annual report on the percentage of Workforce Investment Act (WIA) youth participants who enter post-secondary education or short-term credential training and for the percentage of WIA youth who participate in some form of work experience. Youth service providers received training and instruction on using management information system to provide necessary documentation. Monthly WIA youth provider reports are provided to the Youth Council to evaluate level and quality of services. Staff maintains contact with area school systems’ Career and Technical Education Directors by forwarding relevant information throughout the year. Other collaboration with school systems has included Youth Council membership, participation in Wilkes County Schools Education Committee and Ashe County High School career fair. Additional collaboration to enhance services and provide information regarding WIA youth services has included New River Mental Health, Area Agency on Aging, Regional Transportation Organization, Watauga Community Collaborative for Children, Wilkes Chamber of Commerce, and Wilkes Vision 20/20. In addition, FAFSA informational flyers were developed for distribution throughout the region for Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) events. In Demand magazines and FAFSA workbooks have been distributed to educator, workforce development professionals and Job Fairs across the region. A community resource list including faith-based organizations was developed for use by Wilkes JobLink partners. Publications were distributed to Workforce Investment Act service providers, JobLink Career Resource Rooms, and community agencies, including Counselors Handbook on Student Financial Aid, NC Health Careers, and Funding Education Beyond High School. As the fiscal agent for the Regional Collaboration Partnership Grant, the High Country Workforce Development Board coordinated a public awareness billboard marketing campaign with the NC Center for Engineering Technologies. Billboards, which marketed careers in engineering technology to both the emerging and incumbent workforce, were posted November 2008. The HC WDB Youth Council organized and hosted “College Foundation of North Carolina in Workforce Development” training to educators across the region to provide access to site resources beneficial to the emerging workforce for career planning and exploration. An accompanying flyer was also developed. This effort is currently being replicated elsewhere in NC. Staff prepared two grant proposals and received two donations to support the Board’s youth services. Staff also established linkages with the region’s Area Agency on Aging and Regional Transportation Organization to enhance networking to benefit youth participants. April 2009-June 2009: Goal II July 02, 2009 The workforce development section of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act included provisions to implement a Summer Youth Employment Program during the 2009 summer months to provide temporary employment to economically disadvantaged youth. In the High Country Workforce Development Area, Board staff developed policies and documents, provided training to newly hired workforce development professionals, and kicked off the Summer Youth Program by mid-May. The Board’s goal was to enroll 160 economically disadvantaged youth between the ages of 16 and 24 in subsidized employment during the summer months. By June 30, the goal had already been exceeded with 166 youth placed in jobs by the Board’s WIA service providers. The enrollment success points to the close collaboration between the Board, its WIA service providers, the region’s school systems, and other youth organizations. Willingness of public, non-profit, and for-profit organizations to serve as worksites and provide daily supervision to the participants has ensured a wide array of career exploration options for participating youth. The youth who are enrolled in the program also spend time in the classroom building basic academic skills, work readiness skills, and general awareness of career options and training requirements. The Board’s economic recovery website, www.RecoveryInTheHighCountry.com, includes a section dedicated to the Summer Youth Program and its accomplishments. A photo slide show highlights youth participants on the job and a youth blog, still in its infancy, contains personal success stories of participants. Prggram Year 2008 Local Performance Measures Report August 25, 2009 The High Country Workforce Development Board identified locally meaningful goals as part of its three-year strategic plan update, we identified measurable locally meaningful goals to supplement federal Workforce Investment Act performance standards. Program Year 2008 (July 2008 - June 2009) local goals that support maximizing opportunities for the emerging workforce to obtain academic and skill competencies required by employers include: By June 30, 2012, at least 50% of currently enrolled Workforce Investment Act youth will enter post-secondary education and/or short term credentialed training. Program Year 2008 performance: 46.6%. By June 30, 2012, at least 30% of currently enrolled Workforce Investment Act youth will participate in an internship, job shadowing, or other work experience activity. Program Year 2008 performance: 23.3%. July-September 2009—Goal II October 22, 2009 To help ensure that the emerging workforce has skill competencies required by employers, materials on high-demand careers, educational financial aid application process, “green” training information, and technology grant opportunities were provided to high school Career and Technical Education Directors and JobLink Career Centers. The Youth Council oversees and monitors progress toward locally set youth performance goals to meet business needs October-December 2009 February 15, 2010 The Board provided information on scholarships to the school system Career Technical Education Directors throughout the region and ordered and distributed several FAFSA publications to the region’s high schools. The HIgh Country WDB Youth Council completed its procurement process for Program Year 2010 and selected High Country Council of Governments and Mayland Community College to provide PY 2010 youth sevices (7/10-6/11) as well as the Summer Youth Employment Program should one be authorized. Other Goal II strategies include annual goals that will be reported following completion of current Program Year. January - March 2010: Goal 2 April 20, 2010 Provided literature regarding college financial aid and scholarship opportunities to Workforce Investment Act service providers and to area high school Career and Technical Education Directors; provided in-demand career path information for high school career fairs in Ashe and Yancey Counties Other Goal Two objectives are compiled and reported annually following the completion of the Program Year. April0June 2010; Program Year 2009 Summary: Goal 2 July 30, 2010 The Youth Council’s successful implementation of the Recovery Act’s Summer Youth Employment Program is a highlight of Workforce Investment Act youth services for Program Year 2009. One hundred eighty-five individuals participated in the temporary work program, far exceeding enrollment goals and utilizing 95% of available funds for the program. As a result of the program’s success, Youth Council staff was asked to participate in a panel discussion of best practices at the NC Workforce Partnership Conference. The High Country WDB’s Youth Council maintains active collaboration with secondary and post-secondary education by ensuring that Youth Council membership includes education professionals. In Program Year 2009, four members of the Council represented the education systems throughout the region. Additionally, the Youth Council and its staff have conducted joint planning with the education community via career fairs, grant application information, and the Recovery Act’s “12-in-6” community college training programs. The Youth Council has supported career awareness of students, parents, educators and others by distributing financial aid and career and educational planning materials throughout the region. Sixty-seven percent of Workforce Investment Act youth participants entered post-secondary education and/or short-term credentialed training in Program Year 2009, exceeding the Board’s goal that at least 50% of youth participants do so by June 30, 2011. The percentage of youth participating in internships, job shadowing or other work experience activities also exceeded the Board’s three-year goal of 30%. Actual performance: 44.3%