HCHY List: workforce investment area grants

Wed Aug 19 12:12:06 CDT 2009

I strongly encourage community based asset folks to look into workforce
investment projects in their communities!

I sit on the Cleveland/Cuyahoga County Workforce Investment Board Youth
Council committee.  Our board is responsible to oversee funding that is
available for youth programming under the Workforce Investment Act
(WIA), which is a federal program available in every state.  These
programs are a wonderful resource that are designed specifically for the
at-risk, low-income population.  We are going through our RFP process
right now and included in our RFP are the Search Institute's 40 Assets,
as well as the workforce study "Are They Really Ready to Work?
Employers' Perspectives on the Basic Knowledge and Applied Skills of New
Entrants to the 21st Century U.S. Workforce".   Proposers are instructed
to design programs that address both of these sources.  

WIA programs are designed to serve in-school and out-of-school youth
ages 14-21.  Under the Workforce Investment Act, students must have
access to ten elements that include:  tutoring, alternative education,
summer employment, work experience, occupational skills training,
leadership development, mentoring, comprehensive guidance, follow-up
services, and supportive services.  WIA common measure include:   1.)
Placement in Employment or Education, 2.) Attainment of a Degree or
Certificate, 3.) Literacy and Numeracy Gains.  

Although WIA is designed specifically for work-readiness and 21st
century skills, there certainly is potential for broader youth
development.  I submitted a proposal in response to the RFP on behalf of
my employer (Remington College- Cleveland West campus), called the Young
Polished Professionals (YPP).  If awarded a contract, the YPP program
will serve 725 eleventh and twelfth grade students in an inner-city
Cleveland high school, with 95% of the student population coming from
economically disadvantaged homes.  The YPP program is a comprehensive
program that includes life-skills, work-place skills, career development
and exploration, service learning, and leadership development.
Realizing that most of our students come from families that are not
participating in the workforce, Remington College will step up to the
challenge by not only impacting students, but enhancing the economic
sustainability of the entire family by offering GED services (at no
cost) and access to post-secondary.   education.   

Beth Dawson

Director of Workforce Development 

Remington College, Cleveland & Cleveland West 

(440)777-2560- Office

(440)777-3238- Fax

(440)522-6390- Mobile  

"Leaders aren't born they are made.  And they are made just like
anything else, through hard work.  And that's the price we'll have to
pay to achieve that goal, or any goal."  -Vince Lombardi 

From: Mel Tremper [mailto:mtremper at jbsinternational.com] 
Sent: Tuesday, August 18, 2009 1:59 PM
To: Healthy Communities Healthy Youth
Cc: Healthy Communities Healthy Youth
Subject: HCHY List: workforce investment area grants

I came across this as part of a workforce investment area request for
proposals.  The focus of this federal program is most definitely job
readiness and employment improvement, but at least in some cases there
is potential for broader youth development.  

I am not sure how representative this state's approach is of the
approach other states take to this sort of project, but it might be
worthwhile for community based asset folks to look into workforce
investment projects in their communities.  

Proposal designs should reflect recognized youth development principles
that

emphasize the cognitive, social, and behavioral competencies that help
youth

succeed as adults. Effective proposers adopt an asset-based approach in

which services are personalized and focus on developing the individual

strengths and interests of each youth. In keeping with these principles,

proposers must also promote positive relationships among adult staff and

youth participants, and provide the support and follow-up services
needed to

address the range of individual challenges participants confront.

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://lists.search-institute.org/pipermail/hchylist/attachments/20090819/729ee8db/attachment.htm