Calendar of Upcoming Events
WORKFORCE 2010: Transitions, Learning & Work 2010
February 1, 2010 – Embassy Suites Seattle/North
Lynwood, Washington
The Center for Learning
Connections
DEFENDANT/OFFENDER WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT (DWOD)
CONFERENCE
April 5-8, 2010 – Dallas, Texas
Conference planning committee consists of Federal
Bureau of Prisons, National Institute of
Corrections, US Department of Labor, Office of
Probation and Pre-Trial Services, Administrative
Office of the US Courts and the National Career
Development Association
BUILDING BRIDGES Over the Rivers of Change
May 23-27, 2010 – Portland, Oregon American Jails
Association 29th Annual Training Conference and Jail
Expo
Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education 1% State Leadership Grant Recipients
The Employment Security Department Offender
Employment Services (OES) again received Carl D.
Perkins State Leadership Funds to provide resources
to assist start up projects and initiatives or
expand existing programs that work with incarcerated
individuals to provide skills that improve their
employment future.
The four contracts awarded this year are projected to
serve 781 participants consisting of youth and adults in
juvenile, jail or prison correctional facilities to gain
career and technical education skills that supports
their transition into the workforce and the community as
productive citizens. This year’s contractors are.
-
WorkForce Central
Construction Connection will serve 40 Juvenile
Rehabilitation Administration youth in a modified
pre-apprenticeship under the umbrella of School to
Apprenticeship.
-
South Seattle Community
College will serve 61 adults with a short-term
certificate program in Distribution and Retail
Skills, a pre-apprenticeship program or into a
long-term professional and technical education
programs.
-
DOC Correctional Industries
and the Jail Industries Board – Jail and Prison
Industries Workforce Development Project will
provide Work Readiness certificate training to 480
inmates to achieve “soft skills” and technical
skills.
-
Goodwill Industries of the
Inland Northwest will provide workforce
orientation and services to 200 individuals and 30
participants will enter state accredited certificate
or educational track training programs.
OES Staff Relocates to WorkSource Offices
Offender Employment Services (OES) staff have relocated to WorkSource
offices from Department of Corrections institutions and Community Justice Centers where they have been providing services to customers
who have a conviction history. This move is an agency decision to support WorkSource integration to provide services and programs that impact these customers utilizing WorkSource services and are in each and every WorkSource program. Additionally serving these customers is identified in the Employment Security Department’s Strategic Plan as a Target Group and reflected in Strategic Goal 2; Objective 3 (pg 18-19).
To track outcomes effectively, identifying the customer with a
conviction history is critical and now a mandatory step for WorkSource
staff to ask if a customer has or has ever had a conviction. This is
critical information for effective referrals to an employer or a
training program since the conviction could have an impact on the
WorkSource program’s outcomes and performance. If you are a customer
that has a conviction history or a referring agency staff it is
important to inform the WorkSource staff of the conviction history.
Additionally, to effectively work with the target customers and track
the effectiveness of specific interventions, there will be 3 new
services offered by OES staff in their WorkSource offices. Other
WorkSource offices will provide these specific workshops as training is
completed./p>
Two of these services are specific to
customers with a conviction history, RE-ENTRY ORIENTATION and the
RE-ENTRY JOB CLUB. These workshops are 3-hours each and have a specific
outline and curriculum that address the barriers and challenges faced by
this population. OES will provide training specific to these workshops
(see “Additional Information” below). The third service is a one-hour
video assisted CHILD SUPPORT WORKSHOP available to any customers
impacted by a child support obligation. This workshop addresses the
underground economy and helps customers support their children by
obtaining legal paying jobs with Labor & Industries, Unemployment
Insurance and Social Security benefits.
Offender Employment Services staff is available to provide technical assistance and OES is working on a training schedule to assist WorkSource staff to gain the competencies to provide these services and effectively work with this population. To measure the effects of these interventions these workshops need to be standardized as well as consistent for partner agency and WorkSource staff referrals. Please use the OES website for additional information at
http://www.wa.gov/esd/oes/ and for direct contact
http://www.wa.gov/esd/oes/directory.htm.
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