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New York State Department of Labor Workforce Development and Training Division February 2005 ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS The Comprehensive Three-Year Local Plan (Local Plan) must be submitted no later than June 30, 2005 in accordance with the Planning Guidelines issued by the New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) on behalf of the State Workforce Investment Board and the Governor, unless an extension is requested by filing Attachment A: Request for Extension to Submit Local Plan and Attachment B: Timeline for Submitting Complete Local Plan by March 15, 2005. The plan must be developed by the Local Workforce Investment Board (Local Board) in partnership with the Local Chief Elected Official(s). PLANNING GUIDELINES The Planning Guidelines are available and can be downloaded from New York’s Workforce Development System web site at www.workforcenewyork.com. The guidelines may be found in Technical Advisory #05-3, dated February 18, 2005. PUBLICATION The Local Board must make copies of the proposed Local Plan available for public comment through such means as public hearings, local news media and local websites. The general public must have access to the proposed plan and has 30 days from the date of publication in which to comment on the proposed plan. When the Local Plan is submitted for approval, any comments received in disagreement with the plan must be attached. In addition, the plan must reflect how those disagreements were addressed. TIME TABLE Planning Guidelines Issued: February 18, 2005 Deadline to Request Extension: March 15, 2005 Local Plans Due to NYSDOL: June 30, 2005 Extended Deadline Local Plans Due to NYSDOL: September 30, 2005 Extended Deadline for Section IIA Submission: December 31, 2005 SUBMISSION The draft Local Plan must be received by the NYSDOL no later than 5:00 p.m. on June 30, 2005, unless an extension is requested by filing Attachment A: Request for Extension to Submit Local Plan and Attachment B: Timeline for Submitting Complete Local Plan. The Local Plan and any requests for extensions must be submitted electronically via email to: Simultaneously, forward the attachments with original signatures as appropriate to: New York State Department of Labor Workforce Development and Training Division Building 12 ~ Room 450 State Office Building Campus Albany, New York 12240 Attn: Margaret Moree Local Plan ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 The required Attachments include: Attachment A: Request for Extension to Submit Local Plan Attachment B: Timeline for Submitting Complete Local Plan Attachment C: Signature of Local Board Chair Attachment D: Signature of Chief Elected Official Attachment E. Units of Local Government Attachment F: Fiscal Agent/Grant Subrecipient Attachment G: One Stop Operator Information Attachment H: Federal and State Certifications Chief Elected Official Agreement (if applicable) Local Board By-Laws One Stop Operator Agreement Review and approval of the Local Plan will commence upon receipt. For a local area and its board to be deemed in compliance with State policy and federal law, its Local Plan must receive State approval by September 30, 2005 or within 90 days of receipt of the Local Plan. INSTRUCTIONS This document has been formatted as a “fillable” Microsoft Word form. Each local area must use this form for developing and submitting the Local Plan. There are four main sections to this form, each beginning with a short narrative and followed by instructions and questions. A shaded area is provided into which the details of your response should be typed. Your response will be formatted in a different font to distinguish it from the form document. The document IS NOT protected. Do not lock or unlock the form – if you do, it is likely that you may lose your entered information. It is recommended that you save this document to your computer as your working document using the following naming convention: “LWIA NAME - Three-Year Local Plan.” Save your document frequently during its completion. The Local Plan document was formatted in such a way that you may click on an element in the Table of Contents and automatically be directed to that section of the plan. Directions for updating the Table of Contents are provided below. Please note the following: Enter the name of your Local Workforce Investment Area in the header of the document. Press to move to the next field in the document. + will move back to the previous field. Each section of the plan must begin on a separate page. As you fill out the plan, make sure each section begins on a new page. (If you need to insert a section break at the end of a section, select Insert Break from the menu. The Break dialog box appears. Under Section breaks types, select Next Page, and click OK. The Table of Contents must be updated with the new pagination that occurs as you complete the plan. Right click anywhere in the table of contents. Select Update Field from the shortcut menu. The Update Table of Contents box appears. Select the Update entire table option and click OK. ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 This screen will also appear when printing the document. Follow the above instructions. Questions regarding the mechanics for completing this form may be directed to Cathy Laccetti or Pattie Tworek at (518) 457-0219. Technical assistance regarding the development of the Local Plan should be directed to your WIA Program Manager. ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 I-1 I. Local Workforce Investment Area Profile I-1 II. Strategic Planning II-1 Section II-A - Local Area Strategic Planning Process II-2 1. Economic Environment and Key Workforce Issues II-2 2. Engaging Community Partners in Workforce Solutions II-3 3. Aligning Service Delivery II-3 4. Measuring Achievement II-4 Section II-B - Local Area Strategic Planning Progress II-5 1. Summary of Progress II-5 2. Aligning Service Delivery II-9 3. Measuring Achievement II-11 III. Integration of WIA Compliance with Strategic Planning III-1 Subsection 1 III-2 1. Local Plan Submission III-2 2. Governance and Board Composition III-3 3. Fiscal Agent and Grant Subrecipient III-6 4. Direct Services & Infrastructure Plan III-6 Subsection 2 III-9 1. Selecting and Certifying Operators III-9 2. Contracting for Service Providers III-9 3. Priority of Service III-10 4. Self-Sufficiency III-13 5. Supportive Services and Needs-Related Payments III-14 6. Grievances and Complaints III-20 7. Youth Services III-21 8. WIA Adult and Dislocated Worker and Wagner-Peyser Services III-35 9. WIA IB & Title III PY05 Performance and System Indicators III-52 10. Local Monitoring III-55 11. Open Meetings III-57 12. Public Comment on Local Plan III-58 IV. Required Certifications and Documents IV-1 ATTACHMENT A: REQUEST FOR EXTENSION TO SUBMIT LOCAL PLAN IV-2 ATTACHMENT B: TIMELINE FOR SUBMITTING COMPLETE LOCAL PLAN IV-3 ATTACHMENT C: SIGNATURE OF LOCAL BOARD CHAIR IV-4 ATTACHMENT D: SIGNATURE OF CHIEF ELECTED OFFICIAL IV-5 ATTACHMENT E: UNITS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT IV-6 ATTACHMENT F: FISCAL AGENT/GRANT SUBRECIPIENT IV-8 ATTACHMENT G: ONE STOP OPERATOR INFORMATION 9 ATTACHMENT H: FEDERAL AND STATE CERTIFICATIONS 16 V. Review Process V-1 ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 I-1 I. Local Workforce Investment Area Profile By its very composition, the Local Workforce Investment Board (Local Board) facilitates a partnership approach to meeting the needs of business, providing career opportunities for workers, and assuring meaningful education and employment experiences for youth. Board composition should align with an approach to workforce development, which recognizes workforce development as an economic development tool. The Workforce Investment Act (WIA) requirement to develop a Comprehensive Local Plan (Local Plan) offers Local Boards the opportunity to re-evaluate their current system’s delivery of employment and training services in light of economic shifts, new initiatives, new mandates, and its vision for the economic and workforce development of the area. In accordance with the flexibility granted to the states, this planning guidance is provided to assist local areas in the development of a three-year plan. Creating a meaningful three-year plan is an opportunity for the Local Board to reprioritize and incorporate changes into a local system that will guide and inform the delivery of services over the next three years. The Local Plan is the key to supporting strategic activities that will result in achieving a workforce system that provides high quality services to its business and job-seeking customers. Strategic planning for your local area should also include a regional focus. To the extent that local areas share similar population trends, emerging or declining industries, education resources, transportation needs and other economic or workforce challenges or to the extent that regional planning efforts could result in the sharing of labor market information or the provision of services across boundaries, it will be beneficial to include a regional outlook and perspective in this plan development. Planning strategically for the future requires an assessment of the previous five-year plan and how effective the plan was in accommodating the needs of the current workforce system. The evolution of the local workforce system through the previous five-year plan is the foundation for determining how the local area will move forward in providing services, meeting performance standards and meeting the economic and workforce challenges of the communities it serves. Complete the Profile by including both data elements and narrative statements in the following table to present a clear picture of the state of your local workforce area and One Stop system. ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 I-2 Local Workforce Investment Area Profile 1. Provide an overview of the current population in your local workforce investment area: # 130,562_ Population (Total, all ages) # 86,548 Population of labor force age (15-64) # 20,166 Population age 15-24 (Emerging labor force) # 26,149 Population age 0-14 (Children) Comment on the challenges that have emerged as a result of population shifts and trends and the changing demographics and characteristics of the local workforce. Describe how the One Stop system will response to these challenges. The primary challenge that has emerged for us is: How will businesses retrain and re- channel the experience of an aging workforce and capture the limited number of available, qualified youth? The age of the population is only one dimension of a workforce decreasing in size. The issue is compounded by more workers out-migrating to other counties for work than workers from other counties in-migrating to Cayuga and Cortland Counties. This trend is expected to continue. Employment opportunities and wages appear to be the magnet. The One-Stop System will respond to these challenges by continuing to address the workforce preparation needs of the emerging workforce, other job seekers and workers along with our other partners in the workforce development system. The WIB will leverage its resources to maintain the high quality of the workforce that businesses in the Workforce Investment Area have relied on in the past. The WIB and its partners will work to stay current with the changing needs of businesses and how work is changing. They will continue their dialogue with the business and education communities to: assess training needs and work to revise curriculum and develop new curriculum to meet the changing needs of businesses; and to consider options for documenting skill development (e.g. portfolios). Note: The population data requested is Census 2000 data. It may be found on the following website: http://www.census.gov. Click on American FactFinder. Select your state. Then type your county or city; click Go. An age breakdown of the population is available by clicking on “show more.” ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 I-3 Provide the annual average unemployment rates and labor force participation rates for the past five Calendar Years (CY). CY 2001 CY2002 CY 2003 CY 2004 Unemployment rate 5.3% 6.4% 6.7% 6.7% Labor Force 61,086 60,970 60,746 61,090 Employment 57,821 57,096 56,679 56,982 Unemployment 3,265 3,874 4,067 4,108 Note: After April 15, 2005, annual average unemployment rates and labor force, employment and unemployment levels may be found on the NYS Department of Labor’s website: http://www.labor.state.ny.us Click on Labor Market Information. Click Data, and then click Unemployment Rates and Labor Force (LAUS). Estimates are provided for counties, cities and towns of 25,000 population or larger. ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 I-4 Provide the total number of WIA Adults, WIA Dislocated Workers, WIA Older Youth, WIA Younger Youth and Wagner-Peyser funded customers served by your LWIA for the past four years and planned service levels for PY 05. Total Number Served PY 01 PY 02 PY 03 PY 04 Planned PY 05 WIA Adults 391 432 258 121 193 WIA Dislocated Workers 391 373 264 261 291 WIA Older Youth 21 52 42 82 117 WIA Younger Youth 149 218 161 122 149 Wagner-Peyser Funded Customers* INA 9,291 6,479 6,464 (Est.) 6,400 (Est.) Note: The total numbers served for WIA Title IB are in the WIA Annual Reports. PY04 WIA Title IB data is found through the most recent WIA Quarterly Report. *Please consult with the Wagner-Peyser LWIB member for assistance in obtaining and understanding Wagner-Peyser numbers. 2. The local One Stop system, as defined through our local One Stop recertification process, is currently composed of: # 2 Certified Full-Service One Stop Centers # 0 Affiliate Sites (as defined by your local area) # INA Other Access Points to the system through means such as electronic access, partners, libraries, etc.) We are unable to determine the number of other access points as any agency or individual with internet access can access the One-Stop through the caycortwib comprehensive website. Describe the criteria used to identify Affiliate Sites. An affiliate site has the ability to provide information to customers on the primary services of the Workforce Development System. An affiliate site of the Cayuga- Cortland Workforce Development System must be able to deliver at least one of the core services and obtain and maintain the appropriate technology to communicate between agencies and workers about customer services and practices. Additionally affiliate sites must be able to meet the quality standards established by the Board for its integrated Workforce Development System for: Customer and Market Focus, Information and Analysis, Process Management, and Business Results. Any public, private, or private not-for-profit organization can request an application for affiliate status if they can demonstrate they meet the above criteria. An affiliate site may be an ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 I-5 existing agency or organization that delivers Workforce Development Services. An affiliate site could also be a technology driven center such as a library, Chamber of Commerce or Community Based Organization. Describe how the scope of the One Stop system has evolved over the duration of the previous five-year plan and identify how the system’s ability to sustain and grow services has been impacted by available federal resources and the board’s ability to leverage resources. Over the past five- years there has been substantial economic activity throughout the Local Workforce Investment Area. Businesses, job seekers and providers of services are adapting to shifts from manufacturing to services, retail trades and agriculture. We also continue to transition from static information and processes to an environment of constant change. Training will be fundamental to businesses and the workforce as they continue to adapt. Businesses and workers within the Workforce Investment Area will continue to change. The WIB has been successful in helping businesses secure over $500,000 in training grants through New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL). However, our WIA allocations have decreased by approximately 40% between 2000 and 2004 despite an increase in the number of factory closings that have led to an increased number of dislocated workers and high unemployment rates. A primary concern of the WIB is how to ensure the greatest return on the investment of a limited amount of training dollars and how to continue to help businesses access training dollars available through NYSDOL and other sources for which we may be eligible to apply. What are the Board’s plans to adjust services available through its One Stop system based on their projection of available resources? Through the Strategic Planning process the Board has recently completed its State of the Workforce Report. After carefully considering the issues identified in the Report which required the Board to balance the compelling, unmet needs of job seekers and businesses against current resources and initiatives, the Board will respond to the following issues: Issue Planned Action - Maintain a high quality - The WIB will continue to ensure funding workforce through appropriate for training is leveraged in the most effective and effective training. way, in part, by keeping the list of updated demand occupations current and assisting additional businesses with applying for training funds through NYSDOL. - Work together to grow the - The WIB will move forward with pursuing next generation of skilled workers. options available to create portfolio assessments for youth served through the One-Stop Career Centers. Sample portfolios ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 I-6 and criteria to be included will be reviewed. - The WIB will investigate developing a a youth credential for youth programs that has business and WIB member endorsement. - Members of the WIB will seek to participate in a meeting of School Board Superintendents to continue the work that resulted from the area's Strategic Planning Summit (A facilitated forum with over 80 area businesses in attendance. The keynote speaker was Ed Barlow a nationally renowned futurist). - Identify the most effective means - New marketing materials for businesses of marketing the value of the Board will include a One-source contact for each to job seekers and business customers. One-Stop Career Center. - Upgrades will be made to the website to actively promote One-Stop Career Center activities and services. A new website tracking report has been implemented to give the Board information about valued programs and services as well as information about programs and services that require adjusting or elimination. - The Board will work to connect educators, parents, and businesses by participating in meetings with school/parent groups to identify how they can best work together. - The Business Services Team will increase Marketing efforts for businesses and job seekers. ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 I-7 3. List the mandated and non-mandated partner programs which have been “key” to supporting your system during the past five years through cash, in-kind resources and/or through the integration of staff to provide workforce services at the One Stop centers. Here, the term One Stop system refers to the workforce, educational and human service entities which receive public funding to collaborate on the delivery of services designed to improve the employment outcomes of its customers. 1) WIA Title I, Trade Act (County E&T Departments). 2) Wagner Peyser, Veterans, Unemployment Insurance (NYSDOL). 3) WIA Title II Adult Education and Family Literacy (Area Boards of Cooperative Educational Services). 4) Title IV Vocational and Education Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID). 5) Title V of the Older Americans Act Senior Community Service Employment Program (Experience Works). 6) Post Secondary Vocational Education Activities under the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Act (Area Community Colleges). 7) Community Services Block Grant Act (Area Community Action Program Agencies). 8) TANF Employment Activities Food Stamp Act (Cortland County DSS Dept. and the Cayuga County Department of Health and Human Services). 9) Community Based Organizations (J.M. Murray Center, Inc., Unity House of Cayuga County, Cayuga Counseling Service, and Seneca Cayuga ARC). 10) County Legislatures. 11) Local Education Agencies (Area Boards of Cooperative Educational Services). Identify the mandated and non-mandated partner programs whose active participation in the One Stop system and One Stop centers the Board seeks to strengthen over the next three years through enhanced efforts to leverage resources and integrate staff : 1) TANF Agencies. 2) Displaced Homemaker. 3) Post Secondary Education Programs (e.g. SUNY Cortland /Wells College). 4) CBO's (e.g. J.M. Murray Center). 5) Identify non traditional partners, including economic development, faith based and certain community organizations, with whom the Board plans to initiate or strengthen its relationship in furtherance of the strategic objectives set forth in the plan: 1) Area Economic Development Agencies (e.g. IDA/BDC). 2) Empire Zones in both counties. 3) Area Chambers of Commerce. ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 I-8 4) Local School Districts and Boards of Education. 5) 4. Beyond standard WIA formula allocation, identify other grants, awards and funds that the local area has leveraged to support workforce needs and, in particular, training initiatives in the local area state-level WIA grants, state funded grants, private/foundation grants, private sector support that provide additional funding to the area’s budget). Identify by funding source and total dollar amount. Other grants and awards that our area has leveraged to support workforce needs have included: Funding Source Total Dollar Amount WIA Title 1B Work Incentive Grant $150,000.00 Disability Program Navigator Program Year 2004 $75,000.00 Program Year 2005 $75,000.00 WIA Title 1B Training Workers in $328,966.00 Manufacturing Industries (Smart 100- Lg. Companies) Marietta Corporation $119,471.00 Albany International $191,900.00 MacKenzie-Childs Ltd. $ 17,595.00 WIA Title 1B Training Workers in $24,000.00 Manufacturing Industries (for Small and Medium Sized Businesses) #17-K Allred & Associates $24,000.00 WIA Title 1B Building Skills in New York $191,558.00 4-M Precision Stamping, Inc. $20,560.00 Volpi Manufacturing USA Company, Inc. $37,581.00 Cayuga Counseling Services, Inc. $10,635.00 Pall Trinity Micro, Corp. $61,600.00 Beardsley Design $44,779.00 Cayuga Seneca CAP Agency $16,403.00 WIA Statewide Activities $100,000.00 Strategic Planning for a Competitive ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 I-9 Human Capital Advantage 5. Identify challenges the Board encountered during the past five years in supporting the local workforce system infrastructure. Describe the Board’s strategies to work through those challenges over the next three years. Providing adequate financial support for the One-Stop Career Centers via the signed Memorandum of Understanding and Cost Allocation Plan/Resource Sharing Agreement has been extremely challenging. Over the past five years, required partners to these Agreements have been as financially challenged as the WIA System. All agencies who are recipients of federal funding have seen their allocations remain flat or decreased over the years, particularly since 9/11/01 and the declaration of the war in Iraq in 2003. Following these major national events, it has been difficult to put together the funding necessary to sustain our One-Stop Career Centers and to meet the training needs of the local area. While the WIA legislation requires Resource Sharing, local areas have received little in the way of support for preparing these documents or adequate training to properly negotiate coverage of the costs of these Centers to the satisfaction of the State cognizant agencies who must execute the documents without benefit of having negotiated the terms of the Agreements. To address this challenge we have engaged in partner meetings to ascertain who the appropriate partners are to sit at the table, to identify the true costs of the Centers and to plan for how to equitably address these costs. Sticking with the problem and continuing to work towards its resolution has been an asset to our area as we have received cash contributions from all but one of our partners for years two and three of the Agreements (year one was forgiven at the State level) and we are in the process of reconciling and closing out the year four Agreement. Over the next three years we will continue to work with our partners towards creative solutions to funding constraints. At this time we are actively engaging in filling all available empty seats at our Career Centers with rent paying partners. Keeping the Centers filled will help to reduce the rent and overhead of all on-site partners. Freeing up rent dollars will allow those funds to be devoted to training and services for clients using the Centers. In addition, the Board and the counties need to explore the feasibility of implementing a "Fee for Service" plan as a means of generating additional resources. Our local area does have one rather non-traditional revenue source, via a policy adopted by our WIB for writing letters of support for grant applications. This policy of the Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Board was developed to endorse programs that support the Workforce Development System we have designed for our two county area. The policy applies to grants where WIB support is required for the submission of the grant. The policy requires applicants to include in their budget a nominal amount payable to the Cayuga-Cortland Cost Allocation Plan Account. The purpose of these funds is to integrate and coordinate grant(s) with the area's Workforce Development System and its One-Stop Career Centers. Since its implementation in PY'02, we have raised about $12,000.00 through this policy. Funds received are to be used for: defraying the contribution(s) of partner agencies to the approved Cost Allocation Plan for our area; ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 I-10 reducing rent payment for all on-site partner agencies; or purchasing item(s) requested by partners to improve services in our Centers. 6. Describe the key sectors which will help shape the workforce policies of the Local Board throughout this three-year plan. Identify the skills essential to the growth of these sectors and how existing skill assessments of the local workforce align with the emerging workforce demands in your regional economy. Our WIB engaged in a number of facilitated, information based planning sessions in '03 and '04 to identify key industry sectors for our two-county area as follows: Agriculture, Education, Health Care, Manufacturing, Retail, Service Industries, and Skilled Trades (Construction). As part of our Strategic Planning process the WIB hosted a Planning Summit that resulted in a dialogue between over 80 local businesses and providers in an effort to understand how our businesses and the work they do is changing. Participants in the event worked in facilitated teams to specifically identify: What sills and job titles they need; The skills applicants need; Hiring and retention challenges, and Business trends. While we have been able to use the Information Based Planning Process to identify over 50 demand occupations for the key clusters it was not possible, in the time available during the Planning Summit, to identify all the skills related to those specific job titles. However, the anecdotal information collected during these planning sessions has helped to shape policies of the Local Board. For example, the exchange of information resulted in the WIB updating its Demand Occupation List and we have identified occupations for which there is no training readily available. The WIB included on the list on-the-job training, which would allow a job seeker to request training in an occupation not included on the demand list or to pursue hands-on experience that can only be acquired through the workplace. Throughout this new three-year plan the Board will be: Exploring options to ensure training is available for all of our demand occupations. Working with local educators and training providers to develop career awareness of jobs in demand in Agriculture and Skilled Trades in our area. Working with businesses and the provider community to continue to revise curriculum and develop new curriculum related to the changing needs of the business community. Considering ways to assess and document skill development (e.g. portfolios), as a means of helping emerging workers, dislocated workers, and workers with no formal training and/or education to document their skills and assess further training needs. Working with the provider community to gather and assess available information on the specific skills needed by businesses. The WIB is also considering the potential of developing business profiles on small businesses. The profiles could include information needed to develop appropriate assessment processes and curriculum to prepare the emerging workforce along with other job seekers for gainful and sustained employment. ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 I-11 7. Highlight noteworthy business customer services which evolved over the past five years and any other business services that will be meaningful in attracting new business customers. (Business service examples include activities such as recruitment and placement, workforce training, employee assessment, pre-screening of jobseekers, business related workshops.) Noteworthy business customer services over the past five years include: Creation of two, formal Business Service Teams, one in each of our One-Stop Career Centers in Auburn and Cortland. The teams are comprised of staff from several partner agencies working in unison under a single team leader. The teams are focusing their efforts on working with businesses that are growing and seeking higher skilled workers. The teams also track and report data on employers that the WIB has requested. For example there have been 1,384 employers in the LWIA who received business services over the past five years. Some examples of the types of services they received include: listing job orders, recruiting and screening services, tax services, orientation to One-Stop Services, labor market information, help with grant applications, etc… Participation in Job Fairs has been one of our most successful Business Customer Services. Over the past five years the One-Stop Career Centers have partnered with the business community, Job Service Employer Committee (JSEC), local colleges and area education agencies as well as Human Service and Partner Agencies to provide these "meet the employer" events which provide on-site screening and recruitment services. Over the past five years, 656 One-Stop Customers have benefited from Job Fairs conducted in both Cayuga and Cortland Counties. Creation of a business sponsored "Keep Youth In-School Program" for youth participating in WIA programs. This program initiative is operational in one of our LWIA counties. Participating businesses offer a gift certificate to WIA In-School Youth who keep their appointments at the One-Stop Career Center and who bring in a school assignment, report card, or project they are proud of accomplishing. This program began in 2004 with about a dozen businesses participating. The One- Stop Career Center regularly posts the names of participating employers and hopes to expand the number of businesses over the next three years. In conjunction with the above program we are fortunate to have a Youth Service Specialist on staff at one of our Career Centers. This is a grant-funded position created in the last WIA Program Year. The incumbent in this position has been out in the community making personal contact with businesses that hire youth. The purpose of these visits is two-fold. First, it is a means of helping youth recognize and connect with the business community, and second this position works to enlarge the business customer base of the One-Stop Career Center. ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 I-12 The local Job Service Employer Committee (JSEC) has successfully conducted numerous business-related workshops over the years to area businesses on a variety of topics of interest to their Human Resources and Management staff. Topics covered have included: Business Forums to disseminate information about available NYSDOL funding and grant initiatives, Employer Handbooks, and Overcoming Negativity in the workplace, to name just a few of their more recent initiatives. Hundreds of employers have benefited from this valuable resource over the years. Businesses are very grateful for these activities as it is a means of providing them services that it would be very difficult, costly and time consuming for them to get on their own. 8. Describe any successes that have helped to enhance your local area’s system, broker new partnerships, or respond to workforce or community needs. The One-Stop Consortium and One-Stop management staff have actively pursued training opportunities for all partner staff to help enhance our Workforce Development System, broker new partnerships, and respond to workforce community needs. Training is arranged on-site at the Career Centers and all partners are notified and able to have their staff participate. Some examples of these trainings include: Assisting customers with visual limitations. How to utilize software and hardware associated with ADA computers. Ticket to Work and area resources for people with disabilities. VESID, what it means, what it can do. Programs and services of area agencies working on behalf of persons with disabilities. OSOS training sessions. Swipe Card Training. Trade Act issues. Job Match and Referral training. In addition, both of our Career Centers have been proactive in bringing additional partners into the Centers by establishing relationships with agencies in our communities to add to the resources available to our customers. Such adjunct partnerships have included: Informational Brochures on Day Care- The Cortland Area Child Care Council and the Child Care Council for the Fingerlakes provide brochures to the Centers. In addition, there is a day care consultant on site weekly at the Cortland Center to meet with clients who have day care needs. Health Insurance and Medical Needs- Child and Family Health Plus referral systems in both LWIA Counties as well as informational brochures about local federally funded Health Centers with the availability of sliding fee payment schedules. ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 I-13 Food Stamp Network- Allows connection to a Food Stamp website in the Resource Room of one of our Centers. This grant funded program during program year 2004 allowed customers to enter their personal data and assess their potential eligibility for the program. Our other LWIA County E&T Department actually conducts the Food Stamp Employment program under a contract with their local Department of Health and Human Services. Universal Access Committees- Access to Independence in Cortland and Options for Independence in Cayuga County partner with the Centers to assure accessibility issues are adequately addressed and resolved. These agencies and Blindwork Inc., also partner to provide in-house training to center staff regarding the services available for individuals with disabilities. The addition of a grant funded full time Disability Program Navigator to each of the Centers enhances services to the disabled by having a regular presence of staff who are well versed in the needs of individuals with disabilities who are seeking employment. Links to Higher Education- Both Centers also have unique ties to area higher education systems. At the Cortland Center, a partnership with Cornell University provides information on job openings within the university system. The Center staff has received on-site training regarding how to make referrals to Cornell job openings and university staff act as a resource and advocate for our applicants. Cornell staff will follow our clients through the application process and make recommendations regarding status and possible "next steps" that clients can take to become more competitive for future opportunities if they are not successful in their initial application. Similarly our Auburn Center has a unique relationship with the Cayuga Community College as the Center in Auburn is located right on the campus of the Community College in the new James T. Walsh Regional Economic Center. Our Career Center is next door to the College's Business and Industry Center and the offices work cooperatively on a number of projects including Job Fairs, Incumbent Worker Training projects, etc. Basic Literacy- The Cayuga Center has weekly GED predictor testing on-site though their area BOCES and both of our Centers have weekly adult literacy classes conducted by their BOCES that operate on a drop in basis for our customers. All of the above initiatives represent the sincere desire of the Center to continue to add needed services to the Centers to make them as comprehensive as resources and space ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 I-14 allow. The strategic relationships we have formed with the partners identified above provides us with a variety of options to offer our customers. ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 II-1 II. Strategic Planning During 2003, the NYSDOL provided local workforce investment areas with the opportunity to receive a grant to incentivize them toward the achievement of local and regional coordination of WIA activities. Most local areas responded to the Strategic Planning for a Human Capital Advantage grant announcement and were subsequently provided with funds to either support the initiation of strategic planning activities or to aid the local area in the continuation of a process already underway. As part of their strategic planning process, many grant recipients created a State of the Workforce report which summarized past efforts and accomplishments, analyzed the current trends and emerging workforce and economic issues and established a vision for the future. Section II of this Local Plan guidance, Strategic Planning, is provided in two segments. You will complete only one segment, Section II-A or Section II-B, depending upon your responses to the following questions. 1. Were you awarded the NYSDOL funded Strategic Planning for a Human Capital Advantage grant? 2. Have you achieved the third benchmark of that project and received the third payment under the grant? If you answer “No” to either or both of the two questions, provide your local strategic planning by completing Section II-A on page II-2 and do not complete Section II-B. If you answer “Yes” to both questions, provide your local strategic planning progress by completing Section II-B on page II-5 and do not complete Section II-A. ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 II-2 Section II-A - Local Area Strategic Planning Process This section of the plan is to be completed by those local workforce investment areas that have not participated in the Strategic Planning for a Human Capital Advantage project or who have participated, but have not achieved benchmark number three (receipt of a third payment from the State) in their strategic planning process. It is anticipated that some local areas will not be able to fully complete Section II-A prior to the deadline for submitting the local plan. At a minimum, each local area must complete and submit Section II-A Economic Environment and Key Workforce Issues, with your local plan. If the local area is unable to complete Section II-A Engaging Community Partners in Workforce Solutions, Section II-A Aligning Service Delivery, or Section II-A Measuring Achievement, by the submission deadline, a detailed timeline (See Attachment B, Timeline for Submitting Complete Local Plan) must be included indicating when these sections will be completed and submitted to NYSDOL. In no event may the timeline extend beyond December 31, 2005. Any local area that fails to fully complete this section and submits a timeline for completion will only be eligible for a contingent approval of their local plan. Full approval may only be granted following receipt and approval of a completed Section II-A. 1. Economic Environment and Key Workforce Issues Local Board strategic planning focuses on the alignment of demand driven economic and workforce development needs with the policy, governance and operational effectiveness of the local workforce system. As a starting point, available economic and workforce data should be examined allowing for the identification of trends and emerging issues. This provides the foundation upon which to build a consensus as to the major workforce related issues facing the local area. Describe the current and projected future economic outlook for your local area and the larger region. Within your response, address the following points: What are the key existing and emerging industries; what industries are in decline? Where is the main focus of local economic development occurring in your local area? In your region? What are the current and projected future employment opportunities in the local area, and in which occupational fields will they occur? Where is significant new job growth expected to occur? Identify data resources that were utilized and which substantiate these projections and outlooks. Identify key workforce issues impacting on the above-described economic outlook and the steps taken by the Local Board and other key stakeholders in the community to arrive at these issues. Within your response, address the following points: Discuss the research and analysis being done by the Local Board to identify trends, emerging issues and available assets. What data resources are being utilized by the Local ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 II-3 Board to analyze the needs of its businesses and workers and the capacity of the education community? Summarize the current state of the workforce. Describe the current business demand for workers and skills, current worker skills and characteristics, current capacity of training and education entities to meet demands and resources and programs currently available to meet workforce needs. What are the key workforce issues that have emerged thus far and how have they been prioritized? Where are their gaps in information, gaps between labor supply and demand, skill gaps, and training capacity and resource gaps? 2. Engaging Community Partners in Workforce Solutions Local Boards consistently work with additional community partners who contribute to the local area’s workforce and economic development; these efforts include such groups as chambers of commerce, business alliances, trade associations, economic development agencies, social service agencies, labor unions, apprenticeship associations, community colleges, universities, training providers, transportation providers, housing assistance agencies, literacy groups, federal initiative programs, providers of services to special populations and others who play a key role in the success of the community. Discuss the role of the Local Board in engaging community partners and promoting the benefits of new partnerships and alliances for workforce issues. Within your response, address the following points: Having identified the key workforce issues, how is the Local Board determining its need to engage additional partners and who those specific partners should be? What contributions can those partners make toward resolving the key workforce issues? How is the Board ensuring the business community’s needs are fully represented in these discussions? How is the Local Board engaging additional partners and bringing them to the table? What short and long-term goals are being jointly established to address workforce issues and close identified gaps? Discuss how the Local Board is identifying the shared benefits to the partners and communicating the impact their activities will have on the key workforce issues? What is the role of the Local Board (either leading or supporting another entity) in achieving the stated goals? Which organizations will be given primary responsibility for each of these goals? What is the process for collecting and evaluating information on the progress toward these goals? How will this progress be monitored and reported? 3. Aligning Service Delivery In order to address workforce issues within the local area, Local Boards need to utilize collaborative efforts with One-Stop Partners and others to successfully align programs and services. ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 II-4 Comment on how your local area planning process is enabling this alignment of service delivery around the issues and goals previously set forth in this plan. Within your response, address the following points: Comment on how your planning process is enabling the local One Stop system to go beyond compliance and address the economic development needs and key workforce issues of the local workforce area and region. Describe the One Stop system and how its structure facilitates achieving the stated goals while addressing gaps. Describe how your local area’s service delivery to businesses has been aligned to respond to local market demand and the stated goals set forth from your strategic planning efforts. Provide a brief explanation on how Core, Intensive and Training services are delivered. Describe how you assure that the delivery of these services is aligned around identified workforce issues and stated goals. 4. Measuring Achievement More than ever before the ability to sustain and grow a local workforce system depends upon how effectively the local area can demonstrate in measurable terms that the system is achieving its goals. In addition to meeting the mandatory negotiated WIA performance levels, Local Boards must be able to show to their constituents, customers, stakeholders, and private and public sector partners that resources are being used effectively and invested for greater workforce and economic gains in the community. Describe how the Local Board is implementing performance measures that relate to the goals established around the key workforce issues identified in its strategic plan. Within your response, address the following points: What data was considered and what entities were involved in helping develop the measures? Identify the measures and the desired outcomes. If measures have not been developed, what process will you utilize to develop them? What is the Board’s timeline for development? How will the Local Board benchmark progress toward desired outcomes or definitions of success for these measures? How are these outcomes identified, communicated and utilized to gain additional support or realign services for continuous improvement? ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 II-5 Section II-B - Local Area Strategic Planning Progress This section of the plan is to be completed by those local workforce areas that have engaged in the State’s Strategic Planning for a Human Capital Advantage project and have achieved at least benchmark number three (receipt of a third payment from the State). 1. Summary of Progress In this section of the plan the local area is asked to describe the outcomes of their strategic planning efforts to date and their plans for continuing and measuring this process. Within your response, address the following points: How will the Board have used its State of the Workforce report as a basis for future One Stop system planning? What key workforce issues and gaps have emerged and how have they been prioritized? What goals have been established around each of these issues, both short term (first year) and longer term (second year and third year) and which organization is responsible for each of the goals? What is the role of the Local Board (either leading or supporting another entity) for each of these goals? What progress has been made in achieving each of these goals? What entity is responsible and what is the process for monitoring progress against each goal and reporting back to stakeholders and the larger community? What contributions have been made by the Local Board and by the partners to support this effort? How will the Local Board sustain the momentum of these partnerships and alliances? What are the plans to continue to engage existing partners and expand strategic planning efforts to include other stakeholders not currently engaged? Has the Local Board identified any areas in which the State, through its various state administrative agencies, can assist the local system efforts in attaining its goals? If so, in what manner and how has that been communicated? The Cayuga-Cortland WIB has carefully reviewed and considered all of the issues identified in its State of the Workforce Report. The deliberation required the WIB to balance the compelling unmet needs of job seekers and business against its current resources and initiatives. As a result, a subcommittee was formed to recommend actions to the Board on the issues identified in the report. The priorities and corresponding action plan are as follows. The expected outcome of these actions is an increase in job retention. The WIB will continue to ensure funding for training is leveraged in the most effective way, in part, by keeping the updated list of demand occupations current and assisting additional businesses with applying for training funds through the New York State Department of Labor. ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 II-6 The WIB will move forward with pursuing the options available to create portfolio assessments for youth served through the One-Stop Career Centers. Sample portfolios and criteria to be included will be reviewed. The WIB will investigate developing a youth credential for youth programs that have business and WIB member endorsement. Members of the WIB will seek to participate in a meeting of School Board Superintendents to engage them in the dialog and continue the work that resulted from our Workforce Summit. New marketing materials for businesses will include a one-source contact for each One-Stop Career Center. Initially the E&T Directors have volunteered to be the contact. Upgrades will be made to the website to actively promote One Stop Career Center activities and services. Strategic Planning grant funds allowed us to procure B.G. Media, Inc. who completed a new website design for our area. The WIB will attempt to connect educators, parents, and businesses, by participating in meetings with school groups to identify how they can best work together. The Business Service Teams will increase marketing efforts for businesses and jobseekers. Longer-term (second year and third year) goals will be developed and prioritized as the initial goals are accomplished. The role of the Board will be to serve as a conveyor, conduit of information, and network of businesses and providers of services that together effectively addresses these issues across our entire workforce development system. Progress in achieving these goals include: WIB staff continue to assist businesses with applying for training funds through NYSDOL. Our most recent award was $24,000 to one of our area businesses under the New York Skilled Manufacturing Resource Training (SMART) grant program. We are also waiting to hear the results of a Building Skills in New York State (BUSINYS) grant submitted in June by a Plastics Manufacturing Company in Cayuga County. The WIB, on recommendation of its Youth Council, required portfolio assessments be included in the WIA Program Year 2005 Year Round Youth Request For Proposal (RFP). In responding to the RFP, service providers ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 II-7 were required to describe how they would create portfolio assessments as a means of documenting the skills the youth attain while enrolled in the program. The Youth Council has begun a discussion of a youth credential for youth programs that have business and WIB member endorsement. New marketing materials for businesses include a One-Source contact for each One-Stop Career Center and it is the County E&T Directors in Cayuga and Cortland Counties. The website redesign is complete. The June web report shows 30,626 hits for the Cortland site; 35,232 for Cayuga; and 2,714 for the WIB. We have been in contact with the site developers to see how they think the sites are doing in terms of usage and their opinion is that we are doing pretty well, averaging 30-40 hits per day. They also advised continued promotion of the site and continuing to get our site linked to other sites such as city/county/community/school sites in addition to the Workforce New York site. Since receiving this report, linking to the county sites has been accomplished. The Business Services Teams continue to meet and they are in the process of collecting data for the end of the year report to the WIB. Other recent activities included participating in the annual Cortland Business Showcase and the Cayuga Community College and One-Stop Career Center Job Fair. The WIB will monitor progress against each goal. The method of reporting back to the stakeholders and the larger community has not yet been established by the Board but will most likely be a written report distributed to the stakeholders and the larger community. Any reports issued can also be viewed on line at www.workforcenewyork.org/caycortwib. WIB members and partner agency staff contributions have included: active participation on Strategic Planning subcommittees, contributions to the report through time devoted to interviews, collecting and sharing of data and review of the draft document. The momentum of the partnerships and alliances can best be sustained by continuing the discussion to stay current with the changing needs of businesses and how work is changing. Our workforce development system consists of economic developers, planners, businesses, Elected Officials, providers of services, educators, and other partners all working in conjunction with the WIB to ensure the economic prosperity of the area. By continuing the dialogue we will be taking a pro-active approach to securing the future of our workforce. The WIB must continue to work with its partners to develop a systematic approach to collect, update, analyze, and make accessible the information needed by education agencies and providers of services and transfer this understanding and knowledge to action over a defined period of time. Developing and maintaining this systematic approach is critical to people staying focused on the issues essential to maintaining a high quality workforce. ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 II-8 Meetings will continue on the key issues identified in the State of the Workforce Report. Recommendations and WIB action will be recorded and reported as a normal course of their business meetings. Other stakeholders will be engaged by the various committees as the process moves forward. Much like our initial planning efforts for the grant we expanded our committee working on the demand occupation data to include representatives of specific occupations when we felt the data we had before wasn't giving us the answers to our questions. The current process has already resulted in stronger ties to our Economic Development Agencies and we are partnering with these agencies on new business ventures on a regular basis now. WIB and One-Stop Staff are regularly invited to Press Conferences, funding announcements, and technology roundtable discussions and symposiums to help us stay current with the events in the business sector. All of these opportunities provide us with valuable information about job opportunities and skill needs of our customer base. One-Stop Career Centers and WIB staff are also included in meetings with potential new employers to our area who are interested in obtaining information about the current workforce or, who are looking to ascertain the feasibility of leveraging training funds as an inducement to expand or relocate to our area. The WIB has identified some areas in which the State could assist the local system in attaining its goals as follows: Allowing local areas to access wage data through the State Department of Taxation and Finance. Other States allow LWIA's access to this data and it should also be able to be accomplished in NYS. Access to these records would give LWIA's better control of the earnings change performance measure. Often customers provide inaccurate pre and post program wage information which has a serious and irreversible effect on an area's ability to meet and exceed this measure. Similarly the WIB believes the State should advocate for a change in the earnings gain measure at the national level as the measure is not at all reflective of how businesses currently handle pay raises or merit increases. The earnings gain measure looks at changes in earnings at six and nine month intervals following program exit while the business community typically recognizes employee performance with a wage increase on an annual basis either on the employees anniversary date or tied to the beginning of the fiscal year. Our Board and subcommittees feel the measure should either be changed to reflect the normal business practice or it should be replaced with a more accurate measure of success such as the Retention measure. Employees who remain on the payroll will most generally receive an annual wage increase and those increases will help assure the attainment of the ultimate goal, which is self-sufficiency. For the same reasons as cited above, the current earnings change measure interferes with the ability to provide services to incumbent workers. One of the major changes that came with the WIA Legislation was the ability to provide services to employed individuals. However, this opportunity is not realistic if the company or business you are trying to help does not guarantee an increase in wages ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 II-9 following program participation that coincides with the performance benchmarks we are measured against. In addition, our Board advocates State DOL to work with other State agencies to address the infrastructure costs for the One-Stop Career Centers. As WIA requires these costs be shared by all required partners, it would seem the cognizant agencies at the highest level could meet and negotiate an agreement as to covering these costs and take the burden off of the LWIA's, who have neither the staff, time, or proper training to adequately and equitably achieve this mandate. The above requests have been discussed and communicated through Regional One-Stop meetings, Statewide WIB Director meetings, as well as through our Statewide Association of Employment and Training Professionals (NYATEP). 2. Aligning Service Delivery In order to address workforce issues within the local area, Local Boards need to utilize collaborative efforts with One-Stop partners and other stakeholders to align programs and services. In this section of the plan discuss how your local area is achieving alignment of service delivery around the issues and goals previously described in the above section. Within your response, address the following points: How will strategic planning enable your local One Stop system to go beyond compliance and address the economic development needs and key workforce issues identified in your local workforce area or region? How is your One Stop system structure helping to facilitate the achievement of the stated goals? Describe how your local area’s service delivery to businesses has been aligned to respond to local market demand and the goals set forth from your strategic planning efforts. Describe how you assure that the delivery of core, intensive, and training services is aligned around identified workforce issues and stated goals. How are these services integrated in the overall workforce plan? Strategic planning helped us develop a process whereby our WIA funding is targeted to participant and employer needs that will benefit the economy of our two county workforce area. What we arrived at was an "Information Based Planning Process" that resulted in: A broad community engagement process; A vision of the desired state of our region; An honest assessment of the current workforce; Action strategies for gap closures; and Accountability and continuous improvement. One of the major results of the grant was the WIB identifying the key industry sectors for our area. This resulted in the creation of a new demand occupation list that is ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 II-10 helping us to align our training to meet employer needs. In addition, a forum of area businesses and provider agencies revealed there is an across-the-board need for training in soft skill and work readiness areas. A portion of the grant was used to procure soft skill training materials for the Resource Libraries of the One-Stop Career Centers. These materials can be put on loan to area employers to address deficiencies in the soft skills areas. The Strategic Planning Grant has also given us the unique opportunity to educate our communities about our priority industries, priority occupations, priority skills, and the need to align our workforce programs around these priorities. The advantage of the One-Stop System is that it brings together all of the workforce development partners to address key workforce issues affecting both the local and regional economy. Agencies work together to cooperatively identify issues and prioritize goals. They assess the effectiveness of the system as goals are achieved and establish which priorities to address next. The system forces the agencies to stretch themselves to go beyond mere compliance to achieve efficiencies in the system, avoid duplication of effort, and maximize valuable training funds to address the needs of businesses and job seekers. In response to local labor market demand and goals set forth from our Strategic Planning efforts, we are working to align service delivery to businesses by : Continuing our process to assure the demand occupation list is reflective of current area business needs. Creating a lending library for area businesses to address the soft skill training needs of incumbent workers. Creating Business Services Teams, including a single point of contact for area businesses, to enhance business services and build relationships for better service utilizing industry targeted account representatives. Updating the area's website and identifying the most effective means of marketing the value of the WIB to our business customers. The WIB will continue to review and revise our training needs based on changes in the local labor market both in terms of worker needs and business demands. This process will help to define emerging skill sets and jobs as well as the training necessary to successfully compete for these jobs. The WIB and area education agencies will work together locally and regionally to upgrade our training based on these changes. By providing customers with good labor market information about occupations in demand and educating consumers about what our local labor market consists of we assure that the delivery of core intensive and training services are aligned around identified workforce issues and stated goals. ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 II-11 3. Measuring Achievement More than ever before the ability to sustain and grow a local workforce system depends upon how effectively the local area can demonstrate in measurable terms that the system is achieving its goals. In addition to meeting the mandatory negotiated WIA performance levels, Local Boards must be able to show to their constituents, customers, stakeholders, private and public sector partners that resources are being used effectively and invested for greater workforce and economic gains in the community. Describe how the Local Board is implementing performance measures that relate to the goals established around the key workforce issues identified in its strategic plan. Within your response, address the following points: What data was considered and what entities were involved in helping develop the measures? Identify the measures and the desired outcomes. If measures have not been developed, what process will you utilize to develop them? What is the Board’s timeline for development? How will the Local Board benchmark progress toward desired outcomes or definitions of success for these measures? How are these outcomes identified, communicated and utilized to gain additional support or realign services for continuous improvement? The One-Stop Career Centers working closely with their partners and the WIB have utilized a variety of tools to create benchmarks for services and outcomes at the Centers beyond the mandatory negotiated performance levels for our area. We have: Established a process to collect and compile quantitative data in order to measure business and job seeker services. Established processes to collect and compile qualitative data on business and job seeker satisfaction. Analyzed data to identify specific center level outcomes to be achieved. Developed and implemented improvement processes to increase performance and quality of our Centers' services. The result of the above activities was the WIB requirement that the One-Stop Consortium Team provide quarterly reports to the WIB Director on Business Services and Job Seeker activities at the Cayuga and Cortland Works Career Centers as follows: For Business Services Number of new registrations (orders from new businesses - not previously used). ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 II-12 Number of repeat business users. Number of new businesses visited. Number of new job orders. Number of persons referred to job orders. Number of hires resulting from referrals. Number of companies receiving other business services (i.e. Recruitment, OJT/Customized Training, Tax Consultations, etc…). For Job Seeker Services Total resource room utilization (total new center users). Number of workshops. Number of OSOS registrations. Number of new hires. For the first years of the Agreement, the WIB allowed the Consortium to gather baseline data from which they have established the following benchmarks for each year of the Agreement. Increase by 5% the number of people accessing services at each One-Stop Career Center. Increase by 5% the number of businesses utilizing the services of each One-Stop Career Center. Continuing to monitor customer satisfaction including training staff to promote the use of the survey instrument as a final item in a client visit. Maintaining an overall 85% positive customer satisfaction rate in all categories of the survey. Continuing to monitor employer satisfaction. This benchmark to be tracked by contacting a 10% sample of active business customers per quarter. Maintaining an overall 85% positive employer satisfaction rate. The WIB will review the quarterly reports from the Consortium to assess progress in attaining the outcomes. If the reports indicate problems or a lack of progress in achieving the goals they will require the Consortium to work with the WIB Director to prepare a corrective action plan to be implemented and reviewed and approved by the WIB or its Executive Committee (in the event the required action does not coincide with the local board's regular meeting schedule). Both the Cortland Works and Cayuga Works Career Centers are proactive in seeking ways to improve the quality of customer services, flow, etc. within the Centers. The management teams at each of our Centers are continually soliciting input from the job seeker customers, businesses, and on-site staff from a variety of partner agencies. Input is evaluated and actions are taken where appropriate. The outcome measures tracked in the Centers are communicated to all line staff and Business Services Team members in each of the Centers. ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 II-13 In addition, line staff from partner organizations and the Business Services Teams members collect and analyze baseline data for benchmarking services. Suggestions from staff are brought to management. The One-Stop Manager and management teams in the Centers are involved in ongoing analysis and developing recommendations to the One-Stop Consortium regarding proposed improvements and potential benefits to the Centers. All Consortium activities are reported to the WIB at their next regularly scheduled meeting or, at a WIB Executive Committee meeting in the event action is necessary prior to the next regularly scheduled full Board meeting. ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 III-1 III. Integration of WIA Compliance with Strategic Planning The Workforce Investment Act requires that Local Boards establish and approve policies that are in accordance with the Act and its regulations that guarantee a consistent local area approach to One Stop system operations and provide a framework for the delivery of services. In this section of the plan, the current published policies and working definitions remain in effect and are the basis upon which the next three years policies will evolve. Subsection 1 contains those agreements and policies that are the foundations for administering and evolving the local workforce system. Subsection 2 requests the policies that are and will be essential to the delivery of services and the operation of the local system. In accordance with the Workforce Investment Act, the Local Board is required to conduct business in an open manner and make information regarding the One Stop system available to the public. Within your discussion of the Local Board’s efforts to openly conduct business, address the following points: What is the central location where all local policies and working definitions are published? How does the Board assure that local policies and working definitions, including updates and changes, are readily accessible to One Stop staff, the general public and the State? Is there a Local Board website? If yes, please provide the website address. Does the Local Board make information such as Board membership, meetings, policies, definitions, and other workforce information available on the website? How is the website maintained to assure up-to-date information is available? By what means does the Board assure that the accessible copies are current? Where can hard copies of this information be obtained by the general public? The central location where all local policies and working definitions are published is the WIB office in Cortland. The Department of Employment and Training Grant Administration is located in Room 104 of the Cortland County Office Building, 60 Central Avenue, Cortland, NY 13045. The phone number for the office is (607) 753- 5201. In addition, approved policies are part of the WIB minutes, which can be found on our new website at www.workforcenewyork.org/caycortwib the site became operational in June 2005. Local policies working definitions, including updates and changes, are distributed to the One-Stop Operators and E&T Directors as they are adopted. The State receives copies via our NYSDOL State Representative who attends WIB and Committee meetings. If the State Representative is unable to attend a meeting they receive all agendas, resolutions, and meeting minutes via email or general mail. The public has access to the same information via the Local Board website. In addition, to the "caycortwib" address above each One-Stop Career Center has their own website that initially opens to the WIB homepage. These addresses are as follows: ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 III-2 The Cayuga Works Career Center in Auburn at www.workforcenewyork.org/cayugaworks; and the Cortland Works Career Center in Cortland at www.workforcenewyork.org/cortlandworks. The website also includes information such as Board membership, meetings, and other workforce information available on the website. The local Board website is maintained by WIB staff and the One-Stop Career Center websites are updated by the E&T Directors. The local area is also under a one-year contract with the website developer to maintain and upgrade the system as needed. Since January of 2005 all policies adopted by the Board are signed and dated by the WIB Chairperson before they are entered into the official record. The general public is welcome to visit our websites or they can stop in, or call the WIB office in Cortland or the One-Stop Career Centers located at: Cortland Works Career Center 99 Main Street Cortland, NY 13045 Phone (607) 756-7585 Or Cayuga Works Career Center 199 Franklin Street Suite 204 Auburn, NY 13021 Phone (315) 253-1590 Subsection 1 The responses to this subsection include both narrative responses and the completion of attachments/forms that are located in Section IV, Required Certifications and Documents. 1. Local Plan Submission The Local Board is responsible for developing the three-year plan in partnership with the Chief Elected official. To properly submit the area’s Local Plan: a. Complete the Attachment C, Signature of Local Board Chair. b. Complete the Attachment D, Signature of Chief Elected Official, for each unit of local government. ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 III-3 2. Governance and Board Composition When a Local Area includes more than one unit of government, the Chief Elected Officials of the individual governmental units must execute an agreement that describes their roles and responsibilities in administering the Act, conducting fiscal and program oversight, and assuring that performance standards are met. All local areas must provide the following: a. Complete Attachment E, Units of Local Government, located in Section IV naming the individual governmental unit(s) and identifying the grant recipient. b. Attach a copy of the agreement that defines the roles and responsibilities of each of the Chief Elected Officials in a multi-jurisdictional area and describes their interaction in the administration of the Workforce Investment Act (if applicable). (See section IV of the plan for a copy of the Chief Elected Official Agreement). c. Attach a copy of the Local Board By-laws. (See section IV of the plan for a copy of the By-laws). d. Additionally, please address the following points: How often are the by-laws reviewed? When necessary, what is the process for amending the by-laws? Is the Board incorporated? Describe the subcommittee structure for the board and identify the role and responsibilities assigned to each subcommittee. (You will be asked to identify the subcommittee responsible for each activity addressed in Subsection What is the plan in place for board member recruitment to reflect current and emerging trends and how is that plan being communicated to local elected officials? What is the process for providing staff to the Local Board? Describe the Local Board’s plan for Board staff retention and development efforts. Modifications/amendments of the Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Board By- laws shall be by three-fifths (3/5) vote of the entire membership of the C-CWIB. Any Board member at any Board meeting, may propose an amendment to the By-Laws. Said amendment shall be provided to the members at least ten (10) days prior to calling for the vote. The Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Board is not incorporated. We are a division of county government. The subcommittee structure for the Board is as follows: The Cayuga-Cortland WIB subcommittees are established on a permanent basis and will meet regularly in an accessible location at a time and place designated by each Committee Chairperson. Chairpersons of committees, excluding the Executive Committee, may be from the private or public sector. In appointing members to ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 III-4 committees, there shall be due regard for proportionate representation from each County's private sector members. In addition, any Board member may attend committee meetings at will. These committees shall be known as: A. Executive Committee: 1. Shall consist of the Cayuga-Cortland WIB Chairperson and Vice Chairperson, and Standing Committees Chairpersons. 2. The Executive Committee shall have the authority to act on behalf of the Board between meetings as deemed necessary by the Chair and shall report such activities at the next regular meeting of the Board. 3. All decisions of the Executive Committee shall be based on the majority of the absolute membership of the Committee. B. Board Maintenance: Shall be appointed by the Board Chairperson, consisting of a minimum of three Board members for the purpose of building and sustaining a healthy and effective WIB. A primary responsibility of this committee is nominating officers for the next year. The Committee shall, at the final meeting of the program year, submit to the Board a slate of officers to assume offices at the first meeting of the next program year. As noted in Article VI, and pursuant to Section 117 of the Workforce Investment Act, the Committee shall nominate Board members representing the private sector for the position of Chairperson and Vice Chairperson. C. Planning and Operations Committee: 1. Shall be considered as the principal policy making and oversight committee. This committee shall be responsible for developing the E & T goals and objectives and will monitor and evaluate Workforce Investment Act implementation and progress. 2. Shall monitor local performance standards with NYS Department of Labor and with local service providers. 3. Shall be responsible for assuring that the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is in place. D. Youth Council Pursuant to Section 117(h)(I) of the Workforce Investment Act, the WIB will officially create and appoint a Youth Council. This Council shall consist of members as approved by the Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Board. The duties of the Youth Council shall include: 1. Developing the portions of the local Plan relating to eligible youth. ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 III-5 2. Recommending grants or contracts to be awarded by the Board to eligible youth activities providers on a competitive basis to carry out the youth activities. 3. Develop and coordinate a comprehensive Youth Workforce Development System in the Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area. It is agreed the Board Maintenance subcommittee will nominate candidates to fill vacancies on the WIB. This will include vacancies due to both resignations and expired terms. The appropriate County Legislature shall veto/ratify/confirm appointments made by the Board Maintenance subcommittee. Board member recruitment will reflect current and emerging trends. For current vacancies a concerted effort is to recruit private sector business representatives from companies with occupations in demand for our local area and also businesses that have a positive track record with hiring youth. Local elected officials are made aware of all WIB vacancies via their committee structure and often make recommendations regarding recruitment of new Board members. The local area counties (Cayuga and Cortland) have agreed the Cortland County Department of Employment and Training Grant Administration will comprise the staff for the area WIB. WIB staff development and retention consists of participation in State WIB Director meetings and retreats, attending NYSDOL/NYSED and NYATEP training related to WIA administrative and management issues, following up on information appearing on the State website (workforcenewyork) as well as utilizing the State Representative, FOTA and WIB Director networking system to properly implement new procedures and systems. ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 III-6 3. Fiscal Agent and Grant Subrecipient The Local Plan must identify the fiscal agent or entity responsible for the disbursal of grant funds. Complete Attachment F, Fiscal Agent/Grant Subrecipient, located in Section IV, Required Certifications and Documents, identifying the local Fiscal Agent and the local Grant Subrecipient (if any) who assist in the administration of grant funds. (See Section IV for the completed attachment) Also note Attachment D, Signature of Chief Elected Official, requires an attestation that the grant recipient possesses the capacity to fulfill all responsibilities regarding liabilities for funds received, as stipulated in §667.705 of the rules and regulations. (See Section IV for the completed attachment) The Official fiscal agent responsible for the disbursal of grant funds for our local area is Cortland County. The "Grant Subrecipient" to assist in the administration of the grant funds is the Cortland County Department of Employment and Training Grant Administration. (See Attachment F, Fiscal Agent/Grant Subrecipient). 4. Direct Services & Infrastructure Plan Complete the following tables displaying how core and intensive services will be delivered and funded by the partners within the One Stop centers and affiliate sites identified in the “Profile”. These tables should aggregate WIA Title1-B and Wagner-Peyser staffing and infrastructure costs, at a minimum. Infrastructure Costs in Dollars (Current) One Stop Center and Affiliate Sites (Identify by Location) Rent Utilities Maintenance Technology Marketing Other Total CWCC-Auburn 97,350 8,400 0 31,737 2,500 5,365 145,352 CWCC-Cortland 122,770 22,773 25,200 24,581 2,500 11,550 209,374 Total Infrastructure Cost and Staff Levels in FTEs (Current) One Stop Center and Affiliate Sites (Identify by Location) Total Cost Dedicated to Core Services Dedicated to Intensive Services Wagner- Peyser Staff WIA Title 1-B Staff Other Wagner- Peyser Staff WIA Title 1-B Staff Other CWCC-Auburn 137,487 2.45 1.80 3.55 0.00 1.80 0.00 CWCC- 195,574 2.50 2.78 2.50 0.00 1.34 0.00 ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 III-7 Cortland Infrastructure Costs In Dollars (Planned over next three years) One Stop Center and Affiliate Sites (Identify by Location) Rent Utilities Maintenance Technology Marketing Other Total CWCC-Auburn 292,050 25,200 0 95,211 7,500 16,095 436,056 CWCC-Cortland 368,310 68,319 75,600 73,743 7,500 34,650 646,122 Total Infrastructure Cost & Staffing Levels in FTEs (Planned Over Next Three Years) One Stop Center and Affiliate Sites (Identify by Location) Total Cost Dedicated to Core Services Dedicated to Intensive Services Wagner- Peyser Staff WIA Title 1-B Staff Other Wagner- Peyser Staff WIA Title 1-B Staff Other CWCC-Auburn 436,056 2.45 1.80 3.55 0.00 1.80 0.00 CWCC- Cortland 646,122 2.50 2.78 0.00 0.00 1.84 0.00 Management & Administrative Staffing Across All One Stop Centers and Affiliate Sites Total FTEs Planned Wagner-Peyser Management Staff For Delivery of Core and Intensive Services .40 Over the next three years we expect the staffing to remain constant in both of our One-Stop Centers. Total WIA Title 1 Management & Administrative Staff 5.12 Over the next three years we expect the staffing to remain constant in both of our One-Stop Centers Total for the LWIA Discuss how the Board or one of its subcommittees anticipates further coordination of services and elimination of duplication in service delivery to maximize resources available to support training and other business services. WIA Regulation Section 652.202 requires all Wagner-Peyser services to be delivered through the One Stop delivery system, through One Stop centers or affiliate sites. If Wagner-Peyser services are currently delivered outside either of these means in the LWIA, ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 III-8 the Board must identify strategies which will bring the LWIA into compliance with the regulations. The Board, the One-Stop Consortium, Local Elected Officials, and Partner Agencies are all interested in further coordination of services to eliminate duplication in service delivery to maximize resources available to support training and other business services. To that end the local area is working with a consultant in facilitated meetings to focus energy on team and partnership building activities. These sessions are helping us to achieve improved communication, joint problem solving, and team building between partners, improved partner relationships leading to full service integration and better more efficient resource sharing. We also plan to seek additional consultant services to facilitate meetings of our Business Service Teams to help them develop a more effective marketing plan with area businesses and increase our business penetration rate. All Wagner-Peyser services are delivered through our two One-Stop Career Centers in Auburn and Cortland. ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 III-9 Subsection 2 Based on the maturity of each local system and the key workforce issues and goals identified through the strategic planning process, address the following points within your response: 1. Selecting and Certifying Operators The Local Board is responsible for selecting and certifying the One Stop Operator with the agreement of the chief elected official [§662.410]. In addition, it is the Board’s responsibility to hold Operators accountable for specific goals and evaluate performance against those goals throughout the period of certification or recertification. All LWIAs must submit their recertification application no later than June 30, 2005 or the local plan will be deemed incomplete. The One Stop Operator recertification process is a required part of the local plan. However, local plan approval is not contingent upon approval of the One Stop Operator recertification application. The local plan will need to be modified if the recertification application is not approved prior to local plan approval. Complete Attachment G, One Stop Operator Information, in Section IV, Required Certifications and Documents. Also attach a copy of the local area’s One Stop Operator Agreement. (See section IV of the plan for a copy of the One-Stop Operator Agreement). 2. Contracting for Service Providers The Workforce Investment Act permits WIA Title I services to be provided through contracts with service providers and may include contracts with public, private for-profit and nonprofit service providers as approved by the Local Board. For those local areas that contract for services: How does the Local Board determine which WIA Title 1 services, if any, should be contracted out? Explain how your decision leverages funding and services already provided by One Stop system partner staff Wagner-Peyser funded staff) to maximize available resources without duplication of services. Provide the process by which the Board awards contracts to entities other than the One Stop Operator for the provision of One Stop services. Identify any subcommittee responsible for this function. How often is the need for contracting services reviewed? For which services do you currently contract? Based on current and future key workforce issues and goals, what changes does the Board anticipate with regard to the number and type of services for which it will be contracting? The local area does not contract out for Title 1 services. In accordance with section 121(ii) of the Workforce Investment Act, the local Board and Chief Elected Officials have agreed to form a consortium of three entities in the Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area, to act as the One-Stop Operator for the Cortland Works Career Center located in Cortland, NY and the Cayuga Works Career Center located in Auburn, NY. The One-Stop services to be provided pursuant to this Agreement consist of core, intensive and training services. The goals and objectives, along with the scope of services to be provided may not be modified or altered without the authorization of the WIB. ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 III-10 This arrangement leverages funding and services already provided by One-Stop System Partner staff. Costs of the core services and the operating costs of the Center are shared and funded by the system partners in accordance with the Cost Allocation Plan as outlined in a Memorandum of Understanding. At this time the Board does not anticipate contracting out for One-Stop System services however, they would certainly entertain contracts if the current system ceases to meet the performance criteria set forth in the Agreement, or if future key workforce issues dictate a change is in the best interest of the One-Stop System for our area. 3. Priority of Service The Local Plan must describe the criteria used to determine whether funds allocated for employment and training activities are limited, and the process by which any priority of service will be applied [§663.600 - §663.640]. Identify any subcommittee of the local board that is responsible for policies related to priority of service. What is the Board’s policy for determining priority of service and its relationship to residency requirements? How often is the policy revisited? How will the priority of service plan align with planned operating policies and procedures? The Planning and Operations Committee is the principal policy making and oversight committee and is the committee of the local Board responsible for policies related to priority of service. In the event of limited funds, the current process for determining priority of services is a "Most In Need" criteria in the selection and enrollment of participants. Such a policy is necessary whenever there is limited funding. The policy is intended to be a selection criterion only and not a means of categorically excluding individuals from service. It is intended the policy be put into effect whenever funds in the local area reach 25 percent of allocated funds for the year. See the next page for text of "Most In Need" policy. Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Area Policies and Procedures for Determining Most In Need Under WIA Most in need is defined for WIA Titles I and Dislocated Workers employment and training activities: For Title I It is the policy of this Workforce Area to serve those individuals who are determined by the Cayuga and Cortland Works Career Centers (our area One-Stop system) to be the most in need and who can benefit from WIA intensive and training services. First and foremost, priorities should be given to recipients of public assistance and other low-income individuals. The system is based on a Level of Need (LNI) rating scale of 100% as determined by weights we assigned to a list of employment barriers that meet the criteria ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 III-11 in the WIA for priority in receiving services. In addition to the LNI number, it is our intention to consider other individual customer factors in assessing "need" for services. These factors are obtained during an interview. Factors will be documented in the customer file by Career Center staff. These factors include: 1. Job Skills: How marketable are an applicant's job skills? If a client's skills are obsolete, or the labor market is overwhelmed by a substantial layoff and clients are unable to find suitable re-employment, they should be considered in need. 2. Previously Served Clients: Any individual who was previously trained, or who dropped out of training would be considered a low priority for additional training. 3. Other Tuition Assistance Programs: If an individual can obtain similar classroom training assistance from other sources (EPE, TAP, PELL, etc.) he/she will be considered a lower priority. 4. Ability To Benefit: Priority will be given to individuals whom Career Center staff judge to be able to complete training, benefit from training, and who are entering training in a skill area that has adequate employment potential. For Dislocated Workers: Dislocated Worker status does not guarantee the applicant will receive services in the form of classroom training, tuition assistance, or On the Job Training. In an economic climate where the need exceeds the resources of the program, the Local Area sets a priority of need to determine which applicant receives services. It is the policy of this area that the first priority of the Dislocated Worker services should be for those workers who have been laid off or have received notice of layoff due to a plant closing or reduction in workforce, and are unlikely to return to their previous occupation or industry and/or have been profiled by the NYS Department of Labor. A second level of priority is long-term unemployed. Another level for funding would include displaced homemakers and individuals who were dismissed from their previous job. ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 III-12 Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Area LEVEL OF NEED INDICATOR (LNI) TABLE Category Individual Point Total Possible Points Actual Point Scored 1. Income PA Recipients Below Poverty Level 5 5 10 2. Family Size 6 or more 4-5 3 10 8 5 10 3. Length of Unemployment Unemployed longer than 15 weeks Unemployed less than 15 weeks Employed Not in the labor force 10 5 3 1 10 4. Other High School Dropout Disabled Minority Youth Veteran Single Parent Female Basic Skills Deficient Limited English Displaced Homemaker Older Worker Offender Unemployment Insurance Claimant Food Stamp Recipient 18 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 70 5. TOTAL ACTUAL SCORE Comments Regarding Additional Customer Factors: (Caseworker's Signature) (Date) ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 III-13 The Board and Counties do not have any official residency requirements for use of WIA funds, as they are not stipulated in the legislation. However, it is widely recognized the WIB formula allocations are distributed by geographic area with consideration given to such factors as the number of disadvantaged individuals in the area compared to statewide figures and also other economic factors such as the relative number of unemployed compared to statewide figures, etc. Therefore, the assumption is that funds are earned by the area for use on residents of the area. It should also be noted residency has not been an issue for our local area for the past five- years and we do not expect it to be an issue in the future. The priority of service plan has worked out well for our local area and has not been found to be in need of any modification. If the area encounters any issue with the policy it will be brought before the Board and put into committee for review and recommendations for any needed changes. The full WIB would then act on the recommendation of the committee. 4. Self-Sufficiency Local Boards must set criteria for determining whether employment leads to self-sufficiency [§663.230]. Identify any subcommittee of the local board that is responsible for policies related to self- sufficiency. Provide the current definition of self-sufficiency as established by the Local Board. Describe how the local definition of self-sufficiency will align with the strategic objectives set forth in the strategic planning portion of this plan. The Executive Committee of the WIB revised our local Self-Sufficiency Definition on January 23, 2002. Such a change would normally have come as a recommendation of the Planning and Operations Committee. The current self-sufficiency definition for individual adults is $25.00 an hour based on individual income. The rationale for the change was to enable the Board to fund training for companies and incumbent workers in our two county area, that need but cannot afford, training to increase productivity and maintain a trained workforce. Considered in establishing the new rate included: A discussion of the training needs of companies revealed in an LWIA survey of area businesses; The desire to be able to be responsive to business needs in a timely manner; A review of the average salaries of area businesses; and Our desire to set the definition at a level that the potential to help the greatest number of companies and their employees without our having to call WIB meetings to review/revise the definition due to the wages that fell out of the scope of our definition. ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 III-14 The current definition of $25.00 per hour, aligns very well with our strategic objective "to maintain a high quality workforce through appropriate and effective training." Given what our State of the Workforce Report revealed about our area in terms of what we know about business and how work is changing, it is apparent training will be fundamental to businesses as they continue to adapt to change and try to secure and retain a high quality workforce. 5. Supportive Services and Needs-Related Payments Local Boards, in consultation with One Stop partners and other community service providers, must develop a policy on supportive services that ensures resource and service coordination in the local area. The policy should address procedures for referrals to such services, including how such services will be funded when they are not otherwise available from other sources. Local Boards may establish limits on the provision of supportive services or provide the One Stop Operator with the authority to establish such limits. Consistent with other regulations, the Local Board must establish the level of needs-related payments for adults [§663.800]. Identify any subcommittee of the local board that is responsible for policies related to supportive services and needs-related payments. Describe the process for the periodic review and update of supportive service policies. How often is this review done and who conducts the review? If a multi-county area, how will supportive service policies coordinated among the counties? Does the local area make needs-related payments and if so, how and how often is the policy or payment level reviewed? The Planning and Operations Committee of the local Board is the principal policy making and oversight committee of the Board. The supportive service policies are reviewed each year by the WIA staff, One-Stop staff, partner agency staff, and WIB staff as a part of the annual budget preparation process. In the event anyone has received any negative feedback from customers regarding the existing policies or any recommendations from staff and partner agencies such information's immediately transmitted to the WIB Director who will research the issue(s) and report findings to the Planning and Operations Subcommittee. All supportive services policies are the same for both of the counties in our local Workforce Investment Area. The supportive services polices were last adjusted in June of 2004. The area does not make Needs Related payments as allocations are not sufficient to support such payments and we have no documented requests over the past five years requesting such payments. In addition, we have allowed for the provision of Supplemental Support Services to cover the extraordinary costs of program participation not able to be addressed elsewhere in the One-Stop System. See below for WIA Support Services available through the One-Stop System: The Workforce Investment Area will provide for Transportation, Childcare, Supplemental Support Services, and youth and adult Incentive Awards to enable individuals to participate in Career Center programs and services, in so far as funding is ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 III-15 available to provide such services. In addition, Relocation Assistance and Out Of Area Job Search Assistance are available to Dislocated Workers only. Transportation The policy for transportation payments for WIA Title I and Trade Act Programs is consistent for our local Workforce Investment Area (LWIA). Transportation payments for WIA Title I is capped at no more than the current federal rate per mile if they are included in the individual's approved training plan, and ONLY if the commuting distance for training purposes is greater than the current Unemployment Insurance (UI) definition of reasonable commuting distance. This definition states that a distance, which requires travel time, of one hour by private transportation or one and one-half hours by public transportation, is considered reasonable. Payments made for transportation cannot exceed the lesser of the actual cost of travel by the least expensive means reasonably available or cost per mile at the federal rate per mile. Regular contact with the student must be maintained by the case manager to ensure satisfactory progress in the training course(s). If it is determined that satisfactory progress is not being achieved, action must be taken to remedy the situation or terminate the training and end the payment of transportation costs. Students must agree to provide their case manager with a copy of all grade reports received from the school within 10 days of such information being received by or available to the student or their eligibility for transportation payments will be immediately terminated. Notwithstanding this policy, the Cayuga-Cortland WIB reserves the right to withhold payments or reduce them if: In our judgement, the cost of providing transportation support becomes prohibitive. The Local Area, or any of its program deliverers, elects to provide transportation at no cost (or limited cost) to participants. In no event, however, will support be withheld for discriminatory or capricious reasons. This policy will not apply to travel required for assessment or counseling unless extraordinary conditions warrant. Any such conditions will be fully documented and available for review. Child Care A child care payment of a maximum of eighty dollars ($80) per week may be paid for the first child to help defray child care costs and encourage program participation. In addition, up to a maximum of sixty dollars ($60) per week may be paid for a second and including any subsequent children. To qualify: ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 III-16 1. Any jobs, WtW or WIA program enrollee who qualifies for the Department of Social Services low income subsidy will not qualify for our child care assistance, unless there is documentation provided from DSS that there is a waiting list which if adhered to will interfere with the enrollee's approved training schedule. 2. For Dislocated Workers, child care assistance cannot be provided when a child is left in the care of a relative. It is our understanding that this prohibition is a requirement of the New York State Department of Labor, Dislocated Worker Unit. It is not a mandate established by our geographic area. 3. To receive childcare assistance, the participant must place the child (or children) with a certified daycare provider or other sitter who may not reside in the same household as the participant, unless this would create undue hardship for said household. In such cases the Career Center management staff must document the need for child care costs. 4. A completed child care Statement must be on file with the Employment and Training Office indicating the charge for child care and the names of the children for whom services will be provided. 5. A completed class/course or other work/training schedule must be on file with the Employment and Training Office prior to payment for childcare assistance. 6. Any changes in the child care cost or the client class or work schedule must be reported to the Employment and Training Office within 5 working days of the change to allow adequate time to process adjustments in payments. 7. Full time participation shall be defined as 5 or more hours per day attending approved, scheduled class/activity. Attendance of less than 5 hours per day will cause payment to be prorated. 8. Reimbursement will be based on childcare provider signed receipts listing dates, times of child care provision and the amount of money charged. In addition, the participant must provide a signed attendance to document their attendance in training which coincides with the child care provider receipt. 9. To accommodate for necessary travel time, the participant will be allowed 1/2 hour at each end of the day to drop off and pick up their child(ren). In the event this would create undue hardship, Career Center management staff must document the need for additional travel time. 10. The following method is to be used to determine the total amount of childcare payment to be made. Maximum weekly payment child #1 = $80 Maximum weekly payment child #2 (or more) = $60 Maximum day rate child #1 = $80/5 days = $16 per day Maximum hourly rate child #1 = $16 per day/5 hours = $3.20 hourly rate Maximum day rate child #2 (or more) = $60 per week/5 = $12 per day Maximum hourly rate child #2 (or more) = $12 per day / 5 = $2.40 per hour ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 III-17 Maximum day rate per household = $28 per day 11. These payments shall be coordinated with other available childcare resources and in no case can the combined payments exceed 100 percent of the cost of care provided. The total payment per week for childcare shall not exceed $140.00. Not withstanding this policy, we reserve the right to withhold payments or reduce them if the cost of providing childcare assistance becomes prohibitive. Supplemental Supportive Services Supplemental Supportive Services payments may be provided. Such payments shall be for Supportive Services which are necessary to enable an individual eligible for training under WIA, but who cannot afford to pay for such services, to participate in a training program funded under this Act. The cost of supplemental supportive services provided may not exceed $100.00 per week. The need for each of these services must be documented and prior approved by Career Center management staff. Incentive and Bonus Payments Participants in special programs funded under WIA may receive incentive and bonus payments based on their attendance and performance. The local policy regarding incentive payments follows: Youth Incentives-Youth Employment Competency Programs Any youth whose documented attendance is 90 percent of the instructor's scheduled hours for the youth, and who successfully attain approved pre-employment/work maturity and basic skills competencies, will receive an employment related incentive award with their certificate of competency attainment. We reserve the right to withhold incentives if the availability of support funds prohibits such costs. Adult Incentives Adult incentives are available to enhance post program follow-up results and/or to reward exemplary performance in a program. Such incentives must be planned for and included in the WIA approved budget. Incentives can include items such as a gift card for work attire, a pre-paid phone card, a gas card, etc. We reserve the right to withhold incentives if the availability of support funds prohibits the cost. Relocation Assistance-Dislocated Workers Only Relocation assistance is a "support service" available to eligible Dislocated Workers who have accepted employment which requires moving to a new area. This financial ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 III-18 assistance is authorized to help off-set the many expenses incurred during relocation, such as travel expense, moving van rental, the cost of having utilities turned on at a new residence, and etc. The following procedure must be followed when authorizing relocation assistance: Step 1. Determination of Need- The participant must provide evidence of six documented attempts to secure employment in the same or similar occupation or one for which training has been received within the commuting area. Per IRS guidelines, commuting area is defined as a 50 mile one way trip from where the worker resides. In addition, financial need for relocation assistance must be documented in the ISS to show that there are costs associated with the relocation over and above available resources. Step 2. A Request for Relocation Assistance Form must first be completed by the client. Step 3. Career Center staff will review the request form and assess the individual's situation including the evaluation of the job being offered. Step 4. Career Center staff must document in the participant's file the reason for authorization or denial of the request for relocation assistance. Step 5. If relocation assistance is authorized, the participant must be given a blank county voucher to sign, date and return for payment after they have completed a minimum of two weeks of full time employment with the new employer. Step 6. The returned voucher can be submitted for payment provided the Career Center staff has received verification of employment from the client's new employer. This verification should be on letterhead and include the information needed to terminate the client file as having entered unsubsidized employment. The participant must also have submitted a note indicating their address and phone number for post program follow-up purposes. The maximum amount of relocation assistance is $600.00. The following scale should be used to determine the amount of relocation assistance to authorize, based on distance moved. Road maps and/or odometer readings should be used for verification. 50 - 500 miles - $200.00 501 - 1000 miles - $400.00 1001 - 1500+ miles - $600.00 Notwithstanding this policy, we reserve the right to withhold payments or reduce them if, in our judgement, the cost of providing Relocation Assistance becomes prohibitive. Out of Area Job Search Assistance ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 III-19 Out of area job search assistance is a "support service". The purpose of this assistance is to help offset the many expenses incurred while traveling to meet with a prospective employer regarding a serious job opportunity. Job interviews should be the only reasons for authorizing this supportive service. The following procedures must be followed when authorizing out of area job search assistance: Step 1. Determination of Need- The participant must provide evidence of six documented attempts to secure employment in the same or similar occupation or one for which training has been received within the commuting area. Per IRS guidelines, commuting area is defined as a 50 mile one way trip from where the worker resides. In addition, financial need for out of area job search assistance must be documented in the Individual Employment Plan to show that there are costs associated with the out of area job search that are over and above available resources. Step 2. A Request for Out of Area Job Search Assistance Form must be completed by the participant. Step 3. Career Center staff must review the request form and assess the individual's situation, including an evaluation of the prospective job opportunity. Step 4. Career Center staff must document in the participant's file the reason for authorization or denial of the participant's request for out of the area job search assistance. Step 5. If assistance is authorized, the participant should be instructed to provide to Career Center staff upon their return, verification of employer contact, transportation receipts, room receipts and meal receipts. Step 6. Career Center staff will submit a completed county voucher signed by the participant for reimbursement along with receipts and verification of employer contact. The maximum allowable amount of assistance provided for out of area job search is $600.00 per participant. More than one out of area trip may be necessary, however, we will not reimburse over the $600.00 maximum amount for all trips combined. The following expenses are reimbursable as outlined below: 1. Transportation- Commercial transportation ticket costs for air, bus and train fares may be reimbursed in the full amount (Not to exceed the $600.00 maximum). Private automobile costs may be reimbursed at the IRS Rate not to exceed $50.00 per week. 2. Meal Reimbursement- Meals may not exceed a total of $35.00 per day. 3. Motel Room Costs- A maximum of $60.00 per day may be reimbursed. Other necessary expenses may be deemed reimbursable at the discretion of Career Center staff provided the expenses are verified. ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 III-20 Notwithstanding this policy, we reserve the right to withhold payments or reduce them if in our judgement, the cost of providing Out of Area Job Search Assistance becomes prohibitive. Career Center staff will identify which partner agencies will participate in the provision of support services and coordinate the provision of such services to avoid duplication of services and/or overpayment of services. 6. Grievances and Complaints The Local Board must establish and maintain a procedure for grievances and complaints which provides a process for handling complaints, an opportunity for informal resolution or a hearing, a process that allows a labor standards grievance to be submitted for binding arbitration, and an opportunity for local level appeal to the state [§667.600]. Such procedure must be in compliance with applicable federal and state statutes and regulations available at http://www.dol.gov/oasam/programs/crc/crcwelcome.htm and Workforce Development System Technical Advisories #02-6, #02-7 and #02-10. Section D, Nondiscrimination and Equal Opportunity Assurance, in Attachment H, Federal and State Certifications, requires the local signatories to attest to compliance with these provisions. Identify any subcommittee of the local board that is responsible for policies related to grievances and complaints. What is the Board’s process for collecting, analyzing and utilizing grievance and complaint information? How often is the information analyzed and who is responsible for the analysis? Identify any subcommittee responsible for this function. Has the analysis of the data regarding complaints resulted in policy changes in the local area? How were those changes communicated to the public, the staff and the State? The Planning and Operations subcommittee is considered the principal policy making and oversight committee of the local WIB. The One-Stop Career Center Management Staff notify the WIB Director when it appears a grievance or complaint might be initiated. The WIB Director and Management Staff review the Grievance/Complaint Resolution Procedure to assure all parties are aware of the procedures, the timelines, and forms to be completed. To date we have only had one written complaint from a program participant and that complaint proceeded to a hearing where it was found to be invalid. The individual was advised of the local decision, in writing, and was also given the necessary information to request a State level review of the findings and decision should (s)he be interested in filing a State level appeal. We have heard nothing more about this case since those letters were sent in November 2002. The WIB Staff reported all activities surrounding this case to the full Board at their regularly scheduled meetings. In the event future complaints and grievances are received the WIB Staff and One-Stop Staff will immediately initiate the Grievance Resolution procedure and simultaneously notify the Planning and Operations Committee Board Officers and local elected officials that a grievance or complaint has been received. ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 III-21 Only one unfounded complaint has been received in our area therefore we have not yet had any resulting policy changes. In the event a policy change is made regarding a complaint, the change will be communicated to the staff via e-mail or a staff meeting dependent upon significance of the change to the overall system; to the public via a posting in each of our One-Stop Career Centers, notices in newsletters, notices in paychecks, etc…and to the State by copy to our State Department of Labor Representative who receives copies of all grievance/complaint correspondence related to our area. It has been the State’s experience that complaints may include information that is not grievable but rather is related to the business practices of the One Stop centers such as staff capacity, quality of information exchanges, process flow provision of outdated grievance contact information, packets of information duplicated so often as to be unreadable, staff providing limited explanations of policies and procedures or not providing copies of Individual Employment Plans). By what means is information regarding non-grievable complaints shared with the One Stop Operator? How is this information used to support the continuous improvement of the One Stop system of service delivery? Information regarding non-grievable complaints is shared with the One-Stop Operator at their regularly scheduled Consortium meetings. The complaint would be thoroughly reviewed along with other customer satisfaction comments. If the Consortium felt services could be improved by initiating a change they would make a recommendation to the WIB Director who would communicate the request to the full WIB for consideration. 7. Youth Services Service Levels For the past four Program Years, record the number of older youth and younger youth served by your LWIA and the planned service levels for PY 05. PY 01 PY 02 PY 03 PY 04 PY 05 Planned Older Youth 21 52 42 82 117 Younger Youth 149 218 161 122 149 Note: The total number of youth served is found in the WIA Annual Reports. WIA PY04 data may be found through the most recent WIA Quarterly Report. Performance ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 III-22 Based on the exit data of the last four years, provide a summary of the local area’s performance with respect to the required WIA measures. For each program year, enter the standard, outcome and indicate Pass/Fail of the performance using or as indicators. ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 III-23 Performance Measure Funding PY 2001 PY 2002 PY 2003 Standard Outcome Pass/Fail 80% of Standard Standard Outcome Pass/Fail 80% of Standard Standard Outcome Pass/Fail 80% of Standard Entered Employment Rate Older Youth 76.0 100.0 P 77.0 100.0 P 77.0 86.7 P Retention Rate Older Youth 74.0 100.0 P 73.0 50.0 F 75.0 80.0 P Younger Youth 41.0 28.6 F 42.0 40.0 P 44.0 65.5 P Earnings Change Older Youth 3,337 -1,073 F 3,272 -1,211 F 3,000 501 F Credential Attainment Rate Older Youth 47.0 100.0 P 50.0 66.7 P 50.0 54.5 P Diploma/GED Rate Younger Youth 47.0 50.0 P 54.0 27.3 F 52.0 65.5 P Skill Attainment Rate Younger Youth 67.0 76.5 P 69.0 74.7 P 70.0 72.8 P Based on your performance answer the following: If the LWIA has failed any of the performance measures in the past, what actions has the Board taken with its youth providers to identify service delivery weaknesses? What changes have been made to policy, service delivery, providers, engagement of partners, memberships on board and councils, etc., to provide for improved program performance? How have those changes been incorporated or aligned with key workforce challenges and planning strategies? What strategies are being devised to exceed standards, improve services and increase market penetration? The WIB Director distributes the WIA Quarterly and Annual reports to the Board and the E&T Directors as soon as the reports become available. If there are any areas of concern the WIB discusses the issue(s) and a meeting is held with the program operators to discuss the report and to prepare corrective action as necessary. Basically our weakest area of performance has consistently been our inability to achieve the "Earnings Gain Outcome Measure for Older Youth." The WIB, through their staff Director, required the ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 III-24 preparation and implementation of corrective action plans and required mandatory participation in technical assistance to be provided at the State level. One of the policy changes required was the directive to institute staff "exit" meetings in each county. The meetings were to be a minimum of one time per month, more frequently as necessary, to discuss any exits before they are made in order to assess the impact of the exit on our performance standards. The counties continue to review all "exits" before they are made. In addition, staff was required to review client files/records of individuals who had been enrolled for multiple years. Clean up work on these files followed State deadlines and was quickly completed. The results of these activities was staff paying much closer attention to how and when to exit clients. More attention was also directed at keeping current with OSOS data entry and finally, all staff received training to be keenly aware of the impact of their data entry on the performance measures for the two county area. Key workforce challenges identified in our State of the Workforce Report include the need to work together to grow the next generation of skilled workers. The WIB is moving forward with requiring providers of WIA Youth programs to create youth portfolio assessments and employment credentials for youth programs that have business and WIB member endorsement. These changes should not only improve the attainment of our youth performance measures, they should also serve to better prepare youth for work and help us to keep youth from leaving the area. Additional strategies devised to exceed standards, improve services, and increase market penetration include: Better screening of youth prior to enrollment, to deliver services to youth who are "Most-In-Need," implementing more and better post program follow-up services to ensure the success of our program participants before they are exited, and initiating new and aggressive marketing campaigns (i.e. distributing brochures and posters to schools and youth service agencies to recruit older youth and out-of-school youth). Framework and Program Elements The Workforce Investment Act requires that the Local Plan define the design framework for youth programs in the local area and define how the ten program elements are provided within that framework. With regard to the design framework and program elements, the following questions should be addressed: Describe the Board’s process and frequency for reviewing the design framework and how it evaluates whether the framework is equipped to successfully support emerging trends, current and future workforce goals and workforce strategies as they relate to youth. If a multi-county area, describe how youth program design is coordinated among the counties. Describe the type and availability of youth activities in the local area and identify any challenges for serving greater numbers of youth most-in-need, including out-of-school youth. What efforts, if any, are being made to connect both WIA and non-WIA youth to the One Stop system? How are youth being exposed to career awareness, work readiness and the One Stop system? ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 III-25 Describe how the Youth Council will incorporate literacy and numeracy elements into the design framework in accordance with USDOL Common Measures Policy. Describe how the Youth Council will incorporate certificates into the design framework in accordance with USDOL Common Measures Policy. The Cayuga-Cortland WIB is the entity responsible for policy development and implementation for our two county Workforce Investment Area. For youth programs the WIB receives advice and input from a Youth Council comprised of representatives of the two-county region who are interested in youth related issues. The Youth Council is responsible for coordinating youth workforce development activities and recommending eligible and effective youth service providers. The Youth Council is also charged with the task of developing an integrated comprehensive system for young people that provides multiple opportunities for education, leadership development, and employment. As a part of this development process, the Youth Council conducts an annual review of the design framework (Youth Request For Proposal) and makes revisions or adjustments. For example: the RFP for the current year program was revised to require a description about how the program provider will address the new literacy and numeracy gains via a pre and post-test. Similarly applicants were asked to describe how they would create portfolio assessments as a means of documenting the skills the youth attain while enrolled in the program. The Youth Program design requirements are identical for both of our LWIA counties. Programs in both counties must: identify their youth target population; address assessment and case management requirements; show how they will make the ten (10) required program elements available; demonstrate effective linkages and coordination with other youth service agencies; and show how they incorporate new and better strategies for serving youth within their program design. Youth activities available in the local area include: Partner Agency Youth Activities Access to Independence Peer support and guidance for youth with disabilities. Alcohol Counseling Services Assistance in avoiding substance abuse. Area Boards of Cooperative GED preparation, Vocational Training, Educational Services (BOCES) Case Management, Assessment, Leadership Training, and Counseling. Area High Schools Classroom Instruction, Guidance Counseling, Tutoring, Social Worker Services. ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 III-26 Catholic Charities Men's Club Mentoring, Emergency Assistance, Pregnancy Prevention, Food Pantry and Career Closet. Cayuga and Cortland County Summer Youth Program, Year Round Departments of Employment & Training Youth Program, Assessment, Counseling, Individual Employment Plan Preparation, Supportive Services, Follow- up Services, Work Experience, Occupational Learning, Leadership Skills, Program Monitoring. Cayuga & Cortland Works Career Career Exploration, Job Search, Centers Vocational Guidance, Resource Room and Resource Library Study Rooms. Community Action Programs Help with Emergency Aid, Mentoring Opportunities, Case Management, Classroom Instruction, Guidance Counseling, Tutoring, Social Worker Services. Cortland County Communities that Care Information on scientifically proven programs for increasing success for youth, Opportunities for Youth Leadership Activities. County Department of Social Services Emergency and Basic Needs Family Counseling Support J.M. Murray Center/Employment Job Coaching, Work Experience Connection/Unity House Placements, Advocacy and Support for youth with disabilities. Liberty Partnership Educational Goals Achievement Tuition Assistance Program Tuition Assistance Youth Bureaus Tutoring Services, GED Program, Drop in Counseling, Social Activities. Youth Council Leadership Opportunities for youth. Zero Adolescent Pregnancy Pregnancy Prevention Programs ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 III-27 The challenge for serving greater numbers of youth most-in-need, including out of school youth, is that they frequently do not meet the WIA income eligibility guidelines. With the stringent Regents requirements for high school graduation there are a number of youth who drop out of school and are not eligible for our program because mom and dad work. One rather unique approach used in our area to recruit out-of-school youth is to offer an incentive such as a phone card, gas card, etc… to participants who bring in a new participant. Any youth not eligible for program participation is personally notified by phone and they also receive a follow-up letter. A reference sheet of available resources for youth is sent with each letter as well as information telling them about the core services that are available to them at the One-Stop Career Center. All youth are offered the opportunity to have a tour of the One-Stop Career Center as well as the ability to avail themselves of core activities such as workshops or Resource Room assistance. In addition, if eligible youth are denied participation because of enrollment quotas being filled, they will be notified they are being placed on a waiting list, and contacted periodically to update the status as well as to be invited to group activities and workshop offerings. Regardless of eligibility status, staff has the responsibility of linking non-selected individuals with agencies and activities appropriate to their needs. In addition, all One-Stop Partners are cognizant of the need to integrate Youth Services in our One-Stop Career Centers, especially in light of the need to serve non-eligible youth through core services. Tours of the Centers are also arranged with area school personnel to bring whole classes or youth social and service clubs to tour the Center and learn what services and programs are available to the youth in our communities. Program Operators already incorporate certificates into the design framework of our programs to help meet our "Credential Rate" performance benchmark. Youth credentials include such things as successful completion of: an OJT contract, literacy training, skill- based credentialing identified in their Individual Employment Plan, Drivers License, CPR Training, goals identified in an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) for disabled youth, etc. In addition, the Youth Council is in the process of looking into the development of a universal Basic Work Skills credential that is endorsed by the WIB and business community. Under discussion is a card with the specific criteria the individual achieved listed on the back. The Board, the Youth Council, and youth provider agencies agree that credentials are something positive for youth to put on a resume or into a portfolio to get them toward the next step of their career goal(s). Youth Council WIA requires that a Youth Council be established as a subgroup of the Local Board [§661.335]. Describe the current and future goals of the Youth Council as aligned with the overall strategic goals of the local area. What outreach and connections to other youth services and providers will be collaboratively planned Youth Bureaus, educational partners) to ensure the provision of integrated youth services? ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 III-28 The current and future goals of the Youth Council are to plan programs that address the development of the entire individual through services such as mentoring, community service, leadership and team building skills, and capabilities. In keeping with the WIA, the Youth Council plans youth programs that move away from one time, short term interventions and instead uses the talent on the Council along with their knowledge of what is going on in the local and global economy to develop a systematic approach that offers youth a broad range of well coordinated services. Outreach for both in school and out-of-school is accomplished through the combined effort of the project partners and service providers throughout the two counties, including area schools and partner provider agencies. Materials have been developed to market the project to youth and agencies that serve youth. Targeting youth requires using marketing tools that are less traditional than Public Service announcements and newspaper articles, but continued promotion of the project is essential to the recruitment effort and will be on going. Flyers are distributed to service providers, local retail stores, entertainment centers and other facilities frequented by youth. Word of mouth is also a great marketing tool for youth, and participants are encouraged to discuss the merits of the program with their friends. A large part of the in school recruitment is conducted by staging events such as job fairs and workshops and extending invitations to young people in the community. One of our Centers has a Youth Specialist for referrals and arranging school tours of the Center in order to raise awareness of the program. Program participants are also encouraged to bring friends with them to workshops and other events and they can earn incentives for bringing in new participants. Selecting Youth Providers The Local Board is responsible for selecting eligible youth service providers based on recommendations of the Youth Council, and maintaining a list of providers with performance and cost information [§661.305]. Identify your youth providers, the services they provide and the steps that will be taken to leverage additional resources to deliver integrated youth services in a broader youth development context. Has your partner or vendor mix also changed and if so, how and why? Describe how this mix provides integrated youth services from a youth development perspective. Describe your Youth RFP process including the frequency of release, review criteria and who reviews the proposals For which services has the Board entered into a contract? Are the local Employment and Training offices providing any services to youth? Our Youth providers include the County Employment and Training Department for Auburn (Cayuga County): Their program entitled, "Youth Achieving at Work," provides comprehensive employment and educational services to WIA eligible in-school and out-of- school youth. A team of staff from the Cayuga County Employment and Training, Cayuga Onondaga BOCES, and Cayuga/Seneca Community Action Agency works cooperatively to provide the following program elements: Assistance for completion of secondary education, referral to alternative secondary schools, summer employment, paid and unpaid ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 III-29 work experience, occupational skills training, leadership development, adult mentoring, case management and guidance, supportive services and follow-up services. In addition, project staff members work extensively with area human service agencies for referrals and other services. Similarly the "Cortland Youth Works" program is a year round youth employment program that encompasses all ten (10) required program elements of the Workforce Investment Act in a comprehensive case management format where each young person is assessed and given the services necessary for his/her success. The young people are assessed as to their needs and within the WIA Ten Element framework receive any of those services that are necessary for their success through referrals to partner agencies or with direct service from Employment and Training staff. The Cortland County E&T Department purchases the following services to augment their program: Job Coaching: Employment support services for young people in need of intensive job support. The provider of service is the J.M. Murray Center. Monitoring Services: Guidance, role modeling and support for young men. The provider of service is Catholic Charities. Tutoring Services: To provide tutoring services for youth in school and also GED tutoring for out-of-school youth, as needed by the provider that best suits their individual needs. The providers of service are BOCES, Cortland City Youth Bureau, and individual tutors. Numerous activities are under way in our two-county area to leverage additional resources to deliver integrated youth services in a broader youth development context. In one of our LWIA counties, area schools and youth service agencies and key community leaders actively participate on the Communities that Cares (CTC) Coalition where coalition members have diligently worked to prepare a 5 Year Comprehensive Youth Development Plan in which the coalition has selected the five highest need areas to focus on over the next few years. The coalition has also been quite successful in identifying and obtaining resources to implement programs identified in the plan. In addition, our local area realizes additional resources each time one of our youth is referred for services from a partner agency to meet needs that are out of the scope of WIA services such as housing assistance, drug and alcohol treatment, pregnancy prevention services, social services, etc. The WIB, counties and Youth Council are very supportive of efforts to expand resources and work cooperatively on a Comprehensive Youth Development Plan for our area. The partner or vendor mix has not changed much in our area over the past five years, as we are primarily a rural workforce area where program operators work closely to maximize the resources and programs we have. We also cooperate to apply for additional resources to be able to expand our services, as viable grant offerings become available. For the current planning cycle, the WIB will seek to participate in a meeting of school Board Superintendents to engage them in a dialog and continue the work that resulted from our Strategic Planning Summit. The WIB will also attempt to connect with educators, parents, ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 III-30 and businesses by participating in meetings with school groups to identify how we can best work together on behalf of the youth in our communities. Our local WIB recently solicited proposals for the operation of youth programs for the period September 1, 2005 through August 31, 2006. The solicitation indicated awards may be extended through August 31, 2009 at the discretion of the WIB, contingent upon the continued availability of WIA Youth funds, and dependent on the contractor meeting the negotiated performance benchmarks. Public Notices were placed in the two official newspapers in the area to solicit Requests for Proposal (RFP). In addition, the entire RFP packet was put on the area's website to expand its circulation. Completed proposals were submitted to the WIB Director who began a technical review. Simultaneous with the WIB Director's review, proposals were also transmitted to a review committee of the Youth Council along with Proposal Review Evaluation Tool and a copy of the Board's completed on-site youth monitoring form of the prior year program. The Youth Council Proposal Review Subcommittee met to evaluate and rank the proposals received and made a recommendation for contract awards to the full Youth Council. The full Youth Council received and reviewed the work of the subcommittee and made a recommendation to the full WIB regarding the award of contracts for Program Year 2005 which the Board will act on at their September 13, 2005 meeting. (See attached Proposal Evaluation Tool) CAYUGA-CORTLAND WORKFORCE INVESTMENT BOARD Proposal Review Evaluation Tool EVALUATION CRITERIA This selection of a successful proposal for negotiation and consideration of contract award shall be made after careful evaluation by the WIA Grant Administration Department and the review Committee of the Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Board. Each proposal will be evaluated by these entities with emphasis on the various factors enumerated below assigning to that factor a numerical weight. CRITERIA VALUE Program Design 25 Outcomes 25 Collaboration and Sustainability 20 Demonstrated Capability 15 Budget Detail 15 Each proposal should be submitted in the most favorable term of a price and technical standpoint. The Cayuga-Cortland WIB reserves the right to request any additional data or oral discussion/presentation in support of the written proposal. All costs contained in the proposal shall be valid, real, necessary, reasonable, allowable, properly allocated and not defective or fraudulent. The Cayuga-Cortland WIB requests full rights of disclosure pursuant to contract award. ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 III-31 A contractor may not be recommended for funding, regardless of the merits of the proposal submitted, if they have a history of contract non-compliance with the Private Industry Council, WIB, or other funding source. In addition, poor past or current contract performance with the Private Industry Council, WIB, or other funding source may effect recommendations for awards. The WIB reserves the right to stipulate special terms regarding the area of concern, which will become part of the final contract. A. PROGRAM DESIGN (maximum 25 points) Clarity, completeness and quality of overall service design and delivery plan The proposal makes specific provisions with regard to the following elements: Youth target population Assessment, case management 10 required program elements Linkages and coordination; and Incorporation of new and better strategies for serving youth Score Comments: CAYUGA-CORTLAND WORKFORCE INVESTMENT BOARD Proposal Review Evaluation Tool B. OUTCOMES (maximum 25 points) Proposed project outcomes meet or exceed the youth standards negotiated for our geographic area? The service plan responds to the needs identified by the WIB and its Youth Council? The funding requested is reasonable in relation to the proposed outcomes? A plan or process has been identified in the project to ensure ongoing program evaluation for participating youth? Score Comments: C. COLLABORATION AND SUSTAINABILITY (maximum 20 points) The project indicates strong coordination with other youth programs? The project demonstrates community partnerships and contributions? The project involves local schools and employers? Score ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 III-32 Comments: D. DEMONSTRATED CAPABILITY (maximum 15 points) The bidder demonstrates a history of success in serving a comparable target group? The bidder demonstrates the ability to effectively execute contract management responsibilities? Score Comments: CAYUGA-CORTLAND WORKFORCE INVESTMENT BOARD Proposal Review Evaluation Tool E. BUDGET DETAIL (maximum 15 points) The bidder’s budget is clear and complete? The cost per individual and total allocation sought constitutes an effective use of resources? The proposed budget reasonably supports the proposed program? Score Comments: COMBINED SCORES SECTION SCORE A. Program Design B. Outcomes C. Collaboration/Sustainability ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 III-33 D. Demonstrated Capability E. Budget Detail TOTAL POINTS Proposing Agency: Program Title: Program Year: Name of Reviewer Date ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 III-34 Youth Eligibility Regulations require that, as part of the process for determining who is eligible for youth services, the Local Board must provide a definition of “deficient in basic literacy skills” and “requires additional assistance to complete an educational program, or to hold and secure employment” [§664.205, §664.210]. Provide current definitions and describe how these definitions will support the goals the Board has identified in addressing its key workforce issues and what effect they have on eligibility for youth services. Deficient in Basic Skills: Youth who are not performing at grade level for in school youth and not at their chronological grade level equivalent for out-of-school youth. Youth with an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) issued by a Committee on special Education are automatically be considered Basic Skill Deficient or in need of additional assistance to complete an educational program or to secure and hold employment. Youth who exhibit difficulty in their current education or employment situation. Needs additional assistance to complete school or get a job as evidenced by: Youth who have not held employment with the same employer for more than one year. Youth who are at risk of substance abuse. Youth who are underemployed (for out-of-school use). Youth who are not having success in their present situation. The Youth Council has recommended these definitions with the intent of making them broad to maximize the number of youth we can serve with our limited WIA funds. In arriving at the definitions the Youth Council and full WIB also wanted to reach the "Most In Need" population. Our State of the Workforce Report shows an educated, skilled workforce is growing older and it appears there are insufficient numbers of qualified applicants to take their place. These definitions will help us to work with youth to develop the basic skills necessary to compete and be successful in the workplace. One hundred percent of the businesses interviewed in preparing the State of the Workforce Report stated they could not always find qualified workers and as soon as they needed them despite the fact unemployment rates have been consistently high in both counties. Those interviewed also felt the emerging workforce, youth graduating or dropping out of high school, do not always demonstrate the skills necessary to meet the expectations of the employer and remain jobless or repeatedly encounter joblessness. We tried to take this information into consideration when defining these terms so we can work together with the business community and youth to overcome these issues. ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 III-35 8. WIA Adult and Dislocated Worker and Wagner-Peyser Services Service Levels Record the number of WIA Adults, WIA Dislocated Workers and Wagner-Peyser customers served by your LWIA and the planned service levels for PY05. Total Number Served PY 01 PY 02 PY 03 PY 04 PY 05 Planned WIA Adults 391 432 258 121 193 WIA Dislocated Workers 391 373 264 261 291 Wagner-Peyser Funded Customers* INA 9,291 6,479 6,464 6,400 Note: The total numbers served for WIA Title IB is found in the WIA Annual Reports. PY04 WIA Title IB data is found through the most recent WIA Quarterly Report. *Please consult with the Wagner-Peyser LWIB member for assistance in obtaining and understanding Wagner-Peyser numbers. Performance Based on the exit data, provide a summary of the local area’s performance with respect to the required WIA measures. For each program year, enter the standard, outcome and indicate Pass/Fail of the performance using or as indicators. ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 III-36 Performance Measure Funding PY 2001 PY 2002 PY 2003 Standard Outcome Pass/Fail 80% of Standard Standard Outcome Pass/Fail 80% of Standard Standard Outcome Pass/Fail 80% of Standard Customer Satisfaction Participants 70.0 91.0 P 72.0 INA INA 71.0 41.2 F Employers 68.0 71.0 P 70.0 INA INA 68.0 78.2 P Entered Employment Rate Adults 71.0 100.0 P 72.0 95.8 P 72.0 92.3 P Dislocated Workers 81.0 100.0 P 82.0 98.6 P 82.0 97.0 P Retention Rate Adults 73.0 93.8 P 75.0 91.5 P 79.0 94.0 P Dislocated Workers 84.0 96.6 P 82.0 94.4 P 87.0 94.5 P Earnings Change Adults 3,001 4,854 P 2,942 2,729 P 2,648 2,578 P Earnings Replacement Rate Dislocated Workers 83.0 96.4 P 84.0 103.2 P 87.0 93.5 P Credential Attainment Rate Adults 54.0 58.3 P 65.0 87.7 P 67.0 78.8 P Dislocated Workers 46.0 58.3 P 56.0 89.7 P 57.0 90.3 P Job Seeker Entered Employment Rate Wagner- Peyser N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Job Seeker Employment Retention Rate Wagner- Peyser N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Based on your performance answer the following: If you have failed any of the performance measures in the past, what actions has the Board taken with its program operators and One Stop operator to identify service delivery weaknesses? What changes will be made to policy, service delivery, training providers, engagement of partners, memberships on board and councils, etc., to achieve all performance standards? What strategies are being devised to exceed met standards, improve services and increase market penetration? ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 III-37 The only measure we failed in the chart (above) was the Program Year 2003, Customer Satisfaction (participants). The calculation appears to either be in error or it is not statistically significant (based on the size of the sample). In reviewing the annual reports to complete the chart Customer Satisfaction data (participants) for 2003 was identical for quarters 3 and 4. The action taken by the Board was the WIB Director reviewed the in house Customer Satisfaction Surveys for the time period and found Customer Satisfaction to be consistently running in the good to excellent range (above 90% combined). The WIB Director also placed some phone calls to our Department of Labor State Representative to discuss the matter. It was determined there was some kind of anomaly in the report and no service delivery weaknesses were identified. Our other area of concern is the earnings change rate for adults. While we are consistently passed this standard by achieving at least 80% of the negotiated standard, we are not meeting it by the same high margins we have been able to attain in our other adult and dislocated worker performance areas. As is the case in our youth programs the earnings change measure for adults is our weakest link in terms of program performance. Similar to the corrective action plan put into place for youth programs, the Career Centers and Program Operators have undergone staff training on the reporting and monitoring of this benchmark to help them thoroughly understand the definition(s), timelines and impact of exits on our ability to meet or exceed this standard. Program exits continue to be monitored by the One-Stop Management Staff in both Career Centers and staff continually work on better pre-program screening and post program follow-up to assure the success of our program participants. Staff and Board members alike also feel there is a direct relationship between what is going on in our local economy and our ability to meet and exceed this benchmark. For example if our large manufacturing firms continue to down size and "right size" and these typically high paying jobs are being replaced by lower paying service occupations then it will be difficult, at best, to achieve high enough earning changes to help us achieve this performance measure. Strategies we have devised to exceed the standards include: Use of incentives with program participants to reward exceptional performance or to attain performance criteria as participants exit programs. Increasing post program follow-up to ascertain client progress once they leave our programs. This opens the door for us to be able to provide additional help if something is hampering their success. Providing cross training of all staff co-located in the Career Center so they understand the importance of the performance benchmarks and how to achieve them. Reviewing Customer Satisfaction Survey results, in particular the additional comments sections, to see what changes in services are important to our customer base. Survey results are shared with Center staff; partner agencies, the Consortium, WIB and they are posted in the Center for customers to see. Survey results go to WIB staff and the Consortium where they are compiled ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 III-38 monitored, and discussed to determine the need for corrective action or changes in services. Based on our Strategic Planning efforts to provide training opportunities that will lead to skill enhancement benefiting our local employers, employees, and communities in general and our ongoing efforts to market the value of the WIB to job seeker and business customers, we do not expect any difficulty in achieving our market penetration goals. Adult and Dislocated Worker Eligibility WIA regulations set forth the eligibility criteria that adults and dislocated workers must meet to participate in WIA Title I and Wager-Peyser programs. In addition, Local Boards are given responsibility to further establish policies and procedures for One Stop Operators to use in determining an individual’s eligibility as a dislocated worker, including the definition of what constitutes a “general announcement” of a plant closing and, for determining eligibility of self- employed individuals, what constitutes “unemployed as a result of general economic conditions in the community in which the individual resides because of natural disasters” [§663.115]. Identify any subcommittee of the local board that is responsible for policies related to adult and dislocated worker eligibility. How is the definition of a “general announcement” of a plant closing shared with staff to determine dislocated worker eligibility (including partner staff needing to determine dislocated worker “target group” eligibility for Work Opportunity Tax Credit applications)? Describe how the One Stop Operator’s policies and procedures adequately address the needs of self employed individuals who become unemployed as a result of general economic conditions in their community because of natural disasters. Describe how reemployment services for UI customers are coordinated in your One Stop system. Explain how UI profiling information will be used to target services, including enrollment into the dislocated worker program. The policymaking Committee of the Board is the Planning and Operations Committee. Like all policies, the local definition of "general announcement" of a plant closing is communicated among agencies via; Staff meetings, e-mail distribution lists, posting of information on the website, etc. When issues arise that are particularly time sensitive we immediately follow-up in the most efficient way, be it phoning, e-mailing, or walking over to partner staff's desks. Self employed individuals who become unemployed as a result of general economic conditions in our communities or because of natural disasters are treated in the same manner as any other dislocated worker. Whether they are going out of business because they can no longer compete financially or because they must permanently close their doors due to flooding and inadequate insurance to replace products or repair structural damage they will all be considered a dislocated worker and eligible for the same range of services available to WIA eligible adults. These services will most likely focus on services geared to acquiring new skills and/or upgrading existing skills. The One-Stop Career Center is the main point of participant intake and delivery of benefits and services for all of our customers. For Dislocated Workers the focus of our programs is on early intervention, up front assessment, and re-employment services for adversely affected workers. ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 III-39 The sequence of service for all of our job seekers, including dislocated workers and dislocated workers eligible for Trade Act benefits is the same. There is universal access to core services at all of our One-Stop Career Centers. Core Services include: outreach, intake, orientation to One-Stop Services and WIA Title I eligibility determination, other core services are: initial assessment of skill levels, aptitudes and abilities; job search and placement assistance; career counseling; provision of local labor market and performance information; and job vacancy listings. More intensive services are delivered to jobseekers, including dislocated workers and trade eligible dislocated workers who are unable to find suitable employment through core services. These services include: Comprehensive and specialized assessment of the academic levels, skill levels, interests, and service needs of the customer; Preparation of an Individual Employment Plan that identifies employment goals, appropriate achievement objectives and appropriate mix of services for the customer taking into account the assessment conducted; Individual and group counseling, career planning, and case management services for those seeking training; and short-term pre-vocational workshops are also available. If it is determined that occupational training is necessary to secure suitable employment both On-the-Job and Classroom Training will be discussed and a determination made as to the type of training that will best meet the individual's needs. Special emphasis will be given to employer based training as it gets Dislocated Workers immediately back into the labor market. The provision of training is subject to the recommendation and approval of WIA One-Stop staff. Training will be available to adults and dislocated workers who: have, after interview, evaluation, assessment, and case management been determined by Career Center staff to be in need of training to access suitable employment and who are determined to have the skills and qualifications to successfully participate. Approvable training programs must have a direct link to area employment or opportunities that are in demand in another area to which the individual indicates (s)he is willing to relocate. Costs for WIA funded training and support services are established by the WIB. Trade Act funding for training, job search, relocation assistance, and training waivers will be in accordance with the federal Trade Act and governing regulations. Division of Employment Services (DoES) staff at both Cayuga Works Career Center and Cortland Works Career Center use an automated weekly download of new unemployment Insurance (UI), customers, and conduct reemployment Orientation. All UI customers are informed of and encouraged to utilize all services offered in the Career Centers. These services include job search and placement assistance, job matching, workshops, Labor Market Information, resume preparation/critiquing, and staff assistance in the use of the Resource Room information/tools. All UI customers are registered in the One-Stop Operating System so that services and referrals may be tracked. Referrals to other One-Stop System partners are also made. ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 III-40 UI customers are profiled based on factors that predict the likelihood that the customer will exhaust UI benefits. Until September of 2004 the local area received lists of profiled workers from the NYS Department of Labor. Department of Employment Services (DoES). The lists were used by WIA staff to invite these individuals to special workshops at the Center where the individuals would: receive information on the services available to dislocated workers, be provided a tour of the facility; and meet with a WIA staff person to begin to develop a plan of service to meet their re-employment needs. Since we have stopped receiving the list of profiled workers we pick up the information from the client record portion of OSOS as Unemployment Insurance claimants are registered into the OSOS participant tracking system. It is the policy of the local area that the first priority of Dislocated Worker Services should be for those workers who have been laid off or have received notice of layoff due to a plant closing or reduction in workforce, and are unlikely to return to their previous occupation or industry and/or have been profiled by the NYS Department of Labor. A second level of priority is long-term unemployed. Another level of priority would include displaced homemakers and individuals who were dismissed from their previous job. Rapid Response Provide a description of the Local Board strategies to integrate strategies into the One Stop system. Identify any subcommittee of the local board that is responsible for policies related to Rapid Response. What policies can the Local Board enact to foster greater connections with the One Stop system and better outcomes for individuals served through local Rapid Response activities? Who is responsible for coordinating Rapid Response services in the local One Stop system? Describe how Rapid Response functions as a business service in your local area. How will Rapid Response promote the full range of services available to help companies in all stages of the economic cycle, not just those available during layoffs? The Planning and Operations Committee is the policy Committee of the WIB. Policies the Local Board can enact to foster greater connections with the One-Stop System and better outcomes for individuals served through Rapid Response activities include: Flexing the hours of operation of the One-Stop Career Centers to accommodate the work schedules of individuals in need of Rapid Response Services. Give priority in terms of services to Dislocated Workers who have been laid off or who have received notice of layoff due to a plant closing or reduction in workforce, and are unlikely to return to their previous occupation or industry. ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 III-41 Provide a means for Dislocated Workers to document their skills in order to re- engage and keep working in a changing workforce (through the use of certificates, transcripts, or portfolios) Provide specialized workshops to help Dislocated Workers re-tool for today's workforce. These workshops should highlight the skills for which businesses are looking including: Motivation; Adaptability Transferable skills that would allow them to transition effectively to another job without training; Willingness and/or ability to train or retrain; The positive attitude necessary to secure a job; Willingness to accept a lower salary; etc… The New York State Department of Labor has been designated by the Governor as the State agency responsible for the coordination and oversight of Rapid Response activities. When the Division of Employment Services (DoES) Regional Office is notified of an impending layoff or plant closing, the Director of the Dislocated Worker Assistance Center (located in Utica) makes the initial contact with the affected employer's human resource representative, for the purpose of conducting a reemployment services fact gathering and preliminary planning session. The outcomes from the session are shared immediately with the WIB Director and the DoES manager for the purpose of cooperatively developing a reemployment services strategy on behalf of the affected workers. A team approach is used and emphasis is placed on early intervention on the behalf of the affected workers. Our two county area has an established rapport with area businesses and industries and a proven track record of providing immediate response in times of mass layoffs and plant closures. We have a team of professionals in both counties who conduct workshops for affected employees to help them cope with the immediate emotions and fears surrounding their situation(s) and to begin introducing them to a full range of community agencies, individuals and services they can access when they are ready to make the adjustments necessary to re-enter the workforce. The workshop typically includes a one- page survey of employee needs coupled with speakers and information on a variety of topics including: Stress management; Coping with job loss; Medical/Dental Centers that use a sliding fee payment schedule; Personal Finance considerations; Options for Retirement Funds (on an as needed basis); Employment and Training Services available at the One-Stop Career Centers Labor Exchange Programs; ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 III-42 Education Agency Options; BOCES Community College, Four Year College Regents and Empire College Programs Work Keys; and Unemployment Insurance Presenters prepare a standard packet of handouts for workshop attendees to take with them and are more than willing to stay at the end of sessions to meet privately with individuals who have questions they prefer not to address in a group setting. The workshop sessions are about two hours in length and content is discussed and pre- approved by the employer. This format has evolved due to the number of plant closings experienced in our part of the State over the past several years. As stated above all workshops are discussed with our New York State Department of Labor Regional Office as they are scheduled and we have and will continue to adjust our format to coordinate and compliment any state-planned activities. It should also be noted that we work with any organized labor organization that also represents the employees if applicable. Employers are encouraged to consult the New York State Department of Labor, the Local Workforce Investment Board, as well as local and regional economic development and other public officials for assistance in developing a layoff aversion strategy. This strategy may include incumbent worker training to upgrade the skills of the workers and the Shared Work Program to provide partial Unemployment Insurance assistance to workers whose hours are reduced. To assist companies interested in layoff aversion, the State has established a grant program to make funding available to support layoff aversion training activities. Business Services Provide a description of the Local Board’s strategies to improve services to employers. Identify any subcommittee of the local board that is responsible for policies related to Business Services. What is the plan to: o determine the needs of employers in your local area? o integrate business services, including Wagner-Peyser Act services, to employers through the One Stop system? o maximize awareness and employer use of available Federal tax credit programs through the system? The Planning and Operations Standing Committee is the principal policy making and oversight committee of our local WIB. The most effective means of determining the needs for employers in our local area is to ask them. With the Career Centers up and operational with staff of partner agencies co-located in each of the Centers, the One-Stop Operator Consortium and local WIB created a Business Services Team in each of our One-Stop Career Centers. The Teams consist of all partner agency staff members who go out and provide business services to area employers. The WIB designated the Employment ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 III-43 Services Representative for the NYS Department of Labor to coordinate and lead the teams in their activities. The E.S. Representative was selected, as this individual is assigned to both of our Local Workforce Investment Area counties and is in regular contact with the employers in both counties. The One-Stop Consortium oversees the Business Services Teams and ensures that the Business Services we provide are in compliance with the policies and procedures of the WIB and in compliance with the parameters in the Memorandum of Understanding. Business services outlined in the Agreement include: New Business Registrations (orders from new businesses to the Career Centers). New Businesses visited (Document and Report). New Job Orders. Persons Referred to Job Orders. Hires resulting from referrals. Companies receiving other business services (i.e. Recruitment, One-the-Job Training, Customized Training, Tax credits, etc…). In addition, WIB staff work with area employers to locate and apply for State and other training grants. The E.S. Representative is the key contact for processing tax credits for Empire Zone Employers. The E.S. Representative assists employers in completing and filing necessary tax credit forms. The Consortium will monitor the activities of the Business Services Teams to ensure Quality Assurance and continued improvement. The model we selected for our Business Services Teams is: One-Stop Partners form a joint team across agencies to provide Business Services. We selected this model because staff from the partner agencies were already out in the community providing these services. The design model allows the agencies to work cooperatively under a single team leader. The teams are presently focusing their efforts on working with businesses that are growing and seeking higher skilled workers. The design factors that we have tried in instill in our Business Services Teams include: Operate with a Never Say No Attitude. Work with a passion to meet the employers need-why, because excellent service brokering builds a long-term customer relationship with the business so be sure to nurture relationships with other providers (both public and private) who can provide needed services to businesses that we cannot provide. Create a unified team. Work together. Share information about the businesses, their employment needs and special events or problems (if any exist). Strategically choose the Businesses to be served by the Center. Resources are limited-using them where the impact is the greatest appears to be key to success. Engage Customers in service design. Build your services based on what the customer wants rather than what the Center wants to provide or is funded to provide. Develop your efforts based on Customer feedback-modify services to reflect feedback from customers. Work in real Time with a sense of urgency. Businesses don't have time for bureaucracy and will use speed of response as an indicator of service quality. ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 III-44 Coordination and Integration of Services Provide a description of how the Local Board fosters coordination and integration of One Stop services. Identify any subcommittee of the local board that is responsible for policies related to Coordination and Integration of services. Provide a brief explanation on how core, intensive and training services are delivered. Specifically discuss how Wagner-Peyser funded core services are coordinated with WIA Title 1B funded core services. Describe how you assure that the delivery of these services is aligned. Identify any subcommittee responsible for this function. How will coordination of services provided by each of the required and optional One Stop partners through the One Stop system be improved? How will freed-up resources resulting from this improved coordination and integration of services be utilized to provide expanded training opportunities? Describe the level of coordination with Wagner-Peyser in your full-service One Stop centers. In consultation with the local Wagner-Peyser WIB representative, describe what steps toward full integration are planned over the next three years. The Planning and Operations Committee is the policy-making Committee of our local WIB. Our One-Stop Delivery System is intended to provide customers with universal access to workforce development information and services in a seamless service delivery system. We have two One-Stop Career Centers and each Center house 7-8 on-site partner agencies. Staff are located in the Centers by function rather than agency designation and all staff wear a name tag bearing their first name and Center logo. Both sites use existing conference rooms, classrooms, and any excess capacity for workshops and orientations conducted by a variety of agencies, as well as for accommodating out stationed staff who are on-site for special projects and activities, and/or for area businesses to conduct recruitment and employment interviews. All Center staff work cooperatively to integrate services. Staff work cooperatively to streamline the provision of core, intensive and training services within the Centers. Customer satisfaction data is regularly collected and reviewed for the purpose of providing services that are customer driven rather than program driven. All agencies participate in cross training in the services and resources available through partner agencies and to work toward standardizing interagency process, where appropriate and reasonable. Customers can access services at the Centers by: Walk in or by appointment Telephone Email Referral by Partner Agency ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 III-45 Internet Access Customer's can self identify core service needs and, be directed to appropriate services. Customers who come to the Center and register are also offered a survey to fill out which is used to determine needs and is reviewed for appropriate referrals. This has standardized the process for initial assessment in order to direct job seekers to appropriate services within a reasonable response time. This assessment initially breaks down the job seeker into three different customer groups that allow staff to determine the appropriate level of service and/or referrals that the customer is likely to require. For example: job ready; (just needs core services and use of Resource Room/Resource Library); Job ready with minimal assistance (needs some intensive services, resume assistance, workshops); or not job ready (lacks demand skills, training education or experience and requires referral for training or On-the-Job Training to appropriate partner agency). Wagner-Peyser core services and WIA Title IB funded core services are available to all customers of the Cayuga Works Career Center and the Cortland Works Career Centers. We are very proud of how well coordinated and aligned these services have become and staff work hard to make the delivery of these services seamless so the customer is not aware of the funding sources of the staff. A high level of coordination exists with Wagner-Peyser staff in both of our One-Stop Career Centers. The management staffs, Consortium, and WIB continue to look for ways to increase efficiencies and work toward full integration of all the resources available to the system. We are presently working with a consultant to explore further integration possibilities in the areas of Resource Room, Greeter, Application Process, Job Search Assistance and Marketing. Each Center has developed a priority list of services that could benefit from further integration and staffs and partner agencies have begun to map the steps involved in each service from the start of the process to the end. The next step will be to develop a flowchart for the process followed by discussions regarding the charts to identify duplicated steps/tasks and efficient/inefficient steps/tasks. The end results will be: an action plan to integrate the process, and better ways of working together. Integrating functions and finding more efficient ways of providing a service will give us better customer results and free up resources to be utilized to provide expanded training opportunities to our customers over the next three years. Service to Special Populations Provide a description of the Local Board’s strategies for serving Special Populations. Identify any subcommittee of the local board that is responsible for policies related to Service to Special Populations. Describe the Board’s strategies for anticipated enhancements to service delivery for special populations, including at a minimum Unemployment Insurance claimants, veterans, displaced homemakers, individuals with disabilities, individuals with limited English ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 III-46 proficiency, older individuals, and migrant and seasonal farm workers over the next three years. The Planning and Operations subcommittee of the local board is responsible for policy development. The Career Centers serve all individuals from all of the special population groups identified above. Unemployment insurance claimants receive a Reemployment Services Orientation, which includes information about the Career Centers. The UI customers are encouraged to use the services available. A New York State Department of Labor Veteran Employment Representative (LVER) is stationed at both Career Centers. He works cooperatively with other One-Stop staff to ensure that every veteran that seeks services through the Career Centers obtains priority of service, as required by federal law. Displaced homemakers receive universal services at the Career Centers. Additionally, they are referred to the Displaced Homemaker program who have a part-time presence at the Cortland Works Career Center. Individuals with disabilities benefit from the presence of a full-time Disability Program Navigator in each of our Career Centers as well as a VESID Counselor who is on site part- time in both counties. Individuals with limited English proficiency: through the Limited English Proficient (LEP) program, universal access is provided for customers with limited proficiency in English. Older workers receive universal access and may be referred to Experience Works staff who are co-located in each Center. Migrant and seasonal farm workers - a Rural Labor Services Representative and a bilingual outreach worker serves multiple counties including Cayuga and Cortland. These staff provides Labor Exchange services to employers and The Employment and Training needs of special populations are not that dissimilar from those all job seekers. Whatever career field they choose to pursue they need to emerge qualified to perform the job and possess the skills to readily adapt to new situations on the job. For most of these individuals, it is the length of time and the amount of intervention necessary that will vary dependent upon individual need and the particular barriers faced including: poor life coping skills, low self esteem, lack of education/credentials, lack of successful work experience, and the need for basic labor market information. The types of service interventions they require include: life skills; subsidized work experience programs; supportive counseling; intensive case management; ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 III-47 childcare and transportation assistance; and referrals to other agencies to address extraordinary issues such as mental health; physical health, family crisis intervention, alcohol/drug dependency, etc. Many of these services are provided on site at the Career Centers and/or by referral to other programs and services offered by our partner agencies. We are very proud of the work our Centers have accomplished in the areas of accessibility. The Cayuga Center is in a new facility, which is completely ADA accessible, and the Cortland Center has worked hard to keep accessibility issues in the forefront as they have renovated and expanded that facility over the past five years. Through the WIB, both Centers have been the beneficiary of accessibility grants that have benefited both Centers in terms of physical access, and providing staff training on disability issues by having working luncheons with guest speakers who present information on disability issues such as vision and hearing. Both Centers are in their second year of having full time Disability Program Navigators (DPN) on-site and we look forward to the DPN's fully utilizing the One-Stop Operating System (OSOS) for tracking the participation and performance results of the disabled population utilizing DPN services in our Career Centers. Other planned enhancements include: increasing by 10% the numbers of individuals with disabilities served in our Centers and we will use the DPN's to develop and implement Customer Satisfaction Surveys to evaluate and adjust services to better meet the needs of this special target population. We will also use the DPN's to continue to educate the employers in our two county area as to the benefits of hiring individuals with disabilities. Other planned enhancements include: working to access grant funds to co-locate staff from the Women's Opportunity Center of Ithaca into the Cortland Works Career Center to increase services to displaced homemakers. Utilizing Community Development Block Grant funds obtained in Cortland to complete the renovation of the Cortland Works Career Center and add the remaining staff of one of the partner agencies whose services primarily focus on individuals with disabilities. Utilize a portion of the Community Development funds for the city of Cortland together with personal funds from our landlord at the Cortland Center for a new façade for the Center. All enhancements are designed to increase awareness of the Centers and the programs/services they provide. Both of our Career Centers are proactive in seeking ways to improve the services offered in the Centers and the quality of customer service, flow etc. within their Centers. They continually solicit input from job seekers, businesses, and staff. Input is shared with Consortium, One-Stop Management Teams, and the WIB and will be used to develop or modify services so they are better aligned to meet local needs. ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 III-48 Demand Occupations, Eligible Training Providers (ETP), Individual Training Accounts (ITA) The Local Board has responsibility for determining policies regarding identifying demand occupations, instituting eligible training providers and implementing individual training accounts [§663.300- §663.595]. Identify any subcommittee of the local board that is responsible for determining, evaluating and updating policies related to Demand Occupations, Eligible Training Providers (initial and subsequent eligibility) and Individual Training Accounts. Describe how the local area ensures that local training providers on the State ETP list are licensed, registered and/or approved by the appropriate State or Federal oversight entities proprietary schools regulated by the New York State Education Department, Bureau of Proprietary Supervision, under Article 101 of New York State Education Law), and in compliance with the requirements/standards of these entities. How are cost and performance data being collected and validated for the provider’s offerings and how does it inform the subsequent eligibility review process? How is customer feedback collected; how frequently is it used; and how is it shared with the public? Based on current and future key workforce issues and goals, what changes are being considered to the demand occupations, eligible training provider and individual training account review process and how will they be implemented? If a multi-county area, how is the review process for demand occupations, eligible training providers and individual training accounts coordinated among the counties? Describe how contiguous areas’ policies affect your process and any coordination efforts at the regional level. How are demand occupations, eligible training providers and individual training account policy decisions and changes communicated to staff? How are they shared with customers? An Adhoc Committee of the local WIB members, partner agency representatives, and key leaders in our communities was formed by the Board and charged with the responsibility to develop a process whereby WIA funding is targeted to participant and employer needs that would benefit the economy around us. The full WIB acted on the results and recommendations from these facilitated planning sessions and the result of several months work of this committee was the Board adoption of a new demand occupation list in March of 2005 for our area that ensures the training they fund reflects the changes in the world of work and meets the expectations of area businesses. This process will be replicated on a bi-annual basis to ensure the list stays relevant. The Planning and Operation Committee recommends the ITA policies for Board adoption. The local area utilizes the State system for authorizing local training providers. As providers are added for our area we utilize the State www.workforcenewyork.com Eligible Training Providers link to review potential providers and offerings. All providers who submit applications must meet the requirements established by NYSDOL. Our two county area does not use any provider who is not on the approved list at the State level. The local WIB follows State and Federal eligibility guidelines to review training provider qualifications when considering adding them as an eligible training provider for our local area. ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 III-49 Cost and performance data are collected by WIA and WIB staff and used in subsequent eligibility review of training providers. Similarly customer feedback to WIA Counselors and case managers regarding a customer's experience with a training provider are also collected and factored into the review process. These reviews are routinely conducted at the completion of each training cycle. The One-Stop Career Centers utilizes the State One- Stop Operating System (OSOS), a computerized participant tracking system to get reports on the usage and performance of the various training providers. Over the next three years these reports will be made available to the WIB on a semi-annual basis so they can use this information to base future decisions on eligible providers and Individual Training Accounts (ITA) limits and policies. In addition to the Board receiving these reports, they will also be: sent to the training provider; posted on our website; and posted in our One- Stop Career Centers for customers to review as they research training options and providers. As is the case with all of our policy decisions any review process is inclusive of the input of staff, partners, and stakeholders in both of our LWIA counties. Scheduled meetings are coordinated to include equal representation from both counties and are frequently expanded to allow for the broadest representation possible. We rotate meetings between the counties or find a central location to reduce unnecessary travel. We function as a team, work professionally through any issues that arise and arrive at policy recommendations by consensus. Once the Board takes action the same policy is implemented in each county. In researching any new policy we typically will check with the contiguous counties to see if they have a policy or process already in place. In addition, we are organized by our Statewide Association (NYATEP) into regions (ours is mid-state) for the purpose of sharing information, and best practices. NYATEP itself serves to keep the local areas current on key policy issues as does the Statewide WIB Directors meeting. Typically we all cross county lines (job seekers to find work and businesses to recruit). More often today we are working on a regional level to realize economies in all of our efforts. The economic development community is making us all more aware of the need to come together to address the needs of and reap the benefits of a regional labor market. While there was no consensus among those interviewed for the State of the Workforce Report on whether the benefits to a regional approach to economic prosperity for businesses and workers outweighed the potential losses to individual counties the discussions will continue with partners and other WIB's to identify an appropriate role for our area in regional efforts. Like all of our policy decisions, staff is notified immediately via a meeting, memo or other means to convey changes, effective dates, plan for needed training with regard to implementation, and to determine the best and most efficient means of notifying our customers. The Demand Occupation and eligible training provider lists for our area are part of our website and ITA policies and procedures are reviewed with the customer when they are determined eligible for training services. Copies of the ITA policy, procedures and forms are on-site at each Career Center and they are also part of the official record at the WIB staff office in Cortland. All policies and procedures of the Cayuga-Cortland WIB are public record and will be made available to customers upon request. ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 III-50 Customized Training/On-the-Job Training (OJT) Local Boards are required to establish policy regarding appropriate cost matches for On-the-Job Training (OJT) or other customized training using NYSDOL Technical Advisories #01-5 and #01-5.1 for guidance. Identify any subcommittee of the local board that is responsible for policies related to Customized Training and OJT. Describe the process and frequency for reviewing local policies with regard to OJT, skills upgrading or other customized training. Describe the process for receiving, reviewing and approving requests for OJT, skills upgrading or other customized training; who is the point of contact? Identify any subcommittee responsible for this function. The Planning and Operations subcommittee of the local board is responsible for policies related to Customized Training and OJT. Customized Training, other skills upgrading, and OJT policies will be reviewed annually or more frequently if the need arises. The responsibility for the day to day conduct of these programs rests with the One-Stop Career Center WIA staff who are trained in the requirements of these programs and have the responsibility of writing OJT contracts. Execution of these training contracts is overseen and approved by the E&T Directors in accordance with procedures adopted by the full WIB. Each One-Stop has an OJT point person who is the liaison with the employer(s) and job seeker(s). The LWIA Business Service Teams also promote, and is knowledgeable about, these WIA training options. They share information about the programs when they are out in our communities developing job leads for their job-seeking customers. The E.S. Representative, who coordinates the activities of the Business Services Teams, is another means of promoting these training opportunities to area employers. The E&T Directors, E.S. Representative, and WIB Director are in constant communication as we work with area businesses to assure we are providing prompt services that are responsive to their training needs and to ensure the administrative and contract procedures are being properly adhered to. Trade Act Service Strategy Local Boards are required to establish local policy for a Trade Act service strategy and must ensure that a dislocated worker eligible for trade benefits is co-enrolled in WIA Title I dislocated worker services for referral to WIA-funded intensive services and Trade-funded training services [TA #04-6]. Identify any subcommittee of the local board that is responsible for policies related to Trade Act Services. Describe the impact, if any, Trade Act petition certifications have had on your local workforce system and how the Board’s Trade Act policies will be aligned with the Dislocated Worker policies to benefit the customer in terms of an integrated service delivery model. Describe the process and frequency by which your Trade Act policies are reviewed and the circumstances that would require changes to be made. ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 III-51 The Planning and Operations subcommittee is responsible for policies related to Trade Act Services. Trade Act petition certifications have had a significant impact on our local workforce system, as many of our plant closings have been the result of foreign competition. Over the years, Trade Act petitions have been awarded to employees of companies in our area including Smith Corona Corporation, Monarch Machine Tool Inc., Buckbee Mears Inc., Currier Plastics, TRW Inc., Nellson Neutraceuticals, and others. We have been fortunate to access well over a million dollars in Trade Act funds to retrain workers from these companies. Access to Trade Act funds was absolutely essential to our workforce system to be able to help these individuals acquire the skills necessary to re-engage in a workforce that has changed rapidly from manufacturing to service industries. Our WIA funds and prior to that, JTPA funds, would not have been adequate to meet the needs of the very large numbers of our population who were adversely affected. The sequence of service for all of our job seekers, including Dislocated Workers and Dislocated Workers eligible for Trade Act benefits is the same. There is universal access to WIA Core Services at all of our One-Stop Career Centers and affiliate sites. All TAA eligible individuals will be dual enrolled into core and intensive WIA services. In general these services include: outreach, intake orientation to the One-Stop System Services, and WIA Title I eligibility determination. Other core services include: Initial assessment of skill levels, aptitudes and abilities; job search and placement assistance; career counseling; provision of local labor market and program performance information; and job vacancy listings. More intensive services are delivered to jobseekers, including Dislocated Workers and trade eligible Dislocated Workers who are unable to find suitable employment through core services. These services include: Comprehensive and specialized assessment of the academic levels, skill levels, interests, and service needs of the customer. Preparation of an Individual Employment Plan that identifies employment goals, appropriate achievement objectives and appropriate mix of service for the customer taking into account the assessment conducted; Individual and group counseling, career planning and case management services for those seeking training services; and Short-term pre-vocational services are also available via workshops, individual and group counseling sessions at our One-Stops. If it is determined that occupational training is necessary to secure suitable employment both On-the-Job and Classroom Training will be discussed and a determination made as to the type of training that would best meet the individual's needs. Special emphasis will be given to employer based training as it gets Dislocated Workers immediately back into the labor market. The provision of training is subject to the recommendation and approval of WIA One-Stop staff. Training will be available to adults and dislocated workers who: have after interview, evaluation, assessment, and case management have been determined ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 III-52 by Career Center staff to be in need of training to access suitable employment and who are determined to have the skills and qualifications to successfully participate. Approvable training programs must have a direct link to local employment or opportunities that are in demand in another area to which the individual indicates (s)he is willing to relocate. Costs for WIA funded training and support services are established by the WIB. Trade Act funding for training, job search, relocation assistance, and training waivers will be in accordance with the federal Trade Act and governing regulations. One-Stop Career Center staff, and NYSDOL staff will continue to work together to coordinate the integration of Trade Act eligible Dislocated Workers with WIA Dislocated Workers as we have done for many years now. The area implemented the Trade Act Employment Plan for all WIA adults, Dislocated Workers, and Trade Act Dislocated Workers effective July 1, 2004. WIA staff are responsible for processing waivers from training for all Trade Act eligible individuals who do not enroll in training to allow them to receive extended Trade Act benefits while they conduct a job search. The Cortland County Department of Employment and Training Director (Robin Sandwick) receives the lists of certified TAA eligible individuals for our LWIA. The Department of Employment and Training Director coordinates the WIA Dislocated Worker and Trade Act Dislocated Worker Program for our LWIA. Trade Act policies and procedures will be reviewed by the Board annually as a regular function of the Planning and Operations Committee. Circumstances prior to the annual review meeting consideration will be brought to the attention of the WIB Director who will work with the Chairman of the Board to determine how to best resolve the issue(s). Circumstances that could require a change in policies include updates resulting from changes in legislation on State policy. 9. WIA IB & Title III PY05 Performance and System Indicators The Local Board is responsible for the negotiation and accountability for the WIA Title 1-B performance measures of the local One Stop system [§661.305, §666.310, §666.420]. If available at time of plan submittal, insert your PY 2005 negotiated performance standards. Local PY 2005 performance standards will be negotiated with all local boards once New York State has completed negotiations on statewide standards with the U.S. Department of Labor. At that time, all local areas will be required to modify their local plans to include the PY 05 standards and make them available for public comment. Measure Performance Standard PY 05 Customer Satisfaction Program Participants 75% Employers 73% Entered Employment Rate Adults 73% Dislocated Workers 81% Older Youth 65% Retention Rate Adults 81% ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 III-53 Dislocated Workers 88% Older Youth 77% Younger Youth 52% Earnings Change/Earnings Replacement in Six Months Adults $2,850.00 Dislocated Workers -$1,950.00 Older Youth $2,900.00 Credential/Diploma Rate Adults 70% Dislocated Workers 63% Older Youth 51% Younger Youth 52% Skill Attainment Rate Younger Youth 73% Describe how the established WIA Performance levels impact services and strategies and how levels are monitored. Within your response, address the following points: Identify any subcommittee of the local board that is responsible for policies related to WIA IB and Title III Performance and System Indicators. How are the WIA local performance levels communicated to staff, partners, providers and stakeholders so that their role in helping to achieve those performance levels is understood? How do newly negotiated performance levels affect current policies, procedures and/or local One Stop system initiatives? Describe the tracking system in place and who is responsible for continuously evaluating WIA performance levels. How is the evaluation process integrated so that both program and fiscal performance data is analyzed in conjunction with each other to gain a system view? How are performance issues identified and corrected when they arise? The Planning and Operations Committee is responsible for reviewing and recommending Board policies. Local performance measures are communicated to staff, partners, providers, and stakeholders through a variety of mediums. Staff, partner agencies, and stakeholders will receive copies of the Three Year Plan which covers the negotiated performance standards in great detail both for past performance and planned future performance so the key stakeholders have a full understanding as to where our problem areas are and what action we have undertaken to improve performance. One-Stop Career Center staff have ongoing discussions and presentations on the performance standards so they clearly know what activities to pursue to meet or exceed the standards. Often it is during such meetings that new ideas emerge as to how the front line staff can work cooperatively to achieve better outcomes. We have also engaged in staff and partner agency training with regard to the standards so all stakeholders have a better understanding of how their enrollments and exits impact on our ability to meet our performance levels. All co-located staff work exceptionally well at crossing agency lines to understand the impact of the performance measures and to plan strategies to meet the negotiated levels. Similarly WIA needs to understand that our partners and stakeholders have their own standards. So it is important to communicate the expectations and requirements of all of the funding sources ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 III-54 within the Centers. Partner meetings, One-Stop Operator Consortium, Memorandum of Understanding, and Cost Allocation meetings all spend time analyzing and understanding performance standard information and reports. The WIB Director regularly analyzes the performance data for the area and convenes meetings or communicates questions, issues, and concerns to the Management Team of each of the Centers via telephone, email, and/or fax on current or past performance and to develop a corrective action plan as necessary to achieve improvements for future performance. All WIA staff, partners, and stakeholders know the vital role the achievement of meeting performance standards plays in our ability to continue to access needed workforce development funds. As a result of the entire State accepting the standard NYS negotiated with the federal government it may be time to look at our ability to achieve the standards from a regional rather than local area perspective. There may be ways for the local areas to help each other with standards that have been a problem in the past. The WIB staff and E&T Directors monitor fiscal performance as the required financial reports are prepared and submitted to NYSDOL. exit meetings are still ongoing in each of the Career Centers to get a better handle on their impact on meeting our performance standards. Quarterly performance reports are transmitted to the E&T Directors as soon as they are received by the WIB staff. Management meetings are convened by the WIB Director anytime corrective action is warranted to either the program of fiscal performance of the area. On some occasions we use a portion of the agenda of the One-Stop Operator Consortium meeting to discuss and plan corrective action for issues identified. The Consortium meeting minutes are a standard committee report at WIB meetings to keep the full Board current on the activities and recommendations of the Adhoc Board Committee. As of this new Three-Year Plan, any recommended policy changes from the Committee will go to the Planning and Operations Committee before coming as a recommendation to the full Board. Within this plan, the Local Board has provided past performance outcomes, current performance standards, population data and trends, and numbers of individuals served. Based on your analysis of this information and a consideration of its inter-relatedness: Describe the adjustments the Local Board will make to improve performance over the next three years. Over the next three years the Board will continue to periodically review and consider factors such as past performance, current performance, population data and trends, and numbers of customers served to have the best information possible to make informed decisions regarding policy, funding and future directions for the workforce development system in Cayuga and Cortland Counties. The Board, One-Stop staff, partner agencies and community leaders actively participated in the Strategic Planning Process along with our partner agencies and community educators and leaders. This was a valuable learning experience for everyone involved. The result of the process revealed that there is substantial economic activity throughout the Workforce Investment Area. Businesses, job seekers and providers of services are adapting to shifts from manufacturing to services, retail trades and agriculture. They are also transitioning from static information and processes to an environment of constant change. Training will be fundamental to ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 III-55 businesses and the workplace as they continue to adapt. Business and workers within the workforce area will likely continue to change. The challenge for the Board and counties over these next three years will be to determine how to leverage the resources to be responsive to the changes in a way that is pro-active. We know they are equal to the task. System Indicators Describe any system indicators and standards that have been put in place and how they will be used toward continuous improvement. Within your response, address the following points: Identify any subcommittee of the local board that is responsible for policies related to System Indicators. Describe how the Local Board has adopted the system indicators identified by the State Workforce Investment Board (Market Penetration, Repeat Customer Usage, Total System Investment)? Describe any local indicators, in addition to the State Workforce Investment Board’s system indicators (Market Penetration, Repeat Customer Usage, Total System Investment), that have been developed or will be developed by the Local Board. Identify the partners responsible for providing data to measure attainment of System Indicators. Are partner performance measures known and how does the system’s design support their achievement and any over all standards for the system? The system indicators for the Board are overseen by the One-Stop Operator Consortium. The local Board adopted the system indicators identified by the State of the Workforce Investment Board (Market Penetration, Repeat Customer Usage, Total System Investment) and added other local indicators such as: Repeat business users; number of new businesses visited; number of hires resulting from job orders; number of companies receiving other business services (i.e. recruitment, OJT/customized training, tax consultations, etc…), number of workshops conducted, etc. All of the partners play a vital role in providing data to measure the attainment of the system indicators. However, some partners provide data more willingly than others. To help with partnership development we are working with a consultant to make all parties aware of the importance of the data collection process and reporting to the overall system. By working cooperatively to map out the functions of the system there is an increased awareness as to the requirements of each individual partner. These activities are helping us to educate partners about the performance requirements of all the individual programs that make up the Workforce Development System, which has in turn resulted in more efficient methods of providing services to businesses and job seekers. 10. Local Monitoring It is the role of the Chief Local Elected Official (CLEO) and the Local Workforce Investment Board (LWIB) to conduct financial, program and performance oversight and monitoring in local workforce areas [WIA §117(d)(4)]. As noted in TA #04-2 and #04-19, performance and accountability are key elements of a Local Board’s effective oversight and monitoring plan. ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 III-56 Identify any subcommittee of the local board that is responsible for policies related to Local Monitoring. How frequently will financial, program and performance monitoring be conducted? Identify the areas, if any, where the local monitoring goes beyond the minimum standards established in TA #04-19. How does the Board ensure consistency and quality in how monitoring is conducted and results reported? How will monitoring reports be used to improve services, identify systemic problems and initiate corrective action? Under what circumstances will an issue arising from a monitoring report are brought before the full Board? What role will the Board play in requiring corrective action and what challenges does the Board anticipate in taking action on the monitoring reports? The Committee of the Board responsible for recommending Board policies is the Planning and Operations Committee. However, the requirement of the WIA legislation is for the local WIB and Chief Elected Officials (or its designated fiscal agent) to conduct oversight of the WIA programs and the One-Stop Delivery System in the local area so the Monitoring and Oversight Plan was developed with input from both the WIB and county governments of Cayuga and Cortland Counties. The WIB office was designated the entity responsible for overseeing all subrecipient activities in the local area. Specifically the WIB Director and Fiscal Coordinator are the staff responsible for conducting oversight of the subrecipient counties in accordance with WIA rules and regulations. The subrecipient counties (Cayuga and Cortland) will in turn be responsible for monitoring and oversight of all contracts they award to a lower level subrecipient. The topics and frequency of monitoring is detailed in the charts below: Fiscal Topics: Monitoring Frequency: Internal Controls Annual Procurement Annual Financial Transactions Cash Management Cost Allocation Annual Cost Limitations & Categories Cost Allowability Property Management Annual Financial Reporting Expenditure Rates Quarterly Subrecipeint Monitoring Annual Subrecipient A-133 Audit Requirements Annual ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 III-57 Programmatic Topics: Monitoring Frequency: Eligibility and Records Review Annual Delivery of Services Annual Quality of Services Annual Customer Satisfaction Quarterly EEO Requirements/Grievance Procedures Annual MIS Reporting & Services Tracking Quarterly Data Validation Annual Performance Requirements Quarterly Subrecipient Monitoring Annual The Board ensures the consistency and quality with regard to how monitoring is to be conducted and resulting reports by adopting a Comprehensive Monitoring Plan that is in compliance with the Act, federal and State regulations for conducting oversight of WIA programs and the One-Stop Delivery System. Also, as formal monitoring and oversight responsibilities are new to the WIB and Chief Elected Officials, the NYSDOL Workforce Development and Training Financial Oversight and Technical Assistance Unit (FOTA) will receive copies of all monitoring reports within 30 days of completion of the written report. This will assure that the monitored entity's response to the report and/or corrective action plan is adequate to satisfactorily address any issue(s) in question. Monitoring reports will be used to summarize the results of the oversight activities. The reports will contain observations, findings and recommendations. The reports will also contain the monitored entity's response(s) to the observations, findings and recommendations. Depending on the severity of the issue it may be necessary for the monitored entity to submit a formal corrective action plan including a timeline for implementation. In those instances the monitor will follow up on the planned corrective action to assure the issue has been resolved. The Distribution List for Monitoring Reports includes the full Board. The full Board will follow the implementation of any warranted corrective action to assure the issue is resolved. The Board does not anticipate any challenges in taking action on the monitoring reports. Should an adversarial situation present itself the Board, through its staff, will work with county officials (Chief Elected Officials, County Treasurers and County Attorneys) to bring an equitable and swift resolution to any issues that may arise. Technical Assistance at the State level can also be requested to assist in problem resolution. 11. Open Meetings The Local Board must conduct business in an open manner by making information about the activities of the board available to the public on a regular basis through open meetings [§661.305]. ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 III-58 Describe the process for making information about Board activities, including meeting schedules, available to the public; who is responsible and how often is the information available? If posted electronically, attach a link to your website. Information about Board activities including meeting schedules can be accessed on our website at www.workforcenewyork.org/caycortwib under "WIB Calendar." 12. Public Comment on Local Plan The Local Plan must include a description of the process used to provide an opportunity for public comment, including comments by representatives of business and labor organizations, and input into the development of the Local Plan [§661.350]. Describe how the policy for gathering public comment on the Local Plan has changed since the development of the initial five-year plan and what caused those changes to be made? Describe where/how the current Local Plan was made available for public comment? Attach a copy of the public comments received in disagreement with the Local Plan and how those disagreements were addressed. The Plan is available for review at the local website www.workforcenewyork.org/cortlandworks or www.workforcenewyork.org/cayugaworks or at each of the One-Stop Career Center in Cortland or Auburn, and at the WIB staff office in Cortland, 60 Central Ave., Room 104, Cortland NY. In addition, two Public Review meetings were held at each Career Center as follows: Wednesday, August 17, 2005 at the Cayuga Works Career Center, 199 Franklin Street, Suite 204, Auburn, NY at 5:00 p.m.; and Wednesday, August 24, 2005 at the Cortland Works Career Center, 99 Main Street, Cortland, NY at 5:00 p.m. There were no comments received in disagreement with the local plan. ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 IV-1 IV. Required Certifications and Documents Any attachment requiring original signature must be mailed to the address listed under general instructions. Attachment A: Request for Extension to Submit Local Plan Attachment B: Timeline for Submitting Complete Local Plan Attachment C: Signature of Local Board Chair Attachment D: Signature of Chief Elected Official Attachment E. Units of Local Government Attachment F: Fiscal Agent/Grant Subrecipient Attachment G: One Stop Operator Information Attachment H: Federal and State Certifications In addition, the following documents must be attached for the plan to be complete: Chief Elected Officials Agreement (if applicable) Local Board By-Laws One Stop Operator Agreement ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 IV-2 ATTACHMENT A: REQUEST FOR EXTENSION TO SUBMIT LOCAL PLAN A request to extend the deadline for submitting a Comprehensive Three-Year Local Plan beyond the June 30, 2005 date will be considered if the local area justifies that additional time is needed to develop a complete plan. To request an extended deadline the LWIA must submit the following documents by March 15, 2005: Attachment A, Request for Extended Deadline to Submit Local Plan, and Attachment B, Timeline for Submitting Complete Local Plan Local Plan Extension: All LWIAs are eligible to request an extension to submit the Local Plan no later than September 30, 2005. Section II-A Extension: Those LWIAs that are unable to fully complete Section II-A prior to the deadline for submitting the Local Plan may request an extension to submit this section no later than December 31, 2005. The December 31, 2005 extended deadline request permits the late submission of only the following plan elements: Section II-A Engaging Community Partners in Workforce Solutions, Section II-A Aligning Service Delivery, and Section II-A Measuring Achievement. Local Plan Extension: The LWIA requests an extension to submit its Comprehensive Three Year Local Plan from June 30, 2005 to for the following reasons: Section II-A Extension: The LWIA requests an extension to submit its completed Section II-A from June 30, 2005 to for the following reasons: Date: Typed Name: Signature of Local Board Chair: ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 IV-3 ATTACHMENT B: TIMELINE FOR SUBMITTING COMPLETE LOCAL PLAN When Attachment A, Request for Extended Deadline to Submit Local Plan, is submitted, Attachment B must also be submitted by March 15, 2005 indicating when the Local Area anticipates submitting its completed plan. As a condition for granting an extended deadline, local areas must identify the date by which they will complete each plan component. All local areas must meet the NYSDOL Required Completion Dates provided below. When the local area submits its final plan, the entire plan must be submitted. Area of Plan NYSDOL Required Completion Dates LWIA Projected Completion Date LWIA Profile Profile September 30 Section IIA – Local Area Strategic Planning Process Economic Environment & Key Workforce Issues September 30 Engaging Community Partners in Workforce Solutions September 30 or December 31 Aligning Service Delivery September 30 or December 31 Measuring Achievement September 30 or December 31 Section IIB – Local Area Strategic Planning Progress Strategic Planning Progress September 30 Section III – WIA Compliance All Compliance Sections September 30 Section IV– Attachments/Forms All required Attachments and Forms September 30 Date: Typed Name: Signature of Local Board Chair: ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 IV-4 ATTACHMENT C: SIGNATURE OF LOCAL BOARD CHAIR WIA Comprehensive Three-Year Local Plan Submittal July 1, 2005 – June 30, 2008 In compliance with the provisions of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998, the Interim Final Rule, and Planning guidelines and instructions developed by the Governor, this WIA Comprehensive Three-Year Local Plan is being submitted jointly by the Local Board and the respective Chief Elected Official(s). By virtue of my signature, I: agree to comply with all statutory and regulatory requirements of the Act as well as other applicable state and federal laws, regulations and policies affirm that the composition of the Local Board is in compliance with the law, rules and regulations and is approved by the State affirm that this WIA Comprehensive Three-Year Local Plan was developed in collaboration with the Local Board and is jointly submitted with the Chief Elected official(s) on behalf of the Local Board agree to comply with § 661.310 by ensuring a firewall exists between the board and the provision of core services, intensive services, training services and the One Stop Operator Date: Signature of Local Board Chair: Mr. X Ms. Other Typed Name of Local Board Chair: Everett Boise Name of Board: Cayuga-Cortland Address 1: 139 Main Street Address 2: City: Cortland State: NY Zip: 13045 Phone: 607/753-7092 E-mail: [EMAIL REDACTED] Submittal directions: Complete this form as part of the Local Plan development process and submit the entire Local Plan electronically as described earlier in this guidance. Submit this form with original signatures to: Workforce Development and Training Division NYS Department of Labor Building 12, Room 450 State Office Building Campus Albany, New York 12240 Attention: Margaret Moree, Director Local Plan Documents ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 IV-5 ATTACHMENT D: SIGNATURE OF CHIEF ELECTED OFFICIAL WIA Comprehensive Three-Year Local Plan Submittal July 1, 2005 – June 30, 2008 In compliance with the provisions of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998, the Interim Final Rule, and Planning guidelines and instructions developed by the Governor, this WIA Comprehensive Three-Year Local Plan is being submitted jointly by the Local Board and the respective Chief Elected Official(s). By virtue of my signature, I: agree to comply with all statutory and regulatory requirements of the Act as well as other applicable state and federal laws, regulations and policies affirm that the Grant recipient possesses the capacity to fulfill all responsibilities and assume liability for funds received, as stipulated in §667.705 of the rules and regulations affirm that the composition of the Local Board is in compliance with the law, rules and regulations and is approved by the State affirm that the Chair of the Local Board was duly elected by that Board agree to comply with §661.310 by ensuring a firewall exists between the board and the provision of core services, intensive services, training services and the One Stop Operator Note: A separate signature sheet is required for each local Chief Elected Official. Date: Signature of Local Chief Elected Official (CEO): Mr. X Ms. Other Typed Name of Local CEO: Scott Steve Title of Local CEO: Chairman - Cortland County Legislature Address 1: 60 Central Ave. Address 2: City: Cortland State: NY Zip: 13045 Phone: 607/758-5530 E-mail: [EMAIL REDACTED] Submittal directions: Complete this form as part of the Local Plan development process and submit the entire Local Plan electronically as described earlier in this guidance. Submit this form with original signatures to: Workforce Development and Training Division NYS Department of Labor Building 12, Room 450 State Office Building Campus Albany, New York 12240 Attention: Margaret Moree, Director Local Plan Documents ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 IV-6 ATTACHMENT D: SIGNATURE OF CHIEF ELECTED OFFICIAL WIA Comprehensive Three-Year Local Plan Submittal July 1, 2005 – June 30, 2008 In compliance with the provisions of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998, the Interim Final Rule, and Planning guidelines and instructions developed by the Governor, this WIA Comprehensive Three-Year Local Plan is being submitted jointly by the Local Board and the respective Chief Elected Official(s). By virtue of my signature, I: agree to comply with all statutory and regulatory requirements of the Act as well as other applicable state and federal laws, regulations and policies affirm that the Grant recipient possesses the capacity to fulfill all responsibilities and assume liability for funds received, as stipulated in §667.705 of the rules and regulations affirm that the composition of the Local Board is in compliance with the law, rules and regulations and is approved by the State affirm that the Chair of the Local Board was duly elected by that Board agree to comply with §661.310 by ensuring a firewall exists between the board and the provision of core services, intensive services, training services and the One Stop Operator Note: A separate signature sheet is required for each local Chief Elected Official. Date: Signature of Local Chief Elected Official (CEO): Mr. X Ms. Other Typed Name of Local CEO: Herbert Marshall Title of Local CEO: Chairman of the Legislature for Cayuga County Address 1: 8016 Powers Road Address 2: City: Port Byron State: NY Zip: 13140 Phone: 315/253-1273 E-mail: [EMAIL REDACTED] Submittal directions: Complete this form as part of the Local Plan development process and submit the entire Local Plan electronically as described earlier in this guidance. Submit this form with original signatures to: Workforce Development and Training Division NYS Department of Labor Building 12, Room 450 State Office Building Campus Albany, New York 12240 Attention: Margaret Moree, Director ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 IV-7 Local Plan Documents ATTACHMENT E: UNITS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT Where a local area is comprised of multiple counties or jurisdictional areas, provide the names of the individual governmental units and identify the grant recipient. Unit of Local Government Grant Recipient Yes No Cayuga County X Cortland County X ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 IV-8 ATTACHMENT F: FISCAL AGENT/GRANT SUBRECIPIENT Identify the Fiscal Agent or a Grant Recipient to assist in the administration of grant funds. Provide the names of the agent and/or subrecipient. Entity Fiscal Agent Yes No Cortland County X Entity Grant Subrecipient Yes No Cortland County Department of E&T Grant Administration X ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 9 ATTACHMENT G: ONE STOP OPERATOR INFORMATION Complete the following information for each locally certified One Stop Operator in your Workforce Investment Area OPERATOR: Consortium comprised of the Cayuga and Cortland County Department of Employment and Training and the New York State Department Of Labor at Auburn and Cortland and Experience Works of Central, N.Y. The WIB has determined the lease holders and/or their designee shall be their One-Stop Manager for our One-Stop Center. The One-Stop Manager for the Cayuga Center is the County of E&T Director (Edward Herrling). Method of Selection Type of Operator X Consortium Competitive Bid System X Center(s) Operator Address: 199 Franklin Street Auburn, NY 13021 Operator Phone: 315/253-1590 E-Mail: [EMAIL REDACTED] Attach a list of all One Stop centers overseen by this Operator and include for each center: (Attachment G-1) Name/Address/Phone of Center(s) Identify Full-Service or Certified Affiliate Site Identify Partners On-Site and Frequency On-Site half day/week; two days/week) Identify Center Hours of Operation OPERATOR CERTIFICATION STATUS Indicate status of State Level Recertification: Granted Application Submitted/Pending State Review Application Not Yet Due ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 10 X Other (explain) Cortland is the State Certified Center for our local area. The Cayuga Center has been certified by the local WIB following the same application process our State Certified Center. Attachment G-1 Cayuga Works Career Center 199 Franklin Street Suite 204 Auburn, New York 13021 (315) 253-1590 Hours of Operation are Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Summer hours of operation (July and August) Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (Full-Service WIB Certified) The following are the on-site partners and how many days they are at the Cayuga Works Career Center Cayuga Community College (As needed) ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 11 Cayuga County Employment and Training (five days/week) Cayuga Counseling Services (As needed) Cayuga/Seneca Community Action Agency (five days through 6/04- none in '05) Experience Works (five days/week) ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 12 NYS Department of Labor (five days/week) Seneca Cayuga ARC (three-four days/week) VESID (four-five days/week) ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 13 ATTACHMENT G: ONE STOP OPERATOR INFORMATION Complete the following information for each locally certified One Stop Operator in your Workforce Investment Area OPERATOR: Consortium comprised of the Cayuga and Cortland County Department of Employment and Training and the New York State Department Of Labor at Auburn and Cortland and Experience Works of Central, N.Y. The WIB has determined the leaseholders and/or their designee shall be the One-Stop Manager for our One-Stop Centers. The One-Stop Manager for the Cortland Center is the Department of Labor ES Manager (Betty Youmans). Method of Selection Type of Operator X Consortium Competitive Bid X System Center(s) Operator Address: 99 Main Street Cortland, NY 13045 Operator Phone: 607/756-7585 E-Mail: [EMAIL REDACTED] Attach a list of all One Stop centers overseen by this Operator and include for each center: (Attachment G-2) Name/Address/Phone of Center(s) Identify Full-Service or Certified Affiliate Site Identify Partners On-Site and Frequency On-Site half day/week; two days/week) Identify Center Hours of Operation OPERATOR CERTIFICATION STATUS Indicate status of State Level Recertification: Granted X Application Submitted/Pending State Review Application Not Yet Due Other (explain) ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 14 Attachment G-2 99 Main Street Cortland, New York 13045 (607) 756-7585 Hours of operation are Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (Full-Service WIB Certified) The Following are the on-site partners and how many days they are at the Cortland Works Career Center Cortland County Employment & Training (five days/week) Employment Connection (is a division of J.M. Murray Center, they have DPN staff on-site five days/week and 1 other staff for core services five days/week) Experience Works (five days/week) ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 15 JM Murray Center (see above under Employment Connection) NYS Department of Labor (five days/week) OCM BOCES (Literacy Program staff works two - half days/ week and DSS Grant Diversion five days/week) Tompkins Cortland Community College (on-site on appointment basis) VESID (one day/week) ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 16 ATTACHMENT H: FEDERAL AND STATE CERTIFICATIONS The funding for the awards granted under this contract is provided by either the United States Department of Labor or the United States Department of Health and Human Services which requires the following certifications: A. CERTIFICATION REGARDING DEBARMENT, SUSPENSION, INELIGIBILITY AND VOLUNTARY EXCLUSION-LOWER TIER COVERED TRANSACTIONS 1. The prospective lower tier participant certifies, by submission of this proposal, that neither it nor its principals is presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from participation in this transaction by any Federal department or agency. 2. Where the prospective lower tier participant is unable to certify to any of the statement in this certification, such prospective participant shall attach an explanation to this proposal. B. CERTIFICATION REGARDING LOBBYING - Certification for Contracts, Grants, Loans, and Cooperative Agreements By accepting this grant, the signee hereby certifies, to the best of his or her knowledge and belief, that: 1. No Federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid, by or on behalf of the undersigned, to any person for influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of Congress, or an employee of a Member of Congress in connection with the awarding of any Federal contract, the making of any Federal grant, the making of any Federal loan, the entering into of any cooperative agreement, and the extension, continuation, renewal, amendment or modification of any Federal contract, grant, loan or cooperative agreement. 2. If any funds other than Federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid to any person for influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency, a Member of Congress, an officer or employee of Congress, or an employee of a Member of Congress in connection with this Federal contract, grant, loan or cooperative agreement, the undersigned shall complete and submit Standard Form - LLL, "Disclosure Form to Report Lobbying," in accordance with its instructions. 3. The signer shall require that the language of this certification be included in the award documents for all subawards at all tiers (including subcontracts, subgrants, and contracts under grants, loans, and cooperative agreements) and that all subrecipients shall certify and disclose accordingly. This certification is a material representation of facts upon which reliance was placed when this transaction was made or entered into. Submission of this certification is a prerequisite for making or entering into this transaction imposed by Section 1352, Title 31, U.S.C. Any person who fails to file the required certification shall be subject to a civil penalty of not less than $10,000 and not more than $100,000 for each such failure. C. DRUG FREE WORKPLACE. By signing this application, the grantee certifies that it will provide a Drug Free Workplace by implementing the provisions at 29 CFR 98.630, Appendix C, ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 17 pertaining to the Drug Free Workplace. In accordance with these provisions, a list of places where performance of work is done in connection with this specific grant will take place must be maintained at your office and available for Federal inspection. D. NONDISCRIMINATION & EQUAL OPPORTUNITY ASSURANCE: For contracts funded by the U.S. Department of Labor As a condition to the award of financial assistance from the Department of Labor under Title I of WIA, the grant applicant assures that it will comply fully with the nondiscrimination and equal opportunity provisions of the following laws: Section 188 of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA) which prohibits discrimination against all individuals in the United States on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age disability, political affiliation, or belief, and against beneficiaries on the basis of either citizenship/status as a lawfully admitted immigrant authorized to work in the United States or participation in any WIA Title I - financially assisted program or activity; Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, which prohibits discrimination against qualified individuals with disabilities; The Age Discrimination Act of 1975, as amended, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of age; and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, as amended, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in educational programs. The grant applicant also assures that it will comply with 29 CFR Part 37 and all other regulations implementing the laws listed above. This assurance applies to the grant applicant's operation of the WIA Title I - financially assisted program or activity, and to all agreements the grant applicant makes to carry out the WIA Title I-financially assisted program or activity. The grant applicant understands that the United States has the right to seek judicial enforcement of this assurance. For grants serving participants in work activities funded through the Welfare-to- Work block grant programs under Section 407(a) of the Social Security Act, the grant applicant shall comply with 20 CFR 645.255. For contracts funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services As a condition to the award of financial assistance from the Department of Labor under Title IV- A of the Social Security Act, the grant applicant assures that it will comply fully with the nondiscrimination and equal opportunity provisions of the following laws including but not limited to: Title VI of the Civil rights Act of 1964(P.L. 88-352) and Executive Order Number 11246 as amended by E.O. 11375 relating to Equal Employment Opportunity which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color or national origin; ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 18 Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, and the regulations issued pursuant thereto contained in 45 CFR Part 84 entitled “Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Handicap in Programs and Activities Reviewing or Benefiting from Federal Financial Assistance” which prohibit discrimination against qualified individuals with disabilities; The Age Discrimination Act of 1975, as amended, and the regulations at 45 CFR Part 90 entitled “Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Age in Programs and Activities Reviewing Federal Financial Assistance”. which prohibits discrimination on the basis of age; Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, as amended, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in educational programs; and The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, 42 U.S.C. Section 12116, and regulations issued by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission which implement the employment provisions of the ADA, set forth at 29 CFR Part 1630. The grant applicant also assures that it will comply with 45 CFR Part 80 and all other regulations implementing the laws listed above. The grant applicant understands that the United States has the right to seek judicial enforcement of this assurance. STATE CERTIFICATIONS E. CERTIFICATION REGARDING DEBARMENT, SUSPENSION, INELIGIBILITY, AND OUTSTANDING DEBTS The undersigned, as a duly sworn representative of the contractor/vendor, hereby attests and certifies that: 1) No principle or executive officer of the contractor’s/vendor’s company, its subcontractor(s) and/or successor(s) is presently suspended or debarred; and 2) The contractor/vendor, its subcontractor(s) and/or its successor(s) is not ineligible to submit a bid on, or be awarded, any public work contract or sub-contract with the State, any municipal corporation or public body for reason of debarment for failure to pay the prevailing rate of wages, or to provide supplements, in accordance with Article 8 of the New York State Labor Law. 3) The contractor/vendor, its subcontractor(s) and/or its successor do not have any outstanding debts owed to the Department, including but not limited to, contractual obligations, fines related to Safety and Health violations, payments owed to workers for public works projects or the general provisions of the Labor Law, unemployment insurance contributions or other related assessments, penalties or charges. F. CERTIFICATION REGARDING "NONDISCRIMINATION IN EMPLOYMENT IN NORTHERN IRELAND: MacBRIDE FAIR EMPLOYMENT PRINCIPLES" In accordance with Chapter 807 of the Laws of 1992 the bidder, by submission of this bid, certifies that it or any individual or legal entity in which the bidder holds a 10% or greater ownership interest, or any individual or legal entity that holds a 10% or greater ownership interest in the bidder, either: ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 19 (answer Yes or No to one or both of the following, as applicable.) 1. Has business operations in Northern Ireland: Yes No If Yes: 2. Shall take lawful steps in good faith to conduct any business operations they have in Northern Ireland in accordance with the MacBride Fair Employment Principles relating to nondiscrimination in employment and freedom of workplace opportunity regarding such operations in Northern Ireland, and shall permit independent monitoring of its compliance with such Principles. Yes No G. NON-COLLUSIVE BIDDING CERTIFICATION By submission of this bid, each bidder and each person signing on behalf of any bidder certifies, and in the case of a joint bid each party thereto certifies as to its own organization, under penalty of perjury, that to the best of his or her knowledge and belief: 1. The prices in this bid have been arrived at independently without collusion, consultation, communication, or agreement, for the purpose of restricting competition, as to any matter relating to such prices with any other bidder or with any competitor; 2. Unless otherwise required by law, the prices which have been quoted in this bid have not been knowingly disclosed by the bidder and will not knowingly be disclosed by the bidder prior to opening, directly or indirectly, to any other bidder or to any competitor; and 3. No attempt has been made or will be made by the bidder to induce any other person, partnership or corporation to submit or not to submit to bid for the purpose of restricting competition. I, the undersigned, attest under penalty of perjury that I am an authorized representative of the Bidder/Contractor and that the foregoing statements are true and accurate. Signature of Authorized Representative Title Date ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 20 AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CAYUGA - CORTLAND WORKFORCE INVESTMENT BOARD AND THE CHIEF ELECTED OFFICIALS OF CAYUGA AND CORTLAND COUNTIES This agreement made and entered into by and between the Cayuga and Cortland Counties Workforce Investment Board, hereinafter referred to as WIB and Cayuga County and Cortland County hereinafter referred to as Counties; and WHEREAS, The Workforce Investment Act, hereinafter referred to as the Act (20 USC 9201 et. Seq., Public Law 105-220, 112 Stat.936), authorized the expenditure of federal funds to assist local governments in coordinating and implementing workforce development programs in locally determined Workforce Investment Areas (WIA's); and WHEREAS, The Counties constitute a jurisdiction eligible for designation as a WIA; and WHEREAS, The Act requires the establishment of a Workforce Investment Board to assist in carrying out provisions of the Act; and WHEREAS, The Act requires a partnership between the Workforce Investment Board and the elected officials of the Counties; and WHEREAS, the Act requires WIB and the elected officials of the Counties to define the scope of their partnership by means of an Agreement; NOW THEREFORE, The counties of Cayuga and Cortland enter into this Agreement under the following provisions: The Counties and WIB designate the County of Cortland as the WIA grant recipient and fiscal agent for related and necessary activities under the Act during the term of this agreement, unless previously modified. The Cortland County Department of Employment and Training Grant Administration will comprise the staff for the area WIB and be responsible for the receipt and disbursement of WIA funds. Upon receipt all funds will be deposited with the Cortland County Treasurer's Office for disbursement for workforce activities under the direction of the area WIB and county chief elected official. ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 21 The Counties and WIB designate the County of Cortland to be the Administrative Entity for WIA programs and responsible for the overall operation of programs. The Cortland County Department of Employment and Training Grant Administration, as the staff for the area WIB, will assume responsibility for the comprehensive implementation of administrative functions, systems and procedures under the Act including oversight of all sub-recipient activities in the LWIA. The WIB, in partnership with the chief elected officials, shall develop and submit the Comprehensive Three-Year Local Plan to the Governor, based on a joint proposal of the Cortland County Department of Employment and Training Grant Administration, the Employment and Training Departments of the Counties and other participating partner agencies. The Agreement may be modified in writing during its term by agreement of all parties. A termination of the Grant Recipient and/or Administrative Entity may be accomplished only upon a two-thirds vote of WIB members present and voting and unanimous approval by both Counties. Any costs associated with the termination of Grant Recipient or Administrative Entity and/or Employment and Training offices and/or County One-Stop Career Centers shall be paid out of WIA funds and not out of additional county funds as follows: the first funds to be used shall be the funds of the terminated entity. After those funds are exhausted, any additional costs shall be divided between the Counties and paid from WIA funds, which have been allocated to the Workforce Area divided in proportion to the appropriate allocation division in use in the Workforce Area. Cash flow management and establishment of fiscal liabilities shall be established in accordance with State directives. Fiscal accounting, reporting, and auditing responsibilities will all be in compliance with the Standards for Independent Financial and Compliance Audits. The parties to the agreement will, at all times, see that there is compliance with the Workforce Investment Act as well as any regulations promulgated thereunder and any lawful gubernatorial directives. The parties are committed to the full spirit and letter of affirmative action, and the WIB will establish appropriate grievance procedures and general assurances of compliance with the law, as well as a full statement of its position and philosophy for affirmative action. ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 22 The parties retain responsibility for preparation and submittal of an annual report to the Governor, setting forth a description of all activities, identification of client characteristics, and performance standards attainment during the year. Any conflicts which arise within the WIB or between the WIB and the Grant Recipient and/or the Administrative Entity will be settled by a consensus among the WIB and the chief elected officials. In the event that such a consensus cannot be reached, then the conflict will be submitted to the Governor for ultimate resolution. All WIB appointments shall be accomplished in conformity with Section 117 of the Workforce Investment Act. All WIB certified local plans and modifications thereto shall be effective only upon being signed by the Chairperson of WIB together with the two chief elected officials. Implementation shall be commenced upon the effective date of this Agreement. It is mutually agreed by and between the parties that each County shall provide for local administration, shall be responsible for the overall cost of administration on a pro-rated basis, and shall be accountable for the use of all funds. It is agreed that the Counties shall be accountable for the use of all WIB funds administered by such Counties and it is further agreed that such Counties will hold all WIB members harmless by way of indemnification as to only those matters for which the particular county is responsible. The term of this Agreement shall commence upon execution hereof and shall run through June 30, 2008. It is understood and agreed that the entire Agreement between the parties is contained herein and that this agreement supercedes all oral agreements and negotiations between the parties relating to the subject matter hereof. All items referred to in this Agreement are incorporated or attached and are deemed to be part of this Agreement. It is further understood and agreed by and between the parties that should any provision herein contained be determined to be invalid or void, that such determination will not affect the balance of the Agreement, which Agreement shall remain in full force and effect. ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 23 IN WITNESS WHEREOF the parties hereto have affixed their signatures and seals as written below: Witness Signatories Witnessed by: Date: Everett Boise, Chairman Workforce Investment Board Witnessed by: Date: Herbert Marshall, Chairman Cayuga County Legislature Witnessed by: Date: Scott Steve, Chairman Cortland County Legislature ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 24 CAYUGA-CORTLAND WORKFORCE INVESTMENT BOARD By-Laws ARTICLE I - NAME The name of the organization shall be the Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Board, hereinafter referred to as the "C-C WIB". ARTICLE II - AUTHORIZATION The Board shall be authorized by the provisions of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998, Public Law 105-220, and the Cayuga and Cortland County Boards of Legislators. ARTICLE III - DESCRIPTION 1. VISION/MISSION STATEMENT Vision Statement - the Cayuga-Cortland workforce Investment System is the Universal access point that promotes job growth and self-sufficiency for all businesses and individuals. Mission Statement - the Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment System serves the employers and individuals of Cayuga and Cortland counties by providing a full array of workforce development services in a professional, efficient and timely manner, for the betterment of our communities. 2. RESPONSIBILITIES The responsibilities of the C-C WIB, as prescribed by law, shall include but are not limited to: A. Devise and submit in partnership with CEOs a local plan to the governor. B. Designate or certify with the agreement of the CEOs One-Stop operator(s) as described in Section 121(d)(2)(A) of the WIA and may terminate for cause the eligibility of such operators. C. Identify, consistent with Section 123 of the WIA, eligible providers of youth activities in the Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area by awarding grants or contracts on a competitive basis. ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 25 D. Identify consistent with Section 122 of the WIA eligible providers of training services described in Section 134(d)(4) of the Act and intensive services if not provided by the One-Stop operator. E. Conduct in partnership with the CEOs oversight with respect to local programs of youth activities authorized under Section 129, local E&T activities authorized under Section 134 and the One-Stop delivery system. F. Assist the governor in developing the statewide employment statistics system described in Section 15(e) of the Wagner-Peyser Act. G. Coordinate Workforce Investment activities authorized and carried out with economic development strategies and develop other employer linkages with economic development activities. H. Promote private sector participation in the statewide Workforce Investment system and ensure the effective provision of connecting, brokering and coaching activities through the One-Stop operator or other organizations to assist employers in meeting hiring needs. 3. GEOGRAPHIC BOUNDARIES The area to be served by the Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Board are the Counties of Cayuga and Cortland which have been designated as a Workforce Investment Area pursuant to the provisions of Section 116 of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA). ARTICLE IV - MEMBERSHIP 1. APPOINTMENT PROCESS A. Appointments All private sector appointments shall be made by the respective County legislative bodies and all at-large members shall be endorsed by the respective Counties. B. Size of Membership The C-C WIB shall consist of thirty-five (35) voting members or the number as subsequently established by the unanimous agreement of the Counties upon the ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 26 recommendation of the C-C WIB. All members will receive a letter of appointment by the respective County Clerk of the Legislature and a copy of the By-laws from the Administrative Entity. The Chief Local Elected Officials recognize Cortland County as the Administrative Entity through its Department of Employment and Training Grant Administration. The counties and the Local Board have designated the Cortland County Department of Employment and Training Grant Administration to be the staff of the Local Board. The primary functions of the staff will be to provide administrative and fiscal support to the board and to assist in accomplishing the functions required under the WIA legislation. C. Private Sector Membership At least a majority of the C-C WIB membership, eighteen (18), shall be representatives of private sector industry and businesses (including small business and minority business enterprises) as is required by Section 117 of the Workforce investment Act. Of this number, there will be ten (10) private sector members from Cayuga County and eight private sector members from Cortland County. Each County shall be responsible for soliciting its private sector members. In accordance with section 117.A.I. of the Act private sector members shall be owners, chief executives, or chief operating officers of their private sector businesses or shall have substantial management and policy responsibilities within their respective organizations. Section 117.A.III further states representatives of business in the local area are appointed from individuals nominated by local business organizations and business trade associations. All private sector members must reside or have their principal place of business in the Workforce Investment Area. D. One-Stop Partners/At-Large Membership The remaining voting members of the C-C WIB, seventeen (17) of thirty-five (35), shall consist of One-Stop Partners and other representatives as follows: 1. Department of Labor Funded Programs - Wagner-Peyser program, NAFTA/TAA, Veterans' E&T Services, and UI: 1 Slot. 2. Adult Education/Literacy: 1 Slot. 3. Rehabilitation Act of 1973: 1 Slot. 4. Local Department of Social Services/TANF: 1 Slot. 5. Title V Older Worker/Green Thumb, Inc. 1 Slot. 6. Post-Secondary / Carl Perkins Act of 1965: 2 Slots. 7. WIA Title I Programs (Adult, Dislocated Worker, Youth, Grant Recipient/Welfare-to-Work): 2 Slots. 8. Economic Development: 2 Slots. ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 27 9. Organized Labor: 2 Slots. 10. Community Services Block Grant Act: 2 Slots. 11. Community Based Organization/Disabilities: 2 Slots. Nominations for appointments or vacancies for representatives from the non- business sector shall be solicited from a wide range of representatives, partners, and community based organizations. The Counties shall be responsible for soliciting these nominations. C. Acceptance of an appointment to membership on the Workforce Investment Board carries with it a commitment to fulfill definite responsibilities. The successful operation of the Workforce Investment Board to meet the mandates of the law is dependent upon the active participation of each Board member to fullest extent possible. Unless each Board member is willing and able to participate actively in Board activities, consideration should be given to step aside to allow another appointee to actively fill the position. 2. TERM OF OFFICE A. Length of Term of Office Initial appointments to the WIB will be made in staggered fashion. Approximately one-third of the initial appointments will each be named to one two or three year terms. Thereafter, with the exception of mid-term vacancies, appointments and re-appointments will be made for three year terms on a staggered basis with approximately one-third of the membership appointed each year. B. Attendance Each voting member shall be expected to attend the regularly scheduled C- CWIB meetings and the regularly scheduled committee meeting(s) of which s/he is a member. (C-CWIB members must agree to be on at least one of the Boards Standing Subcommittees). If a QUORUM IS PRESENT absent members may vote by proxy. Proxy votes must however, be in writing, signed by the absentee member, and specifically address the EXACT items of business that will be voted on during that meeting. (If, for example, any motion that is voted on by proxy is revised during the meeting the proxy vote may not be cast). After two unexcused absences (defined as a lack of notification of a voting member's inability to be in attendance) from Board meetings within a 12 month period) the chairperson will generate a letter of inquiry to the absent Board member about his/her current ability to serve on the Board with notification to the Chief Elected Official of the appointing county. ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 28 After a third unexcused absence (defined as lack of notification of a voting member's inability to be in attendance) from Board meetings within a 12 month period the Chairperson has the authority to send a letter to the delinquent member indicating that his/her number of absences has been interpreted as a resignation. B. Resignation Any member may resign at any time by giving written notice to the Chairperson who will then notify the respective County and the Administrative Entity. Members are requested to provide thirty (30) days written notice. In the event that a member does not provide written notice, the Board Chairperson shall provide notice to the member that it is assumed they have tendered their resignation. 3. VACANCIES It is agreed the Board Maintenance Committee will nominate candidates to fill vacancies on the WIB. This will include vacancies due to both resignations and expired terms. Insofar as possible vacancies shall be filled within 45 days after notification to the WIB. The appropriate County Legislature(s) shall veto/ratify/confirm appointments made by the Board Maintenance Work group at their next scheduled meeting. 4. COMPENSATION Members shall serve without compensation provided; however, nothing in this section shall prohibit reimbursement of a member for reasonable expenses incurred during the course of C-C WIB activities and subject to the availability of funds. ARTICLE V - MEETINGS 1. RULES OF ORDER All proceedings of the C-C WIB and its committees shall be governed by parliamentary procedure using the current edition of Robert's Rules of Order. 2. MEETING SCHEDULE A. The C-C WIB will schedule a minimum of four times during the fiscal year in an established place accessible to the public. The meetings should rotate between the two Counties at a time and place convenient to the membership. The Chairperson may cancel such meetings, if there is no business to be conducted. ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 29 B. Special meetings of the C-C WIB, described as other than those scheduled by the full board at a regular meeting, may be called at any time by the Chairperson of the C-C WIB or on the written request of no less than 1/3 of the membership of the C-C WIB at the time the request is made. C. An annual meeting shall be held at the last scheduled meeting of the Program Year. At this meeting the C-C WIB shall elect its officers; establish a meeting schedule for the next twelve (12) months and transact such business as required. 3. PUBLIC COMMENT A. Participation in the meeting by any individual, except voting and ex-officio members, shall be at the discretion of the Chairperson. Any member of the public desiring to so participate shall notify the Chairperson before the meeting of the subject s/he wishes to address and shall be limited to a three minute presentation, unless granted leave by the Chairperson to extend it. B. Visitors will be allowed to speak at C-C Workforce Investment Board meetings only at a specific time set by the agenda. C. C-C WIB members may ask questions of the visitor after the completion of his or her statement. D. Seating shall be provided for visitors in areas other than at the Board table unless the Chairperson deems otherwise. 4. QUORUM At all meetings of the C-C WIB, a majority of its membership shall constitute a quorum required to transact business. Business conducted when a quorum is not present shall be conducted as a Committee of the Whole. At the next Cayuga- Cortland Workforce Investment Board meeting, with a quorum present, the Chairperson will ask for a motion and vote approving or disapproving the actions taken by the Committee of the Whole. When a quorum is once present to organize a meeting, it is not broken by the subsequent withdrawal of any members. 5. NOTICE OF MEETINGS Notice of the time, place and purpose of nay regular meeting of the C-C WIB shall be served upon each member either personally, by mail, telephone, or e-mail not less than ten (10) working days before such meeting. Notice of special meetings shall be served in the manner described above, no less than five working days before ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 30 such meeting. Prior meeting notice of five working days may be waived by majority approval of the Executive Committee. 6. PUBLIC NOTICE OF MEETINGS All meetings of the C-C WIB at which its business will be conducted shall be held at a time and in a place accessible to the public. Public notice shall be given prior to all meetings of the C-C WIB. The official locations for postings of public notices shall be the Office of the Administrative Entity and Offices of the Clerks of the respective County legislative bodies. 7. VOTE A. Each member of the Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Board shall have the right to vote on matters coming before the Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Board at regular and/or specially scheduled meetings. B. At no time shall a C-C WIB member exercise more than one vote on any matter. C. Voting shall be done by a show of hands unless a member of the Board deems that a roll call vote is appropriate. The vote shall be counted and abstentions duly noted. 8. CONFLICTS OF INTEREST The members shall avoid conflicts of interest by observing the following: Pursuant to Section 117(g) 1, Conflict of Interest, no member of the local Board may vote on a matter under consideration by the local Board regarding the provision of services by such member (or by an entity that such member represents) or that would provide direct financial benefit to such member of the immediate family of such member. Also, no member shall engage in any other activity determined by the Governor to constitute a Conflict of interest as specified in the State Plan. See also Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Board Code of Ethics ARTICLE VI - OFFICERS Officers shall consist of the Chairperson and Vice Chairperson. These officers shall have the following duties: 1. The Chairperson of the Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Board shall be elected from among the private sector members of the Board in accordance with Section 117 of the Workforce Investment Act and shall: A. Preside at all meetings of the Board; ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 31 B. Establish agendas with assistance of staff for every regular Board meeting; C. Sign, on behalf of the Board, and with Board approval, all necessary legal documents; D. Confirm the chairperson of each committee, or if necessary appoint a chairperson; E. Serve as an ex-officio member of all Committees; F. Appoint ad hoc committees as determined necessary by the Board; G. Be the official representative of the Board as required; H. Call special meetings of the Board; I. Call special meetings of the executive committee when a quorum of the full Board cannot be met; and J. Other responsibilities as determined by the Board. 2. The Vice Chairperson of the Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Board shall: A. Assume all responsibilities of the chairperson in his/her absence; and B. Have such additional powers and perform such other duties as may be assigned to him/her from time to time by the Chairperson. 3. Term of Office Officers shall serve a one year term commencing on 7/1 and ending 6/30. No officer may serve in the same elected office more than three consecutive terms. ARTICLE VII - COMMITTEES 1. Standing Committees are established on a permanent basis and will meet regularly in an accessible location at a time and place designated by each Committee Chairperson. Chairpersons of committees, excluding the Executive Committee, may be from the private or public sector. In appointing members to committees, there shall be due regard for proportionate representation from each County's private sector members. In addition, any Board member may attend committee meetings at will. These committees shall be known as: E. Executive Committee: ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 32 4. Shall consist of the Cayuga-Cortland WIB Chairperson and Vice Chairperson, and Standing Committees Chairpersons. 5. The Executive Committee shall have the authority to act on behalf of the Council between meetings as deemed necessary by the Chair and shall report such activities at the next regular meeting of the Council. 6. All decisions of the Executive Committee shall be based on the majority of the absolute membership of the Committee. F. Board Maintenance: Shall be appointed by the Board Chairperson, consisting of a minimum of three Board members for the purpose of building and sustaining a healthy and effective WIB. A primary responsibility of this committee is nominating officers for the next year. The Committee shall, at the final meeting of the program year, submit to the Board a slate of officers to assume offices at the first meeting of the next program year. As noted in Article VI, and pursuant to Section 117 of the Workforce Investment Act, the Committee shall nominate Board members representing the private sector for the position of Chairperson and Vice Chairperson. G. Planning and Operations Committee: 1. Shall be considered as the principal policy making and oversight committee. This committee shall be responsible for developing the E & T goals and objectives and will monitor and evaluate Workforce Investment Act implementation and progress. 2. Shall monitor local performance standards with NYS Department of Labor and with local service providers. 3. Shall be responsible for assuring that the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is in place. H. Youth Council Pursuant to Section 117(h)(I) of the Workforce Investment Act, the WIB will officially create and appoint a Youth Council. This Council shall consist of members as approved by the Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Board. The duties of the Youth Council shall include: 4. Developing the portions of the local Plan relating to eligible youth. 5. Recommending grants or contracts to be awarded by the Board to eligible youth activities providers on a competitive basis to carry out the youth activities. 6. Develop and coordinate a comprehensive Youth Workforce Development System in the Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area. ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 33 I. Other Committees There shall be such other Committees with such duties and authority as the Board and Chief Elected Officials shall deem appropriate. ARTICLE VIII - MODIFICATION AND AMENDMENTS Modification/amendments of these By-Laws shall be by three-fifths (3/5) vote of the entire membership of the C-C WIB. Any Board member at any Board meeting may propose an amendment to the By-Laws. Said amendment shall be provided to the members at least ten (10) days prior to calling for the vote. ARTICLE IX - CODE OF ETHICS The New York State Department of Labor requires that each Workforce Investment Board have a written Code of Ethics. For the Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Board, the Code of Ethics is part of the By-Laws, and is included as Attachment A. ARTICLE X - DISTRIBUTION A copy of the most recently adopted By-Laws and amendments thereto shall be distributed to all members of the Cayuga-Cortland WIB. Date of Adoption: WIB Chairperson Signature: ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 34 ONE-STOP OPERATOR AGREEMENT Between THE CAYUGA-CORTLAND WORKFORCE INVESTMENT BOARD and THE CAYUGA-CORTLAND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT ONE-STOP OPERATOR CONSORTIUM Comprised of THE CAYUGA and CORTLAND COUNTY DEPARTMENTS OF EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING and THE NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR And EXPERIENCE WORKS OF CENTRAL, N.Y. PARTIES TO THIS AGREEMENT In accordance with Section 121 (ii) of the Workforce Investment Act, the undersigned agree to form a consortium of 3 entities in the Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area, to act as the one-Stop Operator for the Cortland Works Career Center (CWCC) located in Cortland, NY and the Cayuga Works Career Center located in Auburn, NY. This consortium will be responsible for oversight of the implementation and ongoing execution of Board policies and procedures including but not limited to the following areas in all One Stops within the area. 1. Receptionist/Greeter/Initial assessment activities 2. Resource Room activities 3. Career Center physical layout, facility utilization, and hours of operation 4. meeting of One-Stop staff to insure partner/staff input and feedback on center operations 5. Business Services/Employer outreach/job development 6. Terms of the MOU as negotiated and executed 7. System level outcomes as defined in the performance standards and outcomes subsection of this Agreement 8. Marketing of the Centers and their services 9. Participating in New York State Certification and renewals every two years The WIB has determined the leaseholders and/or their designee shall be the One-Stop Managers for our One-Stop Career Centers. The One-Stop Manager for the Cortland Center will be the Department of Labor Employment Services Manager. The One-Stop Manager for the Cayuga Center will be the County E&T Director. For both Centers, the Employment and Training Directors and the Employment Service Managers will comprise the management team responsible for the day-today implementation and ongoing execution of Board ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 35 policies and procedures. The management team is accountable to the Consortium for the operation of the system and management of the center. The Employment Service Manager in Cortland and the E&T Director in Auburn will function as the primary contact for the consortium and will report as appropriate to the WIB Director, the Planning and Operations committee of the board and the full Board on behalf of the consortium. DURATION OF AGREEMENT This Agreement shall be in effect upon its execution through June 30, 2006, unless extended in accordance with the terms of this Agreement. VISION/MISSION VISION: The Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment System is the universal access point that promotes job growth and self-sufficiency for all businesses and individuals. MISSION: The Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment System serves the employers and individuals of Cayuga and Cortland Counties by providing a full array of workforce development services in a professional, efficient, and timely manner, for the betterment of our communities. SCOPE AND NATURE OF SERVICES The services to be provided pursuant to this Agreement shall be performed in a manner acceptable to the Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Board, consistent with the highest standards of care, and in strict compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local laws including but not limited to the Workforce Investment Act (WIA). The parties mutually agree that the services to be provided by the One-Stop Operator shall consist of core, intensive and training services, including but not limited to the following: Core Services 1. Outreach, Intake and Orientation. 2. Initial skill assessment. 3. Labor market information. 4. Information on childcare and transportation. 5. Information on educational institutions and vocational schools. 6. Job search and placement. 7. Job leads and referrals. 8. Resource room. 9. Supportive services. 10. Counseling. 11. Information on performance and the local area. 12. Follow-up. 13. Other related employment/training support services. ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 36 Intensive Services 1. Comprehensive and specialized assessment of skill levels. 2. Diagnostic testing. 3. In-depth interviewing. 4. Group counseling. 5. Individual career planning. 6. Case management. 7. Short-term prevocational skills. Training Services 1. Determine who receives training services. 2. Individual training accounts. 3. Determine eligible training providers. 4. Occupational skills training. 5. Employer-based training. 6. Skill upgrading and retraining. 7. Entrepreneurial training. 8. Job readiness training. 9. Adult education and literacy activities. 10. Customized training. The goals and objectives, along with the scope of services to be provided may not be modified or altered without the authorization of the WIB. FUNDING OF SERVICES AND OPERATING COSTS The shared costs of the services described above and the operating costs of the center shall be funded through the partners in accordance with the Cost-Allocation Plan as outlined in the MOU. REPORTS AND MEETINGS The Consortium Team will follow established meeting guidelines. PERFORMANCE STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES The Consortium Team will provide quarterly reports to the WIB Director on the Business Services and Job Seeker Activities enumerated on page 4 of this Agreement and any other benchmarks deemed necessary by the WIB. 1. Business services; ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 37 The consortium will oversee the system Business Services Team and ensure that activities are in compliance with policies and procedures as established by the Board in accordance with the parameters outlined in the Cayuga/Cortland MOU. These activities shall include but, not be limited to: a. New registrations (orders from new business- not previously used) b. Repeat business users c. New businesses visited d. New job orders e. Persons referred to job orders f. Hires resulting from referrals g. Companies receiving other business services (i.e. Recruitment, OJT/Customized Training, tax consultations and etc). 2. Job Seeker Services The Consortium will oversee the provision of services in the centers to job seekers and ensure that activities are in compliance with policies and procedures as established in the Cayuga/Cortland MOU. The activities shall include but not be limited to: a. Total resource room utilization (total new center users) b. Number of workshops c. Number of new OSOS registrations d. Number of new hires 3. Quality Assurance and Continuous Improvement The Consortium will monitor all activities to ensure quality assurance, continued improvement within the center in compliance with the policies and procedures as established in the Cayuga-Cortland MOU. To accomplish this, The Consortium will: a. Establish processes to collect and compile data to measure business worker services. b. Establish processes to collect and compile business and worker service satisfaction data collection. c. Analyze data to identify specific center level outcomes to be achieved. d. Develop and implement improvement processes to increase performance and quality of center services. PERFORMANCE STANDARDS AND OUTCOMES The WIB has established the following performance benchmarks for each year of the Agreement: 1. Increase by 5% the number of people accessing services at each Center. 2. Increase by 5% the number of businesses using the services of each Center. ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 38 3. Continue to monitor customer satisfaction including training staff to promote the use of the survey instrument as a final item in a client visit. Maintain an overall 85% positive customer satisfaction rate in all categories of the survey. 4. Continue to monitor employer satisfaction. This will be tracked by contacting a 10% sample of active business customers per quarter. Maintain an overall 85% positive employer satisfaction rate. EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION Information will be shared only to the extent permitted by regulations requiring confidentiality of participant records. All labor market information, job leads, programmatic and registrant information, as reported on standard forms, will be accessible to the One-Stop Partners through the One-Stop Operating System (OSOS). The consortium will gather customer identification, tracking, follow-up, evaluation, performance and satisfaction data. OSOS and "Card Swipe System" will be the primary format by which the consortium will gather information concerning activities and outcomes related to the One-Stop System. EVALUATION AND REVIEW The Consortium agrees to issue reports quarterly on performance standards and outcomes to the WIB Director. The WIB Director will then collate figures for the Center and report to the Planning and Operations Committee of the WIB. DISPUTE RESOLUTION Any disputes at the One-Stop Career Center shall first be attempted to be resolved informally at the lowest level starting with the Management Team. If dispute resolution is not accomplished, any partner may call a meeting of the Consortium to formally discuss and resolve any disputes. Should the consortium fail to resolve the dispute, the dispute shall be referred to the Chair of the WIB, who shall place the dispute upon the agenda of a regular or special meeting of the WIB. The WIB shall mediate the dispute and shall have final authority to resolve the issue. PROCEDURES FOR AMENDMENTS This Agreement and any amendments thereto shall remain in effect until terminated by any signatory to this Agreement upon thirty- (30) days written notice to the other parties. SEVERABILITY If any part of this Agreement is found to be null and void, or is otherwise stricken, the rest of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect. ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 39 MODIFICATION/TERMINATION This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties hereof. This Agreement may be modified, altered, revised, extended or renewed by mutual written consent of the Consortium, and the issuance of a written amendment, signed and dated by the Consortium. Any signatory to this Agreement may terminate their participation in this Agreement by giving at least thirty (30) calendar days' prior written notice of intent to terminate to the Consortium. In such case, termination by one or more of the signatories to this Agreement does not alter the terms of obligations or the other parties to this Agreement. Also, it is understood that the representatives on the Consortium are agency representatives and should that staff member leave, another person from the designated agency will be assigned to fill that slot. Finally, it is understood that the Cayuga/Cortland Workforce Investment Board has the authority to remove a consortium member or dissolve the consortium upon review finding that the agreement or guidelines have been violated. ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 IV-40 SIGNATURES OF CONSORTIUM REPRESENTATIVES AND THEIR AUTHORIZING AGENCIES In witness whereof the parties hereto have affixed their signatures and seals as written below. For Kelli Owens _ Name Signature Title Organization Date Signed For Gary Elser Name Signature Title Organization Date Signed For Scott Steve Name Signature Title Organization Date Signed For Robin Weston Name Signature Title ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 IV-41 Organization Date Signed For Robert Fortier Name Signature Title Organization Date Signed For Herbert Marshall Name Signature Title Organization Date Signed For Edward Herrling Name Signature Title Organization Date Signed ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 V-1 V. Review Process The Comprehensive Three-Year Local Plan is a living document through which the Local Board will provide the current state of the workforce, a vision for future, established goals for meeting identified challenges, and a plan of action to achieve the desired results. Therefore, the local plan will be reviewed for the following elements: a response to each of the discussion points provided in the guidelines; a well-articulated document that aligns individual components of the strategic plan and provides a workable road map for achieving local success; policy information that clearly supports the strategic planning of the Local Board and is in compliance with statute and regulations. An approvable plan will, therefore, be responsive to these guidelines and represent a well-deliberated, consciously structured local strategy for continuous improvement and success in the local workforce. The creation of the three-year local plan should be viewed as an opportunity for the Local Board to organize ideas, statements, goals, measurement objectives, and policy in one cohesive document that clearly and details the Local Board’s plan of action for the next three years. The Local Board will be contacted by NYSDOL staff should clarification or additional information be needed. Local Boards will subsequently receive written notification of plan approval. ---PAGE BREAK--- Workforce Investment Board: Cayuga-Cortland Workforce Investment Area 3/18/05 V-2