The Urban Institute Assisting Newcomers through Employment and Support Services: An Evaluation of the New Americans Centers Demonstration Project in Arkansas and Iowa Robin Koralek The California Symposium on Poverty October 15, 2009

2 The Urban Institute Overview of Presentation Demonstration overview Design of the New Americans Centers Services provided Sustainability Lessons learned

3 The Urban Institute Demonstration Overview

4 The Urban Institute New Americans Centers Demonstration Project Funded by the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration Three-year grants ($850,000) to develop NACs in Arkansas and Iowa Located within One-Stop Career Centers in high-immigrant population areas

5 The Urban Institute

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7 Purpose of Grants Promote stability and rapid employment with living wages Speed the transition of new immigrants into their communities Assist employers as they adjust to a changing workforce Enhance economic development opportunities in local communities

8 The Urban Institute Immigration Context Immigrants make up a large share of all U.S. workers –15 percent of all U.S. workers (2005) –21 percent of workers earning below twice the minimum wage –45 percent of workers with less than a H.S. education Great variation in educational attainment and ability to speak English –Limited English skills are single factor associated with low wages and poverty among immigrants

9 The Urban Institute Immigration Context (Cont’d.) Rapid growth in immigration between 1990 and 2000 –196 percent increase in Arkansas –110 percent increase in Iowa States struggle with rapid flow of new immigrants –Integration into community –Language barriers –Increased dependence on immigrant workers

10 The Urban Institute Design of the NACs

11 The Urban Institute Project Goals Help “newcomers” establish themselves in the community Enhance local workforce and further local economic development Raise awareness of diversity issues

12 The Urban Institute Sponsoring Organizations — Arkansas SiteOversight Fiscal and programmatic agent Local program operation Little Rock Department of Workforce Services (DWS) Little Rock Workforce Investment Board Latin Community Organization (LCO) MalvernDWS West Central Arkansas Planning and Development District, (WCAPDD) West Central Arkansas Career Development Center System (WCACDCS) RogersDWS Northwest Arkansas Economic Development District (NWAEDD) Northwest Arkansas Certified Development Company (NWACDC) RussellvilleDWS West Central Arkansas Planning and Development District, (WCAPDD) West Central Arkansas Career Development Center System (WCACDCS)

13 The Urban Institute Sponsoring Organizations — Iowa SiteOversight Fiscal and programmatic agent Local program operation Council Bluffs Iowa Workforce Development (IWD) Des Moines Marshalltown Mount Pleasant

14 The Urban Institute Planning & Implementation Community meetings to garner support and gauge need –Local government officials, police and fire departments, local WIBs, service providers, employers, and business owners Advisory committees Staff –Bilingual –Established in the community –Skilled in networking with service providers and community organizations

15 The Urban Institute Planning & Implementation (Cont’d.) Establishment of community trust and respect Identify existing services Outreach to participants via “word of mouth”

16 The Urban Institute Key Partners Development of partnerships with local leaders and other service providers –Advisory committees –Networks of local service providers and businesses (One-Stop Career Center programs, health care, adult education, banks, colleges, schools, employers, local government agencies, etc.)

17 The Urban Institute Staffing Typically, two full-time bilingual staff per site Coordinators –Responsible for community outreach, establishing networks, partnerships with other service providers, project sustainability Intake Specialists –Support coordinators in outreach, work more directly with participants, provide services, make referrals, translation and interpretation services

18 The Urban Institute Staff Responsibilities Intake Resource and referral Translation and interpretation Job search Do not carry caseloads

19 The Urban Institute Services Provided

20 The Urban Institute Program Enrollment Arkansas — 4,883 participants across four sites –Nearly two-thirds are men –Most are Hispanic Iowa — 2,775 participants across three sites –Over half are women –Hispanic (40%), white, non-Hispanic (20%) Most are recent immigrants

21 The Urban Institute Service Delivery 1. Participants Increasing income Achieving self-sufficiency Gaining English proficiency Building awareness of civic laws and institutions Promoting civic participation Accessing needed services

22 The Urban Institute Service Delivery (Cont’d.) 2. Employers Meeting staffing needs Adapting to increasingly diverse workforce 3. Community Educating on diversity issues Conducting general outreach

23 The Urban Institute Service Delivery Approach Staff in each site given flexibility to design program to meet local needs No eligibility requirements No formal assessment process Services and referrals based on individual need

24 The Urban Institute Services to Participants Supportive services (child care, clothing, food housing, health care, other basic needs) Translation and interpretation services Employment assistance (job search, resumes, applications, interviewing) Civics education (education, immigration, law enforcement, cultural issues, taxes, local services)

25 The Urban Institute Services to Participants (Cont’d.) ESL classes Other education and training Legal and civil rights assistance Computer and internet access and other services

26 The Urban Institute Services Provided to Participants

27 The Urban Institute Services Provided to Participants

28 The Urban Institute Employer Services Resource to area employers and businesses Assistance with staffing needs (referrals to language classes, targeted training, translation and interpretation, diversity training, immigration issues, etc.) Local welding training program (AR)

29 The Urban Institute Community Services Local community events (job fairs, networking events, Cinco de Mayo, etc.) Workshops on cultural awareness and diversity

30 The Urban Institute Sustainability

31 The Urban Institute Sustainability — Arkansas Goal is to build a “network” to sustain partnerships created through the demonstration No formal state-level role Seeking funding through grants from local banks, and foundations, additional grant writing

32 The Urban Institute Sustainability — Iowa Goal is to secure permanent funding stream through the state State appropriations support a larger system of NACs Local communities encouraged to secure local support

The Urban Institute Implementation Lessons

34 The Urban Institute Implementation Lessons Network building and community support are critical early steps Dynamic and committed staff are essential Location is a factor in service delivery Project sustainability is challenging and requires support at a high level

35 The Urban Institute Next Steps for Evaluation Currently completing a final report Incorporates updated information about site operations and sustainability Includes analysis of individual-level service receipt data and employment and earnings data

36 The Urban Institute Contact Information New Arkansan Resource Network Mike Kennedy (501) New Iowan Centers Barbara Bobb (515) /

37 The Urban Institute U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration Michelle Ennis (202) Robin Koralek The Urban Institute (202) Full report is available at