1. Job Corps – Career Center Collaboration Case Study New York and New Jersey
September 19, 2016

2. ResCare Job Corps
At ResCare –Job Corps, We are the Experts at Placing Young Adults on Career Paths. Our three job corps centers in the New York metropolitan area are located in Bronx and Brooklyn, New York and Edison, New Jersey. While the mission of each center is the same, their unique campus settings and student population differ and the Career Technical Training offerings also vary based on the local labor market demands of each location. Our New York WFS Centers has developed partnerships which supports each individual center.

3. ResCare Career Centers
Our three Centers are part of The Workforce1 Career Center (WF1CC) system. The system is an integrated network of 16 Career Centers whose mission is to fulfill business customers’ hiring and training needs by preparing and placing the most qualified individuals in their job opportunities. The goal of the Workforce1 Career Center is to serve the needs of jobseekers and businesses using a demand driven workforce strategy.

4. RWS - Collaborative Purpose
With the Job Corps Centers focus on assisting young adults to become career candidates and the local Career Center focus on serving businesses by delivering a pipeline of qualified career candidates, we had prime conditions for collaboration. Business is our main customer. Talent Delivery (Job Corps Students) is our product. Different than the general population, Job Corps students have the added value of a network of support. Preliminary data shows that the effective interventions offered at Job Corps programs leads to 70% of registered participants being referred to interviews. The rate of referral for general population is less than 50%.

5. RWS - Collaborative Approach
Our Career Center and Job Corps Collaboration Project has been designed based on the following key elements:
Have dedicated points of contact
Clearly articulated partnership which outlines what both parties have to gain
Implement a demand driven workforce collaboration strategy
Focus on growth occupations, high demand sectors, and career pathways
Ensure improved student outcomes
Have dedicated points of contact responsible for collaboration:
Leveraging our Career Centers’ Community Partner Liaisons, we have appointed a dedicated point of contact at each Center to manage all aspects of collaboration. Community Partner Liaisons are responsible for:
Sharing real time job opportunities with Job Corps staff
Sharing feedback on Job Corps member participation in Center services and attainment of outcomes
Arranging for Job Corps staff to have all the necessary information to provide preliminary pre-screening for job opportunities
Each Job Corps center has designated a staff member at each center as the point of contacts for the Community Partner Liaison. The designated staff will:
Communicate and distribute information between center and Community Partner Liaison
Assist student in registration with Career Center
Prepare for weekly events
Select trainees for pre-screening
Pre-Interview trainees prior to events
Follow-up communication with Center Director to include additional training requirements within the industry area
Coordinate transportation for events
Clearly articulate to Career Center and Job Corps staff what both parties have to gain:
With Businesses as the primary customer and talent our main product, having a pool of properly matched, adequately equipped to enter and retain employment is a must for Career Center staff. Different than the general population, Job Corps students have the added value of a network of support. Preliminary data shows that the effective interventions offered at Job Corps programs leads to 70% of registered participants being referred to interviews. The rate of referral for general population is less than 50%.
Implement a demand driven workforce collaboration strategy:
Referrals to the Career Center are in direct response to real-time job opportunities. Career Center staff communicates with Job Corps staff the skills and experience required to make a strong employment match as a condition of referral. In addition, Career Center staff coaches Job Corps liaisons on all other items that impact hiring such as interview format (individuals vs. group), interview type (situational vs. behavioral), application process (online vs. paper applications) etc.
As the Job Corps center receives key job information they will immediately implement the training required into the weekly student preparation. If it is determined that a skill is a highly demanded skill, it will then be implemented into the centers Career Preparation, Career Development and/or Career Transition curriculum.
Focus on growth occupations, high demand sectors, and career pathways
The Career Centers work with employers in high growth and demand industries. The key metrics used to measure success include overall jobs filled and positions filled that pay over $15 per hour. Complementary to the job opportunities developed by Job Corps staff, Career Center offers a robust, aligned with labor market trends, and high-paying book of business.
Given the depth of the employer relationships at the Career Center level there is an opportunity to develop training delivery strategies that speak to the actual needs of a high-demand local employer, occupation, or sector.
For example, via the HealthCare Career Center collaboration there is opportunity to develop an employer centered training program for Direct Care Professionals. These are full-time positions with employer sponsored benefits and significant opportunities for advancement into clinical healthcare or social service roles.
Ensure improved student outcomes
Job Corps Centers operate on a performance based contract, with 55% of the graded performance based on student placement. This this collaboration develops, it will contribute to increased initial placement, increase the number of students placed prior to separation, and increase our Job Training Match. The collaboration with the Career Centers, will not only assist centers in meeting the placement goals but will ensure that we are providing the training needed for our students to be successful in today’s demand driven market. At Job Corps, we are the Experts at Putting Youth on Career Paths, joining with forces with Career Centers, the experts of putting America to Work, a winning combination.

6. RWS – Collaborative Outcomes
Since our collaboration started, New York Job Corps referred 160 participants to the New York Workforce1 programs resulting in 120 direct referrals and 34 hires.
Participants not placed are reengaged and offered job readiness workshops or additional referral opportunities.
Healthcare Workforce1 team presented to the Brooklyn Job Corps on CNA and Medical Assistant careers to discuss career pathways which led to 4 referrals and 1 placement.

7. Case Study Workforce1 Screening at South Bronx Job Corps
21 participants screened on 6/15/16
17 of 21 participants were directly referred to employers
3 participants hired (2 Security Guards, 1 Direct Support Professional)
For participants not hired or referred, reengaged for additional placement and/or job readiness services (workshops, 1 on 1 assessment)

8. DISCUSSION