CTWS Integrated Plan FY2000-2004

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SERVICES TO EMPLOYERS

FUNCTIONAL INTEGRATION QUESTIONS 10 - 19

Services to Employers-Employer Services

Guidelines Pages 51-53

18. Does your workforce area have a significant agricultural employer?

YES (Mark with an "X" if yes and list these locations below.)

NO X (Mark with an "X" if no, continue with Question 19.)

Describe efforts to provide specific employment services to agricultural employers. Include the following in your discussion:
a. The process for linking available migrant and seasonal farmworkers with the agricultural employers, including the cooperation with coordinating groups (e.g., agricultural employer organizations, migrant and seasonal farmworker service organizations, etc.).
b. The process of how services available to agricultural employers are promoted within the local area (e.g., through participation in employer conferences, by developing marketing tools, through provision of labor exchange information, and by recruiting U.S. workers, etc.).

Services to Employers-Employer Services

Guidelines Pages 51-53

19. Describe how the Board monitors the services provided to employers in the local area. Include in your discussion:
a. How the Board gauges the effectiveness of services to employers.
b. Areas of service delivery planned for improvement and/or expansion, and how the Board identifies and addresses these issues.

Question #8 describes the contracted monitoring system used in Central Texas.
Also, as noted in Question #10, the Central Texas Workforce Board evaluates the success of services to businesses during the Board's monthly business meetings. Examples of success used by the Central Texas Board include, Wagner Peyser Employment Service performance reports; reports related to participation and support of Rapid Response, Job Fairs, Chambers of Commerce, Economic Development, customized training mediation; and written acknowledgements from local business customers and/or local newspaper media
Areas identified for improvement include targeting marketing to key businesses and employer groups and development and implementation of the previously described multi-workforce area Virtual Business Consortia.

SERVICES TO JOB SEEKERS

QUESTIONS 20-47

Services to Job Seekers-Outreach

Guidelines Pages 54 - 55 20. Describe the Board's expectations and goals regarding how Center partners outreach to jobseekers. How do these expectations relate to applicable goals and objectives described in the Strategic Section of the local plan? Include in your discussion:
a. The marketing strategies developed by the Board to guide Center partners in performing outreach activities to job seekers.
b. Ways that the Board assists in facilitating the outreach function to job seekers.
c. The Board's plan for providing all job-seeking customers, or the universal population (i.e., adults and dislocated workers, low-income participants, current workers, and youth), with quality information on the workforce development network (e.g., services, training providers, employment activities, etc.).
d. Strategies developed to outreach to rural customers in the local area and apprise these customers of the services available to them.

The Central Texas Workforce Board's goal: Connect people to jobs focuses on the broad aspects of job seeker services. The goal reflects the employment outcomes of customers who have left the workforce system after having received a minimum of staff-assisted services and who are, therefore, registered with the Central Texas Workforce System. Measure of success is defined as an increase in employment as reflected by the number of Central Texas Workforce System's registered customers who:
- were unemployed when first accessing the system,
- exit all services during the annual assessment period (the four calendar quarters ending December 31st), and
- have earnings gains during the calendar quarter after the exiting calendar quarter
divided by the number of registered customers exiting all services during the annual assessment period.
As described in Question #11, specific strategies in support of marketing the Central Texas Workforce System to local job seekers were developed with the guidance and products of the Workforce System's contracted marketing agency, ArtWorks. The local marketing plan includes promotion of workforce programs and services in both local and rural regions of the Central Texas Workforce Area. The approach used in Central Texas promotes recognition of all Workforce System access through use of a common identity to avoid confusion
Marketing to potential universal customer populations is promoted through presentations by designated Workforce System staff and Board members at local civic, Chambers of Commerce and Economic Development meetings. Outreach to target customer groups is conducted through the Central Texas formal needs assessment and referral system as well as Memorandums of Understanding. For example, outreach to customers on public assistance is coordinated through agreement with the Texas Department of Human Services local office as well as the TWIST system.
Potential Welfare to Work and low income customers are also identified through referral by Workforce System partners who provide services to common customer groups - for example, the local county human service agency, the H.E.L.P. Center provides emergency assistance, indigent health care, etc. In support of the Workforce System, the H.E.L.P. Center provides the immediate service needs of their customers and then formally refers their customers to the Central Texas Workforce Centers to begin addressing their employment needs. The needs assessment and referral system is supported by the Internet-based local information and referral system, PALADIN. Referral of potential Central Texas Workforce System customers is also promoted through monthly multi-agency Health and Human Service network meetings. The Network meetings are held in both Killeen and Temple with membership from over 65 local faith-based, community-based, and local/state program representatives attending.
Information on the Central Texas Workforce System is provided to customers through multiple distribution methods including but not limited to:
- Workforce System staff one-on-one assistance,
- Workforce System orientations,
- Printed materials reflecting service locations and options, and
- electronic service menus available on the Central Texas Workforce System Web Site, www.workforcelink.com.
Finally, outreach efforts in rural areas are being expanded to customers on public assistance in rural areas. The Public Assistance to Self-Sufficiency project addresses outreach to customers in rural areas beginning in September/October 2000.

Services to Job Seekers-Outreach

Guidelines Pages 54 - 55 21. Provide examples of successful practices used by the Board and Center partners to attract and encourage customer participation. Include in your discussion:
a. Examples of the products developed by the Board and Center partners to target the job seeker population regarding workforce center services (e.g., brochures, newspaper ads, radio/TV spots, etc.).
b. How Center partners coordinate and collaborate to implement the Board's plan for outreaching job seeker customers.
c. How automated systems/technology (including HIRE TEXAS) facilitate customers' acquisition of information.

Marketing products developed through the Central Texas Marketing Plan are described in Question #11. Also, as stated in Question #21, participation by public assistance customers is promoted through coordination with the Texas Department of Human Services, the Central Texas Health and Human Services Network referral process, and outreach through the TWIST system. Also, to facilitate the process of customer identification and promote use of Central Texas Workforce Center services, non-co-located workforce system partners (for example, community based organizations) use of the PALADIN system, the standardized local needs assessment, and the formal referral process.
Customers are also encouraged to participate through generic and program specific automated workforce orientations. The orientations describe the array of service opportunities available to local job seeker customers thereby encouraging participation. Mandatory public assistance customers are also informed of their personal responsibilities including participation in work activities during their orientation to the Central Texas Workforce System. Additionally, off-site orientations in high target-customer population areas are used to encourage participation and attract customers.
Customers are also encouraged to participate by information received through:
- the Central Texas Workforce System Web Site, www.workforcelink.com;
- TcoB job seekers services including ability to develop and post a resume on-line complete local search of job postings, and submit resumes to matching potential employers;
- Oscar;
- Career Compass;
- Hire Texas (job search/matching);
- Internet access all job banks, training provider performance and certification, and
- Local, state and national labor market information.

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SERVICES TO EMPLOYERS FUNCTIONAL INTEGRATION QUESTIONS 10 - 19
Services to Employers-Employer Services
Guidelines Pages 51-53
18. Does your workforce area have a significant agricultural employer?
YES		(Mark with an "X" if yes and list these locations below.)
NO	X	(Mark with an "X" if no, continue with Question 19.)
Describe efforts to provide specific employment services to agricultural employers. Include the following in your discussion: a. The process for linking available migrant and seasonal farmworkers with the agricultural employers, including the cooperation with coordinating groups (e.g., agricultural employer organizations, migrant and seasonal farmworker service organizations, etc.). b. The process of how services available to agricultural employers are promoted within the local area (e.g., through participation in employer conferences, by developing marketing tools, through provision of labor exchange information, and by recruiting U.S. workers, etc.).

Services to Employers-Employer Services
Guidelines Pages 51-53
19. Describe how the Board monitors the services provided to employers in the local area. Include in your discussion: a. How the Board gauges the effectiveness of services to employers. b. Areas of service delivery planned for improvement and/or expansion, and how the Board identifies and addresses these issues.
Question #8 describes the contracted monitoring system used in Central Texas. Also, as noted in Question #10, the Central Texas Workforce Board evaluates the success of services to businesses during the Board's monthly business meetings. Examples of success used by the Central Texas Board include, Wagner Peyser Employment Service performance reports; reports related to participation and support of Rapid Response, Job Fairs, Chambers of Commerce, Economic Development, customized training mediation; and written acknowledgements from local business customers and/or local newspaper media Areas identified for improvement include targeting marketing to key businesses and employer groups and development and implementation of the previously described multi-workforce area Virtual Business Consortia.

Services to Job Seekers-Outreach
Guidelines Pages 54 - 55	20. Describe the Board's expectations and goals regarding how Center partners outreach to jobseekers. How do these expectations relate to applicable goals and objectives described in the Strategic Section of the local plan? Include in your discussion: a. The marketing strategies developed by the Board to guide Center partners in performing outreach activities to job seekers. b. Ways that the Board assists in facilitating the outreach function to job seekers. c. The Board's plan for providing all job-seeking customers, or the universal population (i.e., adults and dislocated workers, low-income participants, current workers, and youth), with quality information on the workforce development network (e.g., services, training providers, employment activities, etc.). d. Strategies developed to outreach to rural customers in the local area and apprise these customers of the services available to them.
The Central Texas Workforce Board's goal: Connect people to jobs focuses on the broad aspects of job seeker services. The goal reflects the employment outcomes of customers who have left the workforce system after having received a minimum of staff-assisted services and who are, therefore, registered with the Central Texas Workforce System. Measure of success is defined as an increase in employment as reflected by the number of Central Texas Workforce System's registered customers who: - were unemployed when first accessing the system, - exit all services during the annual assessment period (the four calendar quarters ending December 31st), and - have earnings gains during the calendar quarter after the exiting calendar quarter divided by the number of registered customers exiting all services during the annual assessment period. As described in Question #11, specific strategies in support of marketing the Central Texas Workforce System to local job seekers were developed with the guidance and products of the Workforce System's contracted marketing agency, ArtWorks. The local marketing plan includes promotion of workforce programs and services in both local and rural regions of the Central Texas Workforce Area. The approach used in Central Texas promotes recognition of all Workforce System access through use of a common identity to avoid confusion Marketing to potential universal customer populations is promoted through presentations by designated Workforce System staff and Board members at local civic, Chambers of Commerce and Economic Development meetings. Outreach to target customer groups is conducted through the Central Texas formal needs assessment and referral system as well as Memorandums of Understanding. For example, outreach to customers on public assistance is coordinated through agreement with the Texas Department of Human Services local office as well as the TWIST system. Potential Welfare to Work and low income customers are also identified through referral by Workforce System partners who provide services to common customer groups - for example, the local county human service agency, the H.E.L.P. Center provides emergency assistance, indigent health care, etc. In support of the Workforce System, the H.E.L.P. Center provides the immediate service needs of their customers and then formally refers their customers to the Central Texas Workforce Centers to begin addressing their employment needs. The needs assessment and referral system is supported by the Internet-based local information and referral system, PALADIN. Referral of potential Central Texas Workforce System customers is also promoted through monthly multi-agency Health and Human Service network meetings. The Network meetings are held in both Killeen and Temple with membership from over 65 local faith-based, community-based, and local/state program representatives attending. Information on the Central Texas Workforce System is provided to customers through multiple distribution methods including but not limited to: - Workforce System staff one-on-one assistance, - Workforce System orientations, - Printed materials reflecting service locations and options, and - electronic service menus available on the Central Texas Workforce System Web Site, www.workforcelink.com. Finally, outreach efforts in rural areas are being expanded to customers on public assistance in rural areas. The Public Assistance to Self-Sufficiency project addresses outreach to customers in rural areas beginning in September/October 2000.

Services to Job Seekers-Outreach
Guidelines Pages 54 - 55	21. Provide examples of successful practices used by the Board and Center partners to attract and encourage customer participation. Include in your discussion: a. Examples of the products developed by the Board and Center partners to target the job seeker population regarding workforce center services (e.g., brochures, newspaper ads, radio/TV spots, etc.). b. How Center partners coordinate and collaborate to implement the Board's plan for outreaching job seeker customers. c. How automated systems/technology (including HIRE TEXAS) facilitate customers' acquisition of information.
Marketing products developed through the Central Texas Marketing Plan are described in Question #11. Also, as stated in Question #21, participation by public assistance customers is promoted through coordination with the Texas Department of Human Services, the Central Texas Health and Human Services Network referral process, and outreach through the TWIST system. Also, to facilitate the process of customer identification and promote use of Central Texas Workforce Center services, non-co-located workforce system partners (for example, community based organizations) use of the PALADIN system, the standardized local needs assessment, and the formal referral process. Customers are also encouraged to participate through generic and program specific automated workforce orientations. The orientations describe the array of service opportunities available to local job seeker customers thereby encouraging participation. Mandatory public assistance customers are also informed of their personal responsibilities including participation in work activities during their orientation to the Central Texas Workforce System. Additionally, off-site orientations in high target-customer population areas are used to encourage participation and attract customers. Customers are also encouraged to participate by information received through: - the Central Texas Workforce System Web Site, www.workforcelink.com; - TcoB job seekers services including ability to develop and post a resume on-line complete local search of job postings, and submit resumes to matching potential employers; - Oscar; - Career Compass; - Hire Texas (job search/matching); - Internet access all job banks, training provider performance and certification, and - Local, state and national labor market information.