John “Juan Pablo” Hershey Planning & Community Partnerships Manager of Workforce Solutions

1. John “Juan Pablo” HersheyPlanning & Community Partnerships Manager of Workforce Solutions Recruitment, Assessment, and Orientation Methods to Identify Students Who Will Go the Distance October2014

2. Who we are • 1 of 28 Workforce Development Boards in Texas • Report to the Texas Workforce Commission • Service area includes Hidalgo, Starr and Willacy counties • Community Partner

3. What we do • Assist the unemployed and underemployed • Match qualified job seekers to job opening(s) • Provide trainings, work experience and resources • Analyze labor market information and industry sectors, and identify regional target occupations • Seek and build community partnerships and leverage resources • Support employers and local economies

4. Regional View

5. The project • Texas Higher Education Board (THEB), Accelerate Texas, Dislocated Worker Training, National Emergency Grant (NEG) • South Texas College received $57.9K grant funds • Target population, Long-Term Unemployed/Dislocated Workers • 24 month project • Serve 30 participants > now 33 • Participant educational level criteria

6. planning • Convened partners • South Texas College, Workforce Board, Contractor • Discussed project intent and contract deliverables • Outlined/designated roles & responsibilities • Data analysis of job seeker pool including a survey • Made data driven decisions • Reviewed target occupations and local business need • Collectively agreed on project criteria

7. implementation • Workforce Solutions (WFS) and South Texas College (STC) agreed on the type of training and recruitment strategy • CDL/Truck Driving training, combined with OSHA and CPR safety training • WFS & STC designated a single point of contact (SPOC) • WFS is responsible for outreach and co-enrollment into the Workforce Investment Act (WIA)/Dislocated Worker program(s) • WFS developed flyers and used social media to recruit • WFS created process forms specifically for this project • Following eligibility verification, participants paid a fee to STC for required background/vehicle record check (participants were reimbursed within two weeks by STC for this fee)

8. Social Media and Flyer Facebook page Marketing Flyer

9. Execution & outcomes • All interested participants spoke to the same WFS (SPOC) for intake, and eligibility screening • GOAL - Train and Employ 30 participants • 1,518 interested participants called • 198 prescreened • 93 TABE tested (Must score below a 8.9 in at least one area to be eligible) • 59 referred to STC • 40 cleared by STC (Must check no debts are owed to the school) • 57 completed CAPS & COPS • 4 pending eligibility documentation • 24 eligible and have started or completed classes • 11 are employed in area of training • 1 has CDL no job, 7 completed training and are line to test, 2 completed eligibility but dropped out before starting

10. Review • Convened partners • Understood contract deliverables • Conducted data analysis • Developed procedure(s) and processes • Planned, implemented and developed marketing strategies • Monitor progress

11. John Hershey Planning & Community Partnerships Manager Workforce Solutions(956) 928-5000 or johnh@wfsolutions.org Thank you October, 2014