NCLR and its Affiliate Network : Your Partners in Workforce Development

1. NCLR and its Affiliate Network : Your Partners in Workforce Development

2. NCLR • Largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States. • Network of nearly 300 affiliated community-based organizations (CBOs) in 41 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia. • Research, policy analysis and advocacy in five key areas—wealth building, immigration, education, health, and employment and workforce development. • Programming and capacity-building assistance to Affiliates who work at the state and local levels.

3. Workforce Development at NCLR • Focus on challenges facing Latinos in the labor market: • Low educational attainment and English proficiency • Low wages • Dangerous working conditions • Limited access to training and education • Seek to ensure the Latino community’s ability to contribute to and share in the nation’s economic opportunities.

4. NCLR’s WFD Programs • Career Pathways Initiative • Health Care • Customer Service and Retail • Green Jobs • Youth • Escalera • Lideres • Policy

5. NCLR’s WFD Affiliate Network • 100 self-identified workforce development Affiliates throughout the country. • Range of services to Latino communities, from English-as-a-second-language (ESL) instruction to comprehensive sector-based career pathways programs.

6. Case Management and Support Services • Provided by nearly all WFD Affiliates • Individual case management, language and culturally-sensitive. • ESL and vocational ESL. • Referrals to supportive services such as child care, and transportations assistance.

7. Job Readiness and Placement • Provided by 80% of WFD Affiliates. • Soft skills, customer service skills, and communication skills, resume development, basic interviewing techniques, and job placement. • Typically strong relationships with local employer networks.

8. Vocational Training Programs • Operated by nearly half of WFD Affiliates. • Partnerships with local community colleges and employer networks. • Target occupations such as bank tellers, truck drivers, customer service and retail, construction and green jobs, and allied health care.

9. Career Pathways Programs • Well-established programs operated by 12 WFD Affiliates. • Industry-focused, utilize a sector approach to connect participants to continuum of training and education. • Layered funding sources, partnerships with local workforce systems and educational institutions, strong relationships with employers.

10. Youth Development Services • After-school programs and summer youth employment. • Career exploration, leadership development, personal development, and academic enrichment. • Targeted programs for adjudicated youth, disconnected youth, STEM.

11. One-Stop Career Centers • Operated by about 10% of WFD Affiliates, including satellite one-stop centers. • Focus on unique service needs of Latino population that are not traditionally served by other one-stop centers. • Spanish language and culturally-sensitive services, subcontracts with supportive services providers. • Tend to be larger Affiliates with higher management capacity.

12. Strengths of CBOs in WFD • History and credibility in underserved communities. • Language and culturally-accessible services. • Client-centered and long-range approach. • Flexible and responsive programming.

13. Challenges for CBOs in WFD • Competing for and managing performance contracts requires organizational sophistication: • Financial resources • Scale • Infrastructure • Client-centered and long-range approach can conflict with short-term goals.

14. Harnessing the Strengths of CBOs • NCLR’s strategies for enhancing local capacity include: • Program Tools • Partnerships • Resources • Peer Exchanges • Technical Assistance • Demonstration and Replication

15. Emma Oppenheim Manager, Workforce Development Policy eoppenheim@nclr.org (202) 776-1710