The County of Ventura Human Services Agency Awards almost $2.5 Million in Contracts to Goodwill Industries of Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties, Inc.; Projects Will Provide Subsidized Employment to Hundreds in Ventura County
Goodwill recently received notification from the County of Ventura of the intent to award the Oxnard-based organization two contracts that will provide subsidized employment to approximately 474 Ventura County residents.
Funding for these projects is a result of the Federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) economic stimulus funds: specifically, for the first project, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Emergency Contingency Fund (ECF) for subsidized employment for CalWORKs and other defined needy families (almost $2,056,822); for the second project, Federal Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Core funds ($403,922) as augmented by ARRA, targeting adult and dislocated workers.
The first project, Subsidized Employment Program for CalWORKs Recipients, is a subsidized work experience program where eligible clients will be placed in worksites to develop and improve their work skills and job readiness. Goodwill will also provide job readiness workshops to prepare clients for employment. Program participants will work an average of three months, 32 to 35 hours a week, and receive an estimated $8 per hour for entry level occupations. Some employees with previous work experience and marketable skills will earn a wage commensurate with other workers at the same employer doing comparable work. Approximately 85% of the participants will be 100% wage subsidized, meaning that employers will not have to pay any wages to these work experience participants. Naturally, this provides a huge incentive for employers to take on these participants. The other approximately 15% will be 50% wage subsidized, which is still a great employer incentive. Worksites will be in a variety of occupations to match the participant’s interest and skill level.
The goal of the project is to have participants obtain unsubsidized employment by the end of their work experience period. Long term goals are for participants to become self sufficient and not dependent on public assistance.
Through this project, Goodwill estimates it will serve between 400 and 500 clients over the estimated operational period of 1/27/2010 to 9/30/2010.
The second project, Work Experience Program for WIA Adults & Dislocated Workers, involves placing eligible clients in work experience slots that are consistent with their completed classroom training and as identified in their Individual Service Strategy plan (employment plan). The work experience will allow clients to increase their skills and job readiness in demand occupations. Clients will work an average of 3 months, 32-40 hours a week, and receive an entry level wage commensurate with the occupation. Some of these occupations include: Administrative Assistant – Clerical occupations (entry level to advanced); Medical Assistant - Front and Back Office (entry level); Accounting- Bookkeeping – entry level to intermediate; Light Industrial worker – Building maintenance, welding; and Pre-school Teacher. In this project, all participants will be 100% wage subsidized. Employers will not have to pay any wages to these work experience participants. Of course, this is a significant incentive for employers to participate in this initiative.
The target population is WIA eligible adults and dislocated workers that are currently enrolled in and close to completing or have completed their WIA classroom training activity.
The goal of the project is to have participants obtain unsubsidized employment by the end of their work experience period. Long term goals are for participants to transition into occupations that are in need and that will provide the participant with a wage commensurate to their previous wages.
Through this project, Goodwill estimates it will serve 35 to 50 clients over the estimated operational period of 1/27/2010 to 12/31/2010.
These projects are a win-win because local employers will receive quality subsidized employees, and local residents will gain paid work experience, hopefully leading to permanent, unsubsidized employment.
For more information about these projects, contact Laura Kistner, at (805) 988-1616 or LKistner@goodwillvsb.org.
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