HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 06252013 - SD.2RECOMMENDATION(S):
APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa, Workforce Investment Act Local
Strategic Workforce Plan for Program Years 2013-2017 and AUTHORIZE the Employment and Human Services
Director, or designee, to submit this plan to the California Employment Development Department and AUTHORIZE
the Chair, Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors, to sign the Local Plan.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Not applicable.
BACKGROUND:
The Workforce Investment Act (WIA or Act) was implemented in California in the year 2000. At that time, per the
Act, the State instructed each service area to submit a five-year Strategic Plan. At each subsequent five-year period,
the Local Areas are to submit a successive five-year Local Strategic Plan per the State Employment Development
Department Directive WSD12-14 WIA Section 118. Once approved by the local elected officials, the Strategic Plan
is sent to the State for review, approval, and award of Formula Allocation funding.
APPROVE OTHER
RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE
Action of Board On: 06/25/2013 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED OTHER
Clerks Notes:
VOTE OF SUPERVISORS
AYE:Candace Andersen, District II
Supervisor
Karen Mitchoff, District IV
Supervisor
Federal D. Glover, District V
Supervisor
Contact: Elaine Burres,
313-1717
I hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of an action taken and entered on the minutes of the Board
of Supervisors on the date shown.
ATTESTED: June 25, 2013
David Twa, County Administrator and Clerk of the Board of Supervisors
By: June McHuen, Deputy
cc:
SD. 2
To:Board of Supervisors
From:Kathy Gallagher, Employment & Human Services Director
Date:June 25, 2013
Contra
Costa
County
Subject:Workforce Investment Act Local Strategic Plan for Program Years 2013-2017
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
Workforce Development Board pf Contra Costa (WDB) would not be in compliance with the Employment
Development Department directive WSD12-14, WIA Section 118 requiring local boards to submit a five-year
plan to the State to align with the State plan identifying stragies and goals for the local WDB.
CHILDREN'S IMPACT STATEMENT:
Not applicable.
ATTACHMENTS
2013-2017 WDB Strategic Plan
ATTACHMENT 1
FWSD12-14A Page 1 of 1 5/13
WORKFORCE INVESTMENT ACT
LOCAL STRATEGIC WORKFORCE PLAN
PROGRAM YEARS 2013–17
Local Workforce Investment Area:
Name: Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County
Date of Submission: July 1, 2013
Contact Person: Stephen Baiter
Contact Person’s Phone Number: 925.602.6800
Check the box if you would like to be considered for High Performing
Board Designation
Special requests for services, aids, and/or special formats may be made by contacting the
California Workforce Investment Board at (916) 324-3425. The TTY line: (916) 324-6523.
Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County
Strategic Workforce Development Plan 2013-2017
Page 1 of 58 1. Strategic Vision 1. STRATEGIC VISION
The Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County (WDB), in partnership with
the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors, has articulated a compelling vision for economic
vitality in our county and region:
Contra Costa County’s Workforce Development Board supports a network that creates and
promotes dynamic education systems, high-performing businesses, and a prosperous local economy with an
abundance of high-quality jobs and skilled workers to fill them.
The 41-member WDB brings together leaders from business, economic development,
education, labor, community-based organizations, and public agencies to align a variety of resources
and organizations to enhance the competitiveness of the local workforce and support economic
vitality in our region. Appointed by the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors, members of the
WDB are charged with shaping and strengthening local and regional workforce development efforts.
While the membership of the WDB is both diverse and robust, there is also a clear understanding
that the WDB’s vision will only be realized through a highly networked effort. The WDB must
effectively link, align, and leverage a broad range of financial, human capital, and other resources and
assets that are contributed or supported by a multiplicity of stakeholders.
This new five-year Strategic Workforce Development Plan for the WDB comes at an
optimal time. First, the economic and labor market conditions that have defined the region over the
past few years have strengthened the WDB’s position to convene key stakeholders to identify and
address the critical economic and workforce challenges and opportunities that exist across Contra
Costa County and the greater East Bay, work which we describe in detail throughout this plan.
Second, the practical aspects of diminished resources across economic development, public
education, and workforce development organizations have both encouraged and necessitated that
these systems develop new frameworks and processes that generate even greater economic and social
impact than they did with their original (and larger) levels of investment. Third, policymakers at all
levels – federal, state, and local – continue to appropriately press for networks that innovate and
braid funding and other resources together from different systems in ways that measurably improve
economic and community outcomes. Finally, as the planning process itself offered a chance to solicit
ample input from our community that included a survey, interviews with key leaders, and multiple
public meetings across our local area, the WDB is in a much stronger position to lead this work.
The WDB has been both proactive and fortunate to be in what may arguably be the center
of the kinds of innovative economic and workforce development partnerships that are envisioned for
California, if not the nation. This position has been significantly bolstered with the awarding of
more than $17 million in federal grants to East Bay regional workforce network partners within the
last 10 months. These funds are derived primarily from two highly competitive national grant
solicitations, the largest of which is a $14.9 million grant to a consortium of 10 community colleges
under the Trade Adjustment Act Community College Career Training (TAACCCT) initiative, an
endeavor that the WDB is closely involved with on a number of levels. A second, and in some
respects, potentially more significant project, is a $2.2 million grant from the American
Manufacturing Jobs & Innovation Accelerator Challenge (AMJIAC), a partnership of five (5) federal
agencies that seeks to help promote job creation and economic growth in emerging industry clusters,
for which the WDB is one of the lead organizations. Together, these investments are helping to
build stronger networks and partnerships that are pushing the WDB and other regional workforce
partners to redesign programs and systems so that we can maximize our impact around helping job
seekers and businesses alike realize the success that is outlined in our vision statement above.
Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County
Strategic Workforce Development Plan 2013-2017
Page 2 of 58 1. Strategic Vision As welcome and exciting as these recent investments are to the WDB and our regional
network, there is a keen understanding among all of the partners that now is the time to deliver on
the promise of the public workforce system as the “go-to” source for human capital. The WDB’s
current opportunities are the result of our strategic partnerships with key stakeholders that help to
drive and/or reinvent elements of the workforce system in our region so that it can fulfill this
promise. As a part of this, the WDB continues to strengthen its work with economic development
organizations and deepen its relationships with businesses from driving industry sectors in need of
skilled workers so that we can fill high-priority jobs that offer opportunities for local residents to
enjoy a high quality of life.
It is in this context, and in keeping with the Governor’s vision of a shared strategy for shared
prosperity, that the WDB has set forth the following goals for its 5-year strategic plan:
Adult Strategies Goal: Increase the number of Contra Costa residents who obtain
marketable and industry-recognized credentials or degrees, with a special emphasis on those
who are unemployed, low skilled, low-income, veterans, individuals with disabilities, and
other in-need populations.
Business Services Goal: Meet the workforce needs of high-demand sectors of the local and
regional economy.
Youth Strategies Goal: Increase the number of high school students, with emphasis on at-
risk youth and those from low-income communities, who graduate prepared for
postsecondary vocational training, further education, and/or a career.
Administration Goal: Support system alignment, service integration, and continuous
improvement, using data to support evidence-based policymaking.
These goals directly align with those of the California Workforce Investment Board (CWIB);
they are being realized on the ground through concrete strategies on both the demand-side and the
supply-side and of the economic equation:
Demand-Side Strategies (Promoting Business Vitality) – the WDB is:
• Conducting in-depth analyses of the local and regional economy and labor market in
order to get a deeper understanding of the needs, opportunities, and challenges facing
businesses, particularly those in driving industry sectors
• Developing and expanding relationships with businesses and individuals from these
industries to be more responsive to both current and emerging needs
• Leveraging and articulating the WDB’s assets, resources, and networks to elevate its
visibility in the community and enhance its value proposition for businesses
• Supporting the creation of a regional workforce intermediary organization that effectively
links, aligns, and leverages the collective assets, resources, incentives, and investments
from economic development, education, labor, community-based organizations, and
regional workforce boards to more effectively meet the needs of East Bay businesses
Supply-Side Strategies (Building Skilled Workers) – the WDB is:
• Investing in programs and initiatives that help to prepare workers for industries and jobs
that offer long-term career development opportunities
• Strengthening linkages between the local workforce system and education, particularly
connections with Career Technical Education (CTE) programs at the secondary and
post-secondary (high school and community college) levels
Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County
Strategic Workforce Development Plan 2013-2017
Page 3 of 58 1. Strategic Vision • Elevating the visibility and importance of building the skills of all workers at all levels,
from youth to older adults, particularly in high demand occupations and industries
As an organization, the WDB engages with a diverse and dispersed set of stakeholders and
strives to link them together more effectively to realize our shared vision for businesses and workers
in our region. To this end, the WDB supports and participates in a wide range of local, regional, and
statewide partnerships and initiatives that promote prosperity for businesses and workers in Contra
Costa County and beyond. By proactively engaging other organizations and networks with aligned
missions, visions, and values, the WDB will continue to build knowledge and capacity to support
important partnerships and initiatives that create shared opportunity and prosperity.
(a) Developing and Aligning Strategies & Resources to Meet Regional Challenges
Home to high-technology and other cutting edge industries such as biotech and advanced
manufacturing, the San Francisco Bay Area has an outsized impact on the national and international
economy relative to its population. Contra Costa County, which along with Alameda County makes
up a key sub-region of the area known as the East Bay, has its own distinct economy and labor
market that is concurrently both linked to and yet quite distinct from the industries and
establishments that are the hallmark and drivers of the larger region’s identity. Indeed, while Contra
Costa County is in close proximity to and thus benefits from the bounty of Silicon Valley, it also is
in many ways a world apart, an area whose heyday came a few generations ago when the Carquinez
Strait offered a strategic home for the heavy industry that settled along its banks.
Contra Costa County’s economy and labor market have experienced a significant amount of
change over the past several years, and in many ways the county represents a microcosm of the past
decade’s boom and bust economy. In the early and mid 2000s, the county – and particularly its
eastern suburbs – was ground zero for the expansion of new housing and retail development in the
San Francisco Bay Area. This growth was accompanied by dramatic increases in housing prices that
subsequently dropped in some areas to less than 50% of their peak during the Great Recession.
While the housing market has actually heated up significantly in the greater Bay Area, particularly in
recent months, home prices in many Contra Costa County communities are only now starting to
recover at a rate that is comparable to many other areas within the larger region.
Concurrently, Contra Costa County’s labor market has undergone its own fluctuations. In
the early and mid 2000s, the county enjoyed what could effectively be called “full employment”,
with the official unemployment rate hovering below 5% for a substantial period of time. However,
as the housing market started to overheat and the economy began experiencing warning signs, things
abruptly turned for the worse. The unemployment rate in Contra Costa County more than doubled
from 5.1% in April 2008 to 11.1% in October 2009, subsequently staying at or above 10% for
another two years.1 Virtually every industry and occupation was negatively impacted during this
period, with job losses outpacing gains across the board. More recently, the unemployment rate has
been dropping and now stands at 7%2, and we are seeing solid job growth across a range of sectors in
the region, forming what we hope and expect is a strong foundation that is revitalizing the region’s
economy.
As we advance our work toward creating shared opportunity and shared prosperity, we have
considered a number of key factors in developing our strategic plan for 2013-2017:
1 It is important to note that a number of communities in the west and central regions of the county including
Richmond, San Pablo, and Pittsburg-Bay Point have experienced historical levels of unemployment which are up to 50%
above the countywide rate.
2 Data from CA Employment Development Department, Labor Market Information Division,
http://www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov.
Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County
Strategic Workforce Development Plan 2013-2017
Page 4 of 58 1. Strategic Vision
1) Good jobs in today’s economy and labor market require workers to have a growing level
of knowledge and skill in order to compete for them;
2) The employment gap is widening between those with higher levels of education and
credentials and those who lack them;
3) Jobs are growing at both the high-skill and low-skill end of the labor market, while
growth of “middle skill” jobs has been lagging; however, the retirement of baby boomers
from the labor force will create openings in nearly every industry and occupation;
4) The incoming workforce does not have the education and skill-sets needed to perform
many of these jobs, as manifested by a continued lag in the educational attainment levels
of young people (although beginning to show some signs of improvement, student
preparedness for post-secondary education remains very low); and
5) The difference between supply and demand indicates that there is a “skills gap” between
what most workers have to offer and what businesses need, creating the urgency to
develop and support new strategies that can better equip and train young people and
existing workers alike for jobs in today’s economy.
Using Economic and Workforce Data to Develop Strategies
The WDB was the primary co-sponsor of a 2011 report from the East Bay Economic
Development Alliance (East Bay EDA) entitled Building on our Assets: Economic Development and Job
Creation in the East Bay,3 which noted that one of the primary assets of the East Bay was the
existence of a highly skilled workforce. At the same time, the report also found that sustaining
regional competitiveness requires that these assets are protected and supported, with focused
investment in education and training programs being one of the most important actions. Based in
part upon the findings and recommendations from that report and other more recent analyses of the
labor market, business climate, and economy of the East Bay and Contra Costa County, new
programs are being developed to train and/or re-skill workers for jobs in new industries and
occupations. This research is also being used to help small businesses gain access to resources and
networks that can help them grow and thrive. Congruent with the title of the aforementioned
report, these efforts are building upon the incredible assets within our county and region, which
include world-class research and development institutions, growing innovation industries, and a
strategically significant location with strong infrastructure that helps to support a diverse range of
economic activities.
Looking out over the next five years, while economic and demographic factors will provide
favorable conditions offering opportunities for workers to enter into jobs, it is less clear that workers
will be fully prepared for them. Many of these jobs require superior communication and people skills
and/or extensive STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) education and training,
making the development of the workforce an essential component of our economic success. While
some of these jobs will come from the growth of existing businesses or new business starts, an even
greater number of them will come from replacement jobs, or jobs created because of the anticipated
retirement of the baby boom generation from the workforce. Indeed, within the East Bay, it is
expected that over the next five years, for every two job openings associated with a “new” job there
will three replacement job openings, a rate that is even higher than in other parts of the Bay Area.4
3 “Building on our Assets: Economic Development and Job Creation in the East Bay,” East Bay Economic
Development Alliance, October, 2011.
4 “East Bay Economic Outlook 2013 Report - Special Report on the East Bay Workforce’, East Bay Economic
Development Alliance, May 2013.
Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County
Strategic Workforce Development Plan 2013-2017
Page 5 of 58 1. Strategic Vision (b) Understanding Driving Industry Sectors in Contra Costa County
The WDB has a long and well-established track record of working with driving industry
sectors in Contra Costa County and the surrounding region. In 2004, the WDB was one of the first
workforce boards to adopt a sector-based approach to workforce development, at the time
identifying construction, healthcare, manufacturing, and retail as forming the driving and dominant
industry sectors of the county. One of the most noteworthy efforts that emerged out of this work is
the Process Technology (PTEC) program to train local residents for Process Operator/Process
Technician jobs in the petrochemical industry. This program, which was established in response to
the needs of the four (4) oil refineries in our county as well as several other petrochemical and other
heavy industrial companies in our region, has helped to place literally hundreds of local residents
into well-paying jobs that offer both benefits and good career potential. Having been started with
initial investments from industry and from a Workforce Investment Act (WIA) 25% Additional
Assistance grant obtained by the WDB, this program has since been institutionalized at Los
Medanos College (a local community college) and offers both certificate and AA/AS degree options
for students.
More recently (i.e. post recession), the WDB has reinvigorated its sector strategies by
working with a variety of partners in the greater East Bay, including business, economic
development, education, labor, community-based organizations, and key public-sector entities to
create systemic change that aligns around driving industry sectors in the region. This has involved
analyzing the major industry sectors identified in the Building on our Assets: Economic Development
and Job Creation in the East Bay report and its recent update (May 2013) entitled Special Report on
the East Bay Workforce. As a part of this process, the WDB has also used research from two other
regional economic and labor market studies, both released in October 2012: 1) The Milken
Institute’s report entitled Contra Costa County: A Blueprint for Growth;5 and 2) The Bay Area
Council Economic Institute’s report entitled The Bay Area: A Regional Economic Assessment.6
Concurrent with the release of these four (4) reports in fewer than twenty (20) months, the
WDB has allocated its own resources towards the development of a more in-depth understanding of
the primary industry sectors in which it should invest resources to increase the skills of the
workforce. Specifically, in 2012 the WDB formally determined that the following four (4) primary
industry sectors should be prioritized for further research and investment: 1) advanced
manufacturing; 2) health & life sciences; 3) energy; and 4) information communications technology
(ICT) & digital media. As a part of the next phase of this process, in June 2013 the WDB will
release an in-depth report detailing particulars of the advanced manufacturing industry sector in
Contra Costa County. In addition to providing an analysis of the advanced manufacturing sector
that details a variety of indicators using various analytic tools, the report draws on results from more
than thirty (30) direct interviews of key business leaders in the industry cluster. This process is one
that the WDB expects will be replicated for the other three priority sectors in our county—an
investment we anticipate making with other partners in the regional network.
A Comprehensive Vision for Economic and Workforce Development
As the graphic on the following page indicates, the vision of the Workforce Development
Board of Contra Costa County is to promote the economic prosperity of the region it serves,
characterized by economic opportunity, business growth, abundant high-quality jobs and healthy
communities. The key elements that lead to economic prosperity include high performing
businesses, served by a highly skilled workforce, prepared through targeted training programs and
dynamic education systems. The WDB works towards the realization of this vision by building a
5 “Contra Costa County: A Blueprint for Growth”, Milken Institute, October 2012.
6 “The Bay Area: A Regional Economic Assessment”, Bay Area Council Economic Institute, October 2012.
Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County
Strategic Workforce Development Plan 2013-2017
Page 6 of 58 1. Strategic Vision workforce development network that includes strategic partnerships with a wide range of
organizations and businesses, the use of industry sector strategies, leveraging of investments to
increase impact, a data-driven approach that includes using economic intelligence in decision-
making, and shared accountability for results.
The focused objectives and strategies that are necessary to achieve this vision are described in
the Strategic Plan that follows. A fully detailed Action Plan is included as Appendix B, which
identifies goals, objectives, strategies, actions, milestones and indicators.
Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County
Strategic Workforce Development Plan 2013-2017
Page 7 of 58 2. Economic and Workforce Information Analysis
2. ECONOMIC AND WORKFORCE INFORMATION ANALYSIS
Economic and workforce information
analysis plays an essential role in the work of the
Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa
County, both in the identification of priority
sectors and the allocation of resources to
employers and job seekers. The analysis that
follows includes key economic and workforce
data for the local region along the implications
of this information for the WDB Strategic Plan.
(a) Description of Data Gathered and
the Method of Analysis and Review
Development of the WDB Strategic
Workforce Development Plan has benefitted
from a broad range of data sources, including in-
depth economic and workforce reports created
by regional and national organizations,7 online
stakeholder surveys, individual interviews with
key informants, public forums, and discussions
with subject matter experts.8 The full range of
this data was reviewed by the WDB during its
regular meetings and during a full-day board
strategic planning workshop convened for the
purpose of data analysis and strategic plan development.
The WDB also formed a Core Planning Team (CPT), comprised of board members and
staff, which met frequently during the period of plan development to create data collection tools,
plan public forums, and analyze the results of this work.9 The CPT was further organized into work
groups focusing on the individual components of the plan. These work groups also conducted
extensive analysis of both published data and the original research undertaken for this strategic
planning process. As initial findings emerged from this process, the CPT sought evaluation of these
findings from the WDB, the public during a series of forums convened for this purpose, and subject
matter experts. The result of this work is this Strategic Workforce Development Plan, which is
grounded in published research and local expertise, needs, and assets.
(b) Assessment of the Current Local Area Economic Situation and Projected Trends
Like other regions across the country, the Great Recession significantly impacted the East
Bay. At the bottom, the result was the loss of one in ten jobs in the area since 2007.10 A particular
challenge for the East Bay has been the depth and length of the impact of this event on regional
employment. As Figure 1 below indicates, the East Bay job market was hit harder by the Great
Recession and has recovered more slowly than other parts of the Bay Area or California as a whole.
7 “Building our Assets” East Bay EDA, “Contra Costa County: A Blueprint for Growth” Milken Institute,
“The Bay Area: A Regional Economic Assessment,” Bay Area Council, “East Bay Assets: Special Workforce Report.” BW
8 Summaries of the results of public surveys, interviews with key stakeholders, public forums, board discussions
and other inputs to the plan are available on the WDB website at http://www.wdbccc.com/about/strategic-plan
9 A list of the members of the Core Planning Team is available at http://www.wdbccc.com/about/strategic-plan.
10 “Building on our Assets: Economic Development and Job Creation in the East Bay,” East Bay Economic
Development Alliance, October 2011, page 4.
An analysis of the economic and workforce
data for the local region yields the following
key points:
•The East Bay Region has been more heavily
impacted and experienced a slower recovery in
employment levels from the Great Recession
than surrounding parts of the Bay Area or
California as a whole.
•Assets include a highly diversified labor force,
world-class research and development
institutions, growing innovation industries, a
well-developed physical infrastructure, and
diverse residential communities.
•Priority industry sectors include: 1) advanced
manufacturing; 2) health & life sciences; 3)
energy; and 4) information communications
technology (ICT).
Economic and Workforce information
Analysis At-A-Glance
Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County
Strategic Workforce Development Plan 2013-2017
Page 8 of 58 2. Economic and Workforce Information Analysis Figure
1:
Overall
Change
in
Employment
by
Region
from
2007
to
201211
Fortunately, the economy of the East Bay also includes important strengths and high growth
sectors that are contributing to its revival.
A recent study of the East Bay regional economy by the East Bay Economic Development
Alliance, in which the WDB was a key partner, identified a number of important assets that provide
a solid base for economic growth. These include:12
1) A highly diversified labor force that includes highly educated professionals and
technically skilled workers;
2) World-class research and development institutions;
3) Growing innovation industries, in areas such as engineering, scientific research and
development, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, biofuels, and other clean energy
efforts;
4) A central location in the Bay Area and Northern California and a well-developed
physical infrastructure connecting the area to regional and global markets; and
5) A wide range of communities with diverse housing and recreational opportunities for
workers.
The same study also identified a number of key industry sectors that will contribute to the
future growth of the economy. 13 They include:
1) Industries in the professional, scientific, and technical services (PSTS) area have
been an area of strength in the East Bay region, and are continuing to grow;
2) Advanced manufacturing, while manufacturing as a whole has experienced a decline
in employment in the region, it continues to be an important source of high-paid
employment (the success of advanced manufacturing is tied to strength in innovative
PSTS industries);
3) Innovation industries, particularly clean energy and biotechnology, are attracting
significant venture capital investments to the region;
4) Construction plays an important role in the regional economy and is resuming its
growth as the economy recovers;
5) Half of the jobs in the East Bay region are in four regional serving industries: health
care, retail, education and food services (Health care and educational services jobs
are expected to grow faster in the region than in the rest of the East Bay).
11 “Special Workforce Report: East Bay Assets,” B.W. Research Partnership, May 2013, p. 12.
12 Ibid.
13 Ibid, page 5.
-‐8%
-‐4%
0%
4%
8%
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
California The East Bay
Silicon Valley San Francisco County
Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County
Strategic Workforce Development Plan 2013-2017
Page 9 of 58 2. Economic and Workforce Information Analysis As indicated in the Vision Section, this data on key East Bay industry growth sectors has
been factored into the analysis of additional information specific to Contra Costa County in order to
determine the priority sectors that are part of the WDB strategy.
While general information on levels of employment and numbers of jobs created or lost is
important, it is critical to distinguish between jobs at different wage and skill levels. Recent research
has divided the workforce into three levels based on wages and skill requirements. Tier 1 occupations
include managers, professional positions, and highly skilled technical occupations such as scientists
and computer programmers. Tier 2 occupations include sales positions, office and administrative
positions, along with manufacturing, operations, and production. Tier 3 occupations include work
such as protective services, food service and retail, building cleaning, and personal care that represent
lower-skilled employment at lower wages.14
As Figure 2 indicates, the growth of Tier 1 and Tier 3 occupations in the East Bay has
continued since 2002, with a brief reversal during the Great Recession. On the other hand, Tier 2
occupations began to decline much more significantly in 2007, and are not expected to return to the
2002 baseline level before 2017. Given the WDB priority of supporting the growth of living wage
jobs in the region and preparing workers for this kind of employment, loss of middle-wage jobs
represents an important economic and workforce challenge.
Figure
2:
Change
in
East
Bay
Employment
by
Tier
from
2002
to
201715
(c) Assessment of Workforce Skills/Knowledge Needed for Employment in Priority
Sectors
Generalizations about the skills and knowledge needed to find employment in the priority
sectors are difficult to make. However, an analysis of the available economic and workforce data
makes a number of things clear. First, in many of the industry sectors that are expected to grow and
provide high-quality employment opportunities, scientific and technical skills and knowledge are
required. Jobs in the priority sectors mentioned above, including PSTS (Professional, Scientific and
Technical Services), advanced manufacturing, and clean energy and biosciences, will largely require
these kinds of skills and knowledge. This points to the importance of providing educational and
career pathways in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) fields for local residents.
Second, many of the jobs being created by the new and growing industries will require at
least some post-secondary education. A recent report by the California Employment Development
14 Op Cit, “Special Workforce Report: East Bay Assets,” p. 20
15 Ibid, p. 25.
-‐8%
0%
8%
16%
24%
2002
2005
2008
2011
2014
2017
Tier
1
OccupaBons
Tier
2
OccupaBons
Tier
3
OccupaBons
Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County
Strategic Workforce Development Plan 2013-2017
Page 10 of 58 2. Economic and Workforce Information Analysis Department (EDD) estimates that eight out of ten of the fastest growing job categories in the state
will require at least a bachelor’s degree. This is a reflection of the growing complexity of work in our
era, and the need for a greater range of skills and knowledge that can be flexibly employed by
workers.
(d) Characteristics/Employment-Related Needs of Local Area Population and
Diverse Sub-Populations
Contra Costa County, with a population of 1,049,025 as of the 2010 Census, is located in
the inner Bay Area, on the eastern shore of the San Francisco Bay. In the most recent census report,
58 percent of the population over the age of 16 was employed, while 35 percent was not in the labor
force. A total of 481,336 individuals were employed in the county, with the distribution of types of
employment indicated in the table below.16
Table
1:
Distribution
of
Contra
Costa
County
Workers
by
Class17
Class of Worker Number Percent
Private wage and salary workers 368,327 76.5
Federal, state, or local government workers 70,448 14.6
Self-employed workers in own non-incorporated business 42,561 8.8
The median income for households in Contra Costa County in 2011 was $74,353,
significantly above the statewide average of $57,287. While the average income is high, wide
disparities of income exist in the county, with eight percent of households earning less than $15,000
per year, and 20 percent earning more than $150,000 per year.18 The proportion of families who fell
under the poverty level was 8.6 percent, well below the statewide average for California of 12.4
percent. However, as indicated elsewhere in this plan, there are a number of communities with
poverty rates that are more than double the countywide average.19 Individuals from low-income
communities often face multiple barriers to employment, and the WDB has developed a range of
strategies to address individuals in this demographic group.
The percentage of youth ages 16 to 19 in Contra Costa County who are not enrolled in
school or employed is 8.1 percent, slightly less than the statewide average of 8.4 percent. Addressing
the education and training needs of this population of “disconnected youth” is critically important
for a number of reasons. Disconnected youth are more likely to engage in illegal behavior and
become dependent on public aid. In addition, a lack of connection with school and work during
these critical years can interfere with the transition to a productive and self-sufficient adulthood.
Finally, lack of education and work experience results in reduced employability and earning
potential.20 Disconnected youth are an important priority in WDB youth strategies.
The population of Contra Costa County is becoming increasingly diverse. The most recent
census data showed that 33 percent of the population spoke a language other than English at home.
Of this group, 53 percent identified Spanish as their primary language.21 Resources for ESL
instruction, such as adult education programs, have continued to decline, while the proportion of
non-English speakers is expected to grow in the county as the number of immigrants increase.
English language facility is a key to access to well-paid employment, and this issue has been an
important consideration in workforce strategy development.
16 U.S. Census Bureau, 2011 American Community Survey, factfinder2.census.gov.
17 Ibid.
18 Ibid.
19 Ibid.
20 Information from www.kidsdata.org, accessed on 5/15/2013
21 Ibid.
Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County
Strategic Workforce Development Plan 2013-2017
Page 11 of 58 2. Economic and Workforce Information Analysis The proportion of residents of Contra Costa County who are above the age of 55 (25.4
percent) is nearly 12 percent higher than the statewide average for California (22.7 percent).22 The
aging of the workforce in Contra Costa County presents a number of different challenges. For
employers, highly skilled older workers who are aging out of the workforce will need to be replaced,
while the incoming generation of younger workers lacks the education and skills of their forbearers.
At the same time, older workers whose skills have become outdated will need to engage in the
training required for employment in a rapidly changing workplace.
Veterans make up 7.3 percent of the population over the age of 18 in Contra Costa County,
slightly above the 6.8 percent of veterans in the state’s population as a whole. While veterans in the
county have significantly higher educational attainment than non-veterans, the unemployment rate
for this group has exceeded the rate for non-veterans--12.1 percent versus 11.6 percent.23 This points
to the need for workforce services targeted to the unique needs of veterans.
The high cost of housing is a particular challenge for many residents of Contra Costa
County. In spite of a relatively high median income, the proportion of renters who exceeded the
recommended 30 percent of income paid for housing was 57 percent. For homeowners with a
mortgage that percentage was 47.6.24 While the cost of housing within the region is not directly
under the purview of the WDB, participants in several public forums identified it as an important
issue for the local workforce.
(e) Skill and Education Gaps in Priority Sectors
One approach to understanding the extent to which the skills and education of the local
workforce are meeting employer demand in the region is to examine the proportion of employees in
various occupational categories that come from the local region. As Figure 2 below indicates, in the
East Bay (including both Alameda and Contra Costa counties) employers in all categories find it
necessary to go outside the region for a portion of their employees. The gap is the greatest for the
category of “Sales and office occupations,” with a fairly close match between the local workforce and
for the categories of “Natural resources, construction and maintenance occupations” and
“Management, business, science and arts occupations.” The gap is somewhat larger in the
“Production, transportation and material moving occupations.”
Figure
3:
East
Bay:
Resident
Workers
vs.
Employer
Workforce25
22 Ibid.
23 Employment data from the 2011 American Community Survey, factfinder2.census.gov.
24 Ibid.
25 “Special Workforce Report: East Bay Assets,” B.W. Research Partnership, May 2013, p. 43.
-
270,000
540,000
Management,
business,
science, and
arts
occupations
Service
occupations
Sales and office
occupations
Natural
resources,
construction,
and
maintenance
occupations
Production,
transportation,
and material
moving
occupations
Resident Workforce (ACS) Employed in East Bay (EMSI)
Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County
Strategic Workforce Development Plan 2013-2017
Page 12 of 58 2. Economic and Workforce Information Analysis Another indicator of a lack of capacity within the local workforce is an increase in wages
within a particular job category that is more than twice the median increase in the region, reflecting
the need for employers to use increased wages to attract and retain qualified employees. The table
below indicates the five occupational categories in the East Bay with the largest percentage increase
in wages between 2007 and 2011.
Table
2:
Top
Five
General
Occupational
Categories
in
East
Bay
by
Increase
in
Median
Wage
from
2007
to
201126
East Bay – General
Occupational Categories
2007
Employment
2011
Employment
% Change in
Employment
from 2007
% Change in
Median Wages
from 2007
2011
Median
Wage
Healthcare practitioners and
technical occupations 45,010 57,130 27% 17% $93,170
Architecture and engineering
occupations 26,490 28,100 6% 15% $89,880
Building and grounds cleaning
and maintenance occupations 29,530 25,130 -15% 14% $29,060
Legal occupations 6,280 6,850 9% 14% $96,830
Business and financial
operations occupations 52,290 54,680 5% 12% $74,090
Total – Top 5 General
Occupation Categories 159,600 171,890 8% 15% $77,336
An online survey conducted by the WDB in February 2013 that included industry, labor,
education, local government, and community-based organizations as part of the original research
conducted for this planning process, provides additional information regarding key skill gaps in the
region. When asked to rank the “key skill gaps or educational needs among job seekers seeking
employment in emerging or growing priority industry sectors,” respondents to the question
identified the following in order of importance: 1) Basic skills and knowledge (Math, reading, etc.);
2) Social skills (Coordination, negotiation, etc.); 3) Technical skills and knowledge (Equipment
selection, operation, etc.); and 4) Complex problem solving skills.
(f) Evaluation of Underemployment and Jobs That Provide Economic Security
Local and regional data related to underemployment are difficult to find. As the EDD Labor
Market Information Division has indicated, “Measures of under-employment are not readily
available.”27 However, recent national data provides a picture of the significant consequences of the
2008 recession for various demographic groups.28 The continuing shortage of jobs resulting from the
great recession has disproportionately impacted youth, Hispanic and African American individuals,
and those with a high school education or less.
In 2012, a total of 4.7 million young people under the age of 25 were underemployed
nationally—either working part time when they were actually seeking full-time positions, or
marginalized from the labor market altogether. For that year, the underemployment rate for people
under 25 was 26.9 percent, compared with 11.8 percent for workers over 35. Underemployment
rates for African Americans (22.6 percent) and Hispanics (20.1 percent) were nearly double the rates
for Whites (12.1 percent) and Asians (11.5 percent). Finally, underemployment rates for individuals
who had not completed high school (28.7 percent), or who had obtained a high school diploma or
26 Op. Cit. “East Bay Assets”, p. 44.
27 From the EDD-LMID website, http://www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov/Content.asp?pageid=1025, visited
on 5/9/13.
28 “Stuck: Young America’s Persistent Jobs Crisis”, a report by Demos.org, April 2013.
Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County
Strategic Workforce Development Plan 2013-2017
Page 13 of 58 2. Economic and Workforce Information Analysis GED (18.1 percent) were substantially higher than the rates for those with a bachelor’s degree (7.1
percent).29
Table
3:
Underemployment
percentages
in
the
United
States
by
Age,
Race
and
Educational
Attainment,
201230
All Ages (%) 18-24 (%) 25-34 (%) 35+ (%)
All 14.7 26.9 14.9 11.8
Race/Ethnicity
African American 22.6 40.3 24.6 16.7
Asian 11.5 22.9 9.9 10.3
Hispanic 20.1 28.9 18.6 17.3
White, Non-Hispanic 12.1 23.1 12.1 9.9
Educational Attainment
Less than High School 28.7 41.7 29.2 22.8
High School Diploma or GED 18.1 34.6 19.9 13.7
Some College, No Degree 15.5 20.3 16.8 13.0
Associate’s Degree 11.9 18.7 12.8 10.7
Bachelor’s Degree or More 7.8 15.7 7.5 7.4
It is likely that the demographics of underemployment in Contra Costa County and the East
Bay region closely mirror this national data. For that reason, strategies that can enable those who are
underemployed to obtain jobs that provide economic security or self-sufficiency must address the
specific challenges faced by youth, minorities, and those with barriers to obtaining an education. The
WDB strategies outlined in the sections of the plan that follow identify the importance of helping
youth complete high school prepared for college or career, providing opportunities for training for
those with barriers to employment, and offering the necessary supports in addition to high-quality
training.
(g) Challenges to Attaining Needed Education, Skills and Training for Local
Population
As the regional economy continues to change, the education and skill requirements for many
jobs have steadily increased. This is due in part to the increasing presence of technology across every
industry sector, from health to manufacturing to energy. The need for an increasingly skilled
workforce has created significant challenges in local communities within the county that were
impacted most heavily by the Great Recession that began in 2008. Cities in the west and northern
portions of the county, such as Richmond, San Pablo, Bay Point, and Pittsburg have been
particularly vulnerable to the impact of the recession due to the lower levels of education and skills
among their residents. As a consequence, unemployment rates in these communities were higher
prior to the recession, increased more rapidly during the recession, and have been slower to decline
than in other areas of the county as economic conditions have improved.
A variety of forces have impacted the ability of people in these communities to achieve the
level of education, skills, and training needed to secure and retain employment in a difficult
economic environment. They include the following:
1) Lack of educational attainment. Limited educational attainment, in comparison to other
communities in the county, plays a key role in the challenges these communities face, as indicated in
the table below.
29 Ibid, p.1.
30 Ibid, p. 10.
Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County
Strategic Workforce Development Plan 2013-2017
Page 14 of 58 2. Economic and Workforce Information Analysis Table
4:
Educational
Attainment
In
Selected
Contra
Costa
County
Cities31
Richmond San
Pablo Pittsburg Martinez San
Ramon
Percent of adults 25 and older
with a H.S. diploma or less 45% 63% 57% 10% 13%
Percentage of families below the
poverty rate 17.5% 18.7% 17.7% 4.1% 3.6%
2) Growth in the proportion of the population comprised of immigrants with limited
English ability. The Hispanic and Asian portion of the population in Contra Costa County grew by
more than 40 percent from 2001 to 2012, while Black, Non-Hispanics grew by 6 percent and
White, Non-Hispanics decreased by 12 percent.32 A total of 17 percent of the population in the
East Bay speaks English less than ‘very well,’ and the proportion of immigrants who arrive in the
region with difficulty speaking English has grown by 39% since 2000.33 While the East Bay
immigrant labor force actually had a lower unemployment rate than the population as a whole (9
percent vs. 12 percent) in 2010, it is likely that many were over skilled for their jobs and therefore
underemployed.34
3) Communities that have experienced long-term entrenched poverty. Contra Costa County
as a whole has been fortunate to have a relatively low proportion of residents below the poverty rate.
In comparison to the national rate of 15.8 percent, and the statewide rate of 14.4 percent, the rate
for Contra Costa County was 12.0 percent. However, the average for the county masks a large
disparity in poverty rates between communities in different areas of the county. Additionally, recent
research has shown that suburban communities, particularly those areas further away from urban
centers (like much of Eastern Contra Costa County) are actually experiencing growth in poverty35 .
(h) Ability of Workforce Programs to Meet Skill Needs of Priority Sector Employers
As the information above indicates, meeting the skill needs of priority sectors and closing
skill gaps requires substantial effort and a careful long-term strategy. To meet the needs of priority
sector employers in the region, workforce programs need to include strong science and technology
components and must create career pathways that provide connections and support to enable
participants in continue on to post-secondary education or obtain career training that will help them
obtain well paid employment.
At the same time, as the education and skill demands of newly created jobs continue to grow,
communities with a history of poverty, low educational attainment, and limited English facility need
carefully thought out strategies that help young people complete their high school education, obtain
a range of workplace skills, achieve proficiency in English communication, and receive the supports
they need to pursue college or a career.
The regional workforce training system, in which the WDB plays a key role as a convener
and partner, includes a number of programs that provide these resources. The West Contra Costa
Unified School District operates over 20 career academies in fields that include health, information
technology, and engineering. The WDB has played an important role in connecting employers and
educators to ensure that the curriculum of the academies is relevant to existing employment
opportunities and meets the needs of high priority industry sectors.
31 Data from the U.S. Census Bureau, http://factfinder.census.gov.
32 Op. Cit. “Special Workforce Report”, p. 39.
33 Ibid, p. 40.
34 Ibid, p. 39.
35 “Suburbanization of Poverty in the Bay Area”, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco,
http://www.frbsf.org/publications/community/research-briefs/Suburbanization-of-Poverty-in-the-Bay-Area.pdf
Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County
Strategic Workforce Development Plan 2013-2017
Page 15 of 58 3. Business Service Plan (BSP) 3. BUSINESS SERVICE PLAN (BSP)
The business service plan of the
Workforce Development Board of Contra
Costa County focuses directly on the goal
of meeting the workforce needs of high
demand sectors within the regional
economy. The Business and Economic
Development (BED) Committee,
described in Section (a) below, will be the
primary entity responsible for carrying out
the plan, with the support of the Business
Services Team.
In this and subsequent sections of
the plan, we include a description of the
principles of practice that give direction to
our activities in each area. Section (b)
describes the principles of practice that
guide the delivery of WDB business
services. The Business Service Plan’s
objectives and strategies are detailed in
Section (c).
(a) Sub-Committee of Local Board Responsible for BSP Recommendations
Regarding Increased Employer Involvement in Board Activities
The Business and Economic Development (BED) Committee of the Workforce
Development Board (WDB) is comprised of representatives from private sector businesses, economic
development, public agencies, education, labor, and community-based organizations. As a
longstanding WDB committee, the BED ensures that workforce development is aligned with and
supports local and regional economic development. Key elements of the Business and Economic
Development Committee charter, which can be found on the WDB’s website, include:36
• Supporting and enhancing the development of networks, policies, products, and
initiatives that will enable the creation and retention of small business and
microenterprises;
• Helping attract, retain, and expand local businesses and supporting local and regional
employment-generating investments and activities;
• Seeking to inform public policy by coupling demand-driven research data and the voice
of community partners to develop, implement, and support strategies designed to
strengthen the business community;
• Combining business resources and incentives to align the local pool of qualified human
capital with businesses in need of employees to sustain themselves and to grow; and
• Developing strategic partnerships for career pathways that are aligned with the county’s
economic development efforts.
Recently, the BED Committee has focused on two key areas of activity: 1) strengthening
and deepening the WDB’s sector strategies by conducting an in-depth study of priority industry
36 Available at http://www.wdbccc.com/board/committees.
The primary objectives of the WDB Business
Service Plan include the following:
1.Work with key partners to enhance our capacity
and speed to analyze and understand economic
and labor market trends and respond to the
needs of businesses in the region.
2.Improve systems and networks that bring
together industry and education partners to
address key workforce needs in priority sectors.
3.Work with WDB partners to develop an array
of innovative workforce services and supports.
4.Support the development and evolution of
regional workforce and economic development
networks to address workforce education and
training priorities.
Business Service Plan At-A-Glance
Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County
Strategic Workforce Development Plan 2013-2017
Page 16 of 58 3. Business Service Plan (BSP) sectors in the county, starting with advanced manufacturing; and 2) increasing engagement with
businesses and industries that are growing in the region.
In order to help the WDB develop better-informed policies and strategies that are responsive
to growth industries in the prioritized sectors in the region, the BED Committee and the WDB have
continued to increase the proportion of representatives on the WDB from businesses in these sectors.
WDB staff have used referrals from other business colleagues, surveys, and referrals to recruit
potential participants interested in taking an active role in the WDB.
In addition to the Business and Economic Development Committee, the WDB includes a
designated staff team focused on addressing the needs of business. The Business Services Team
includes managers and staff from the WDB, the Contra Costa Small Business Development Center
(SBDC), the Pittsburg-Bay Point Enterprise Zone, and business services staff from the One-Stops.
The Business Services Team provides a network for communication among different areas of
business support activity in order to enhance what participants have to offer individually. An
important role of the Team is to organize, communicate, and promote business services offered by
the WDB, the SBDC, and the local One-Stops.
(b) Business Service Plan: Principles of Practice
Principle No. 1: Identify priority industry sectors and work closely with employers in these sectors to create
regional workforce and economic development networks.
As evidence from across the country has shown, sector strategies enable workforce boards to
become more efficient and effective by focusing on the needs of key industries that are driving
economic growth in a region. An essential component of effective sector work involves conducting
quantitative data analysis and compiling the findings of economic, business, and labor data housed
in various reports and data tools. The WDB has utilized a sector approach to address workforce
needs in the region since 2004, and identified construction, healthcare, manufacturing, and retail as
priority sectors during the early/mid 2000s.
As part of its sector engagement process, the WDB has bundled quantitative analysis with
anecdotal information gathered through business engagement efforts (e.g. interviews, surveys, and
conversations), in order to better ascertain business needs, validate labor market projections, and
identify skills gaps in the workforce. The WDB has been able to effectively group occupations and
skill requirements into functional clusters across businesses and/or industries.
Following roughly one year of research and analysis, in July 2012, the WDB adopted a
policy to prioritize and target investments in the following four industry sectors:
1) Advanced Manufacturing;
2) Health and Life Sciences;
3) Energy;
4) Information Communication Technology (ICT) & Digital Media.
The BED Committee has adopted an approach that will provide a more detailed analysis of
the advanced manufacturing sector, and this work will inform our approach to the other three
industry sectors. The goal of this effort is to create an economic and occupational profile for all four
sectors that will include the following elements:
1) Description of the Sector (by 3 & 4 digit NAICS codes);
2) Top 25 In-Demand Occupations by Sub-sector;
3) Industry Analyses by Sub-sector; and
4) Updated Databases of Priority Sector Businesses.
Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County
Strategic Workforce Development Plan 2013-2017
Page 17 of 58 3. Business Service Plan (BSP) The online surveys conducted in February 2013 as part of the development of this strategic
plan provided a similar, but slightly different, assessment from the respondents, in part due to the
different categories used in the questions. The online survey rankings included the following as the
top five categories: 1) Health Care and Social Assistance, 2) Information (Includes Communications
Technology), 3) Professional, Scientific and Technical Services (includes Bioscience), 4)
Construction, and 5) Manufacturing.37 As indicated elsewhere in this plan, the WDB currently
partners with business and education to develop training activities in a number of these areas. The
WDB will continually update its information on the industry sectors in which growth is occurring as
it works with partners to create strategies for providing relevant training and education.
Looking ahead, the WDB expects to work with partners in the East Bay region to develop a
regional workforce intermediary that will align and coordinate the shared investment of resources in
sector-based work, including investments in regional economic and labor market research and
analysis. This network will have deeper engagement with leaders from local and regional economic
development organizations to help deepen our understanding of the regional economy and support
business growth.
Principle No. 2: Facilitate the provision of integrated workforce services support to employers.
The WDB works with a wide range of partners to create career pathways with a number of
different entry points, providing training opportunities for job seekers with diverse education and
skill levels. Our strong relationships with priority sector industry and education and training partners
help to facilitate communication and ensure that training programs are developed in areas that are
relevant to employers. In addition, we provide a wide range of services directly to business to help
with outreach, screening, hiring, and retention of qualified workers.
Principle No. 3: Mobilize resources in support of workforce education and training.
The WDB actively seeks to secure multiple, diverse resources to support education and
training for the workforce in Contra Costa County and the surrounding region. These resources
provide a direct benefit to priority sector businesses in the region, by supporting the development of
a supply of trained workers that address their skilled workforce needs.
(c) Business Service Plan: Key Objectives and Strategies
(1) Objective 3.1: Work with key partners to enhance our capacity and speed to analyze and
understand economic and labor market trends and respond to the needs of businesses in
the region.
Strategy 3.1.1: Determine local area/regional employer needs through labor market analysis
and direct business engagement strategies, including surveys and interviews.
The WDB will continue to review independent studies and reports on the status of the local
and regional economy, including collection and analysis of data from sources such as the California
Employment Development Department (EDD), the United States Department of Labor, and
industry trade associations. We will also continue to work closely with economic development and
planning directors in cities in Contra Costa County to access local economic and community data
relevant to the needs of business. This information will continually inform WDB processes for
developing services for local business.
An important component of this strategy will include an increase in direct outreach to
businesses in high demand industries in the region regarding their needs. The primary focus of this
effort will be to help develop partnerships that ensure that training is relevant and jobs are available,
as well as to understand their skill requirements. The WDB will also communicate with local
chambers of commerce and other trade associations (e.g. the East Bay Leadership Council, the
37 A summary of survey results is included in Appendix D, with more detailing information available at
http://www.wdbccc.com/about/strategic-plan.
Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County
Strategic Workforce Development Plan 2013-2017
Page 18 of 58 3. Business Service Plan (BSP) Industrial Association of Contra Costa County, and West County Council of Industries) to obtain
information regarding business needs.
In order to gain a sense of where major opportunities and challenges lie for businesses in
targeted sectors, the WDB will conduct surveys and interviews to obtain information. To gain useful
business intelligence, the WDB will pursue multiple routes for interaction with local employers
(phone, email, social media, face-to-face). WDB board members who represent particular industry
sectors will reach out to colleagues within their own industry to gain a sense of current
developments, as well as to strengthen their connection with the WDB, particularly in high-growth,
high-wage areas.
The WDB will particularly focus on communication with businesses participating in the
Design it-Build it-Ship it (DBS) 38 initiative, in order to obtain curriculum input and identify
internship and employment opportunities. Advisory committees for each of the industry sectors in
this project will require business engagement, providing input into the curriculum to ensure relevant
skill training, keeping training providers/education apprised of up-to-date employer needs, and
establishing internship and employment opportunities. As a part of this effort, the WDB hopes to
educate businesses regarding the use of the WorkKeys National Career Readiness Certificate as
evidence that job seekers are prepared for employment. WDB will provide information on the
program (and its wide acceptance across the country) to prospective employers in an effort to get
more traction with this tool in our region.
Strategy 3.1.2: Identify high priority occupations/positions for which local businesses have
difficulty finding qualified candidates
The WDB will use the data it gains through studies of the local and regional economy and
communication with businesses to determine the kinds of positions that businesses are having the
greatest difficulty in filling, particularly in targeted sectors. A recent survey of employer liaisons
(both a jobseeker-facing and business-facing positions) revealed a major gap in Information and
Communication Technology (ICT) including basic computer skills, office applications, accounting
applications, web design and development, and social media.
Based upon other recent business intelligence, job orders that have been difficult for the
WDB to fill include positions in transportation and logistics, green business, electronics/electrical,
operational engineering, industrial safety and health care (with the caveat that employers want
applicants with experience in the medical field). Employers are also looking for people with craft-
and-technical certifications (TWIC cards, DSOP, forklift, hazmat, HAZWOPER), in addition to
experience in these areas.
A key approach that the WDB will use to identify high priority positions where training and
educational barriers to job creation may exist will be to organize groups of businesses from similar
industries and/or that have similar occupational and skill needs for their workforce. Elements of this
approach will include: partnering with trade associations to convene industry-specific focus groups
and conducting sector strategy surveys and interviews with businesses.
Strategy 3.1.3: Identify training and educational opportunities that can close workforce skills
gaps and enhance the competitiveness of business.
The WDB will develop cohort-based training programs based upon demand in high-priority
sectors, through the use of its extensive partner network. Cohort-based training programs (learning
strategies designed to enable participants to pursue coursework with the same classmates over a fixed
period of time) will enable the WDB to train more people more rapidly, and with greater success
38 A multi-partner initiative in the East Bay, supported by Trade Adjustment Assistance funding, that includes
workforce training in product design, advanced manufacturing and logistics. The project is described in more detail
under Strategy 3.2.4.
Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County
Strategic Workforce Development Plan 2013-2017
Page 19 of 58 3. Business Service Plan (BSP) because of the mutual support provided during learning and in the job search process and initial
employment. Cohort trainings in project management, business computer applications, phlebotomy,
transportation and logistics, and construction pre-apprenticeships have been offered previously by
the WDB; some of these will continue, while several others will come online through the DBS
initiative.
In addition, the WDB will leverage Employment Training Panel (ETP) funding, along with
Small Business Administration (SBA) dollars to assist local businesses in training existing employees.
An example of this approach is providing support for local manufacturers in training existing
employees through the “Made In Contra Costa County” initiative. A key requirement of this
program is that participating businesses must articulate a clear need or gap in their current workforce
skills mix. These gaps are typically addressed by ETP-approved training organizations by sourcing
appropriate trainers from local community colleges and universities. Because of the demonstrable
need, the immediate impact of ETP trainings on skills gaps is virtually assured.
The WDB will also expand opportunities for demand driven training in the region. As an
example of demand-driven training, forklift, logistics, warehouse operations training was quickly
created by leveraging an extant training in the region39 to respond to the need for forklift certified
workers at three warehouses moving into West Contra Costa County, including an estimated 200
jobs associated with the construction of a new distribution center for Whole Foods.
Strategy 3.1.4: Strengthen linkages with business-serving organizations to expedite access to
resources and services beyond workforce development.
The WDB will work with public and private economic development organizations at the
local and regional level to align resources, strategies, and tools to meet the needs of new and
relocating businesses. The extensive network of organizations that the WDB already collaborates
with will enable it to be highly effective in providing this support to priority sector businesses.
To enhance these services, the WDB will continue to expand its private sector partner network to
include developers, commercial real estate brokers, lenders, and other entities that can offer
additional support to local business development.
(2) Objective 3.2: Improve systems and networks that bring together industry and education
partners to address key workforce needs in priority sectors.
Strategy 3.2.1: Integrate business services (including Wagner-Peyser Act) within the One-
Stop System
Through its One-Stop Career Centers, the WDB will continue to provide access to the
following services for businesses:
• Helping to match job seeker experience, skills, and other characteristics with job
requirements, which enables employers to more rapidly identify individuals with the
qualifications to meet their needs;
• Referring job seekers to available job openings, reducing the time and resources expended
on recruitment by employers;
• Assisting employers with special recruitment needs, by using the many channels available
to contact potential employees;
• Assisting employers in the development of job order requirements, thereby increasing the
likelihood that individuals who apply will be a good match for the positions they are
trying to fill;
• Pre-screening prospective job applicants;
39 ATLAS (Alameda Transportation and Logistics Academic Support), a transportation and logistics training
program at Peralta Community College District.
Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County
Strategic Workforce Development Plan 2013-2017
Page 20 of 58 3. Business Service Plan (BSP) • Helping employers address the consequences of layoffs;
• Helping employers deal with the challenges of developing replacements with the job
skills needed to fill positions of soon-to-retire members of the workforce;
• Labor market and job outlook information for planning business expansion, relocation,
and future hiring;
• Focused recruitment for new business ventures or facilities needing a large number of
specialized workers on short notice;
• Offering locally coordinated workforce preparation services that can be tailored to local
needs; collaborate with the Workforce Integration Network (WIN) teams established in
each EASTBAY Works One-Stop Career Center;40
• Sharing On-Site Recruitment (OSR) leads and inviting each other to employer meetings;
• Using the Employer Advisory Council (EAC) to provide links that connect employers to
information on employment and workforce development issues; and
• Facilitating a Veterans Employment Committee (VEC) to meet federal law requiring
inclusion of services dedicated to securing employment for veterans. Through the VEC,
both local employers and veteran organizations commit to strengthening veterans’
employment and training opportunities and addressing their concerns.
As part of this strategy, the WDB will also convene geographically-based interagency
coalitions as forums in which to share business intelligence. This will enable local businesses to
benefit directly from the economic data collection and analysis carried out by the WDB.
The One-Stop Career Centers will also use external consultants to provide the following
training and technical assistance to business:
• Business workshops on topics such as strategic planning, financial planning, leadership
development, marketing, business growth, legal issues, process improvement and
innovation; and
• Simple talent management processes (e.g., performance management and succession
planning) that increase workforce performance and enable businesses to increase revenue,
lower costs, increase employee engagement, and improve quality and customer
satisfaction.
Drawing upon its close partnership with the Contra Costa SBDC, the WDB will offer the
services identified below to small businesses through the One-Stops:
• Cross-agency training regarding on-the-job training (OJT) and other employer
benefits/services;
• Tours of One-Stops for SBDC advisors to familiarize them with the resources available
there;
• Working with new small business owners to apply for Employment Training Panel
customized training; and
• Delivering entrepreneurial training and advising at One-Stops.
The WDB will also serve local business through the One-Stop system by increasing the
number of businesses that use the resources of the Pittsburg-Bay Point Enterprise Zone (EZ) and
similar business incentive programs. The WDB currently has a contract from the City of Pittsburg
to help eligible businesses located within the Pittsburg-Bay Point EZ access sales and use tax credits,
hiring tax credits, and other incentives to encourage business growth and job creation. For each
40 EASTBAY Works is a collaborative of four workforce investment boards.
Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County
Strategic Workforce Development Plan 2013-2017
Page 21 of 58 3. Business Service Plan (BSP) eligible employee hired, up to $37,000 in state tax credits may be available to the employer over a
five-year period. Potential employees may qualify based on their residency within a Targeted
Employment Area (TEA), or due to their status as veterans, victims of a lay off, economic
disadvantage, disability, etc. WIA-enrolled participants also qualify for a hiring tax credit, an
attribute that helps incentivize additional hiring from our One-Stops by businesses in the EZ.
Strategy 3.2.2: Collaborate with industry and education partners to develop solutions for
workers to acquire essential skills for employment in high-growth, high-demand industries and
occupations.
The WDB will continue to play a lead role the Design it-Build it-Ship it (DBS) initiative by
providing leadership in business engagement to assess industry needs; supporting the development of
an intermediary to better link, align and leverage resources from education and economic
development; supporting training and development programs; and providing outreach, assessment,
recruitment, co-enrollment, support and placement services for WIA adult and dislocated workers.
DBS is one of a number of innovative projects that bring together industry and education partners
to help job seekers overcome barriers to employment in regional industries that pay well and are
growing. The lead partner in the project is the Contra Costa Community College District
(CCCCD), and partners include ten (10) colleges and five (5) workforce board over a three (3)
county region. DBS is supported by a $14.9 million Trade Adjustment Assistance Community
College Training (TAACCT) grant.
The WDB will also prioritize training activities based upon skill and knowledge areas that
have been identified as important by local and regional businesses. Respondents to the online survey
of businesses conducted in February 2013, as part of the WDB strategic planning process, ranked
the following as the “most important skills or knowledge areas that your company seeks when hiring
new employees:” 1) Social Skills (e.g. Coordination, Instruction, Negotiation, Persuasion, Service
Orientation, Social Perceptiveness), 2) Workplace Behavior and Values, and 3) Basic Skills and
Knowledge (e.g. Math, Science, Reading, Writing, Speaking).41
As another approach to addressing skill gaps, the WDB will work with employers and
educational institutions to identify effective workforce pipeline and end-user education and training
organizations and resources and make these programs and services available to job seekers. The
ETEC (Electronic Technology) and PTEC (Process Technology) programs at Los Medanos College
exemplify this approach, because of the investment made by business during their development. As a
result, those who graduate from them have an advantage over other candidates in industry hiring
processes.
Through the East Bay Biomedical Manufacturing Network project, which began in October
2012 and will operate until at least September 2015, the WDB will support cluster and intermediary
development; oversee the activities of the cluster manager; provide leadership in convening and
connecting industry employers to technology; provide technical assistance and workforce
components; assess industry needs; support advanced manufacturing training; bridge onramp
training; and provide incumbent worker services.
The project is funded by a $2.2 million grant from the Advanced Manufacturing Jobs and
Innovation Accelerator Challenge (AMJIAC). The WDB is one of the funded partners in this
project and is serving as a co-lead in partnership with the East Bay Economic Development Alliance
(East Bay EDA). Other partners include the University of California at Berkeley, Laney College, The
Corporation for Manufacturing Excellence (Manex), and the Northern California Small Business
Development Center (SBDC), which is the lead agency for both the Alameda and Contra Costa
SBDCs. Funding for the AMJIAC comes from five different federal agencies, including the U.S.
41 A summary of survey results is included in Appendix D, with more detailing information available at
http://www.wdbccc.com/about/strategic-plan.
Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County
Strategic Workforce Development Plan 2013-2017
Page 22 of 58 3. Business Service Plan (BSP) Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration, the National Institute of
Standards and Technology, the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Department of Labor's
Employment and Training Administration, the U.S. Small Business Administration and the
National Science Foundation. In addition to funding, these federal agencies offer a diverse range of
technical assistance expertise to support the project.
Through its participation in this effort, the WDB will build connecting networks that link
regional medical manufacturing and biosciences, constructing a virtual “One-Stop” center for
technology innovation, investment, and job creation. The project will achieve these goals by helping
to expand technology transfer, innovation, and job creation, closing feedback loops between
technical development, market application, and business growth, including access to capital,
technical assistance, and workforce training for East Bay businesses. Anticipated outcomes from the
project include technology transfer exploration and problem solving for 75 companies each year for
three years, and the training of 75 new/incumbent workers each year for three years.
Strategy 3.2.3: Foster collaboration between community colleges and DIR-DAS approved
apprenticeship programs for planned use of WIA Title I funds.
The WDB will strengthen linkages between community college educational opportunities
and Future Build, a pre-apprenticeship program in the City of Pittsburg that it has played an active
role in developing and funding. Future Build is a construction skills training program that has been
serving approximately fifty (50) students per year, operating with the support and oversight of the
WDB. Students learn a variety of construction skills from skilled trainers and have the opportunity
to enter into a pre-apprenticeship program tied to one of the local skilled trade unions upon
completion. Because of the important role that apprenticeship plays in the building trades, programs
of this type offer a prime opportunity for individuals with barriers to employment gain access to
pathways for well-paid employment. With a number of new building projects in our county and
region getting ready to come online, such as the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab (LBNL)
Richmond Bay campus, it will be important to have a skilled and ready local workforce to tap into
these opportunities.
The WDB will also continue to expand its role as a convener of partners in the development
of apprenticeship programs tied to community college learning. Using WDB members who have
contacts with apprenticeship programs, the WDB will place job seekers in programs and ensure that
curricula are relevant to job opportunities. These relationships include both union and merit shop
representatives who are associated with craft and technical apprenticeship programs and the state
Division of Apprenticeship Standards.
(3) Objective 3.3: Work with WDB partners to develop an array of innovative workforce
services and supports.
Strategy 3.3.1: Partner with business to implement customized job training strategies,
including on-the-job-training (OJT), with a focus on employers from high-priority industry sectors
and occupations.
To help support this strategy, the WDB will cross train business services staff, including
Small Business Development Center (SBDC) advisors and One-Stop staff, on WDB and SBDC
funded activities and initiatives and provide a forum for regular information sharing and updates. As
part of the development of its strategic plan, the WDB is prioritizing OJT as a job placement
approach.
The WDB will also strengthen relationships and communication with priority sector
employers in order to better understand the kinds of workforce resources that will be most helpful to
them. In moving to a demand-driven model that directs jobseekers to employment opportunities, a
key first step will include building relationships and identifying needs. Surveys, interviews,
Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County
Strategic Workforce Development Plan 2013-2017
Page 23 of 58 3. Business Service Plan (BSP) communication with trade associations, and direct contact to initiate connections with employers
will help provide the information necessary to ensure that job training strategies are directly relevant
to the needs of priority sector employers.
Strategy 3.3.2: Develop a proactive Rapid Response system that supports workers and
businesses, including those covered by the Trade Adjustment Act (TAA)
The WDB will work proactively with cities and other entities in the region in advance of any
anticipated business downsizing or closure events to leverage the resources of local government for
layoff prevention. It will also engage with partners like Manex (the Northern California
Manufacturing Extension Partnership) and industry trade associations to gain a deeper knowledge of
business supply chains and a better understanding of the potential for additional layoff events when a
single employer downsizes or closes. The WDB will use its ties to businesses to facilitate the re-
employment of laid-off workers into similar kinds of jobs with other companies in the county or
region when they are laid off. Finally, the WDB will promote the use of the federal Work Share
program and other incentives to help businesses reduce the number of employees they lay off.
The WDB will build a proactive layoff aversion strategy by developing broad partnerships,
implementing effective data collection and analysis, establishing early warning systems, undertaking
careful planning, and educating staff on the numerous options that are available for preventing
layoffs. Employers can save substantial money through not having to recruit, train, and orient new
employees or deal with the loss of employee morale that can result when a portion of the workforce
is laid off. In order to incorporate layoff aversion into a Rapid Response model, the Rapid Response
team will use this wide range of approaches to generate opportunities to avoid or reduce layoffs.
The WDB will serve as a proactive intermediary for priority industry sectors by profiling the
skills sets of individuals in cases where the potential of layoffs exists, in order to catalog transferrable
skills and identify opportunities in growth sectors. As an example, the planned new County Health
Benefit Exchange call center is expected to be staffed partly by laid-off call center employees from
Comcast and Bank of America, two employers for whom the WDB conducted Rapid Response
orientations in 2012-2013. Included in this activity will be the creation of a skills database for
matching job seekers to job opportunities. This will be used to support individuals in priority sectors
interested in mobility for purposes of professional advancement or for other reasons.
For individuals covered by TAA, the WDB will provide assessments, transition training, and
access to One-Stop and other services to provide rapid transition to new employment. The WDB
will strengthen communication with EDD staff and others working with TAA-impacted individuals
to improve the quality of services provided by Rapid Response teams, including career counseling,
job search assistance, resume preparation, interviewing skills workshops, and information about the
local labor market, unemployment insurance, and local education and training information.
Drawing upon the expertise of the EDD, these activities can be instrumental in helping to minimize
the period without employment.
(4) Objective 3.4: Support the development and evolution of regional workforce and
economic development networks to address workforce education and training priorities.
Strategy 3.4.1: Work with key partners to organize and develop an East Bay workforce
intermediary network to more effectively link, align, and leverage funding and other resources that
meet the needs of businesses in the region.
The WDB will work with primary regional partners (community colleges, economic
development, education, other local workforce boards, etc.) to identify regional needs and priorities.
Input from these diverse organizations with diverse perspectives and resources will be an essential
first step in the creation of the intermediary network. These diverse regional partners will help the
intermediary to identify key actions and deliverables for businesses in driving industry sectors.
Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County
Strategic Workforce Development Plan 2013-2017
Page 24 of 58 3. Business Service Plan (BSP) A key role of the intermediary will be to convene and strengthen networks of economic
development, education, labor, community-based organizations, and other providers to enhance
alignment of efforts to prepare workers for high-demand jobs. The intermediary will inventory
available human and financial resources to map capacity to complete required work and will enhance
local forecasting and reporting tools to provide real-time economic and labor market information
(including skill gap information) to businesses, job seekers, and workers. It will also convene
meetings with key stakeholders to monitor economic activity across the county and region.
Strategy 3.4.2: Support the ongoing development of sub-regional Workforce Integration
Networks (WINs) to access resources and supports from partners in the public, private, and non-
profit sectors.
The WDB will continue development of three geographically-based Workforce Integration
Networks (WINs) that it has established in East, West, and Central County and that are convened
by the local One-Stop, in order to improve and streamline communication with business partners.
These networks consist of representatives from economic development, community colleges, adult
education, community-based organization, and municipal entities. Members of each WIN meet
monthly to decide how best to present an integrated message of services to businesses.
Strategy 3.4.3: Explore and promote the establishment of shared measures of workforce and
economic development success.
A critical component for achieving this objective will be for the emerging East Bay workforce
intermediary to use a collective impact model to identify shared metrics that will be used to measure
and communicate the success of our overall efforts. As these indicators of success are identified and
measured, the WDB and other partners in the emerging intermediary will actively communicate and
report progress against these metrics on a regular basis to all constituents.
Note: Objectives and Strategies related to resource development have been consolidated in
the Administration Section (Objective 6.4).
Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County
Strategic Workforce Development Plan 2013-2017
Page 25 of 58 4. Adult Strategies 4. ADULT STRATEGIES
The WDB’s adult strategies during
the forthcoming plan period build upon past
successes while also forging innovative
initiatives in response to a rapidly changing
economy and labor market. This work is
fully directed towards the realization of the
vision described in Section 1 of this plan.
Section (a) below describes the principles of
practice that will infuse the WDB’s work in
the development for career pathways for
workers and employers. Section (b) outlines
the specific objectives and strategies the
WDB will undertake to ensure positive
outcomes for the adults it serves.
(a) Vision and Principles of Practice
Key principles of practice guide the
WDB and One-Stop’s approach to
delivering Adult and Dislocated Worker
services and providing leadership and
advocacy for focusing the region’s
educational, social service, and workforce
development programs and opportunities.
These principles of practice are applied
across all objectives, strategies, and practices
described in this section of the narrative.
Principle No. 1: Development of workforce
training is aligned with the needs of priority
sector employers.
The WDB focuses the majority of its training resources on priority industry sectors in order
to increase the likelihood that trainees will obtain employment and be paid a living wage. The
emphasis on priority sectors is tied to both the number and quality of jobs that these industries can
provide. By helping to create and support partnerships between priority sector employers and
education and training providers, the WDB can increase the likelihood that training will be relevant
to employer needs, and facilitate employer connections with training programs that increase the
likelihood that participants will obtain employment following completion of their training.
Principle No. 2: Convene networks and partnerships to support career pathways.
The WDB works with a wide range of partners to create career pathways with a number of
different entry points, providing training opportunities for job seekers with diverse education and
skill levels. This approach is critical for serving the diverse needs of Contra Costa County residents,
particularly those with barriers to employment.
Principle No. 3: Mobilize resources in support of workforce education and training.
The WDB actively seeks to bring in multiple, diverse resources to support education and
training for the workforce in Contra Costa County and the surrounding region. These resources are
The WDB has identified five key objectives in
the area of Adult Strategies:
1.Increase the number of career pathway
programs in demand industry sectors.
2.Increase the number of adult basic
education students who successfully
transition to post-secondary education,
training, or employment.
3.Increase the number of under-prepared job
seekers and displaced workers who enter and
successfully complete education/training in
demand industries.
4.Develop and implement a strategic layoff
aversion strategy to retain workers in current
jobs and provide rapid transition to new
employment.
5.Expand the availability of apprenticeships,
OJT, and other customized training that
enables workers to build skills while
working.
Priority industry sectors include: 1) advanced
manufacturing; 2) health & life sciences; 3) energy;
and 4) information communications technology
(ICT) & digital media.
Adult Strategies At-A-Glance
Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County
Strategic Workforce Development Plan 2013-2017
Page 26 of 58 4. Adult Strategies particularly critical for job seekers who are unable to afford the cost of training or who need to be in
a training program where they can earn income while they are learning.
(b) Objectives, Strategies, and Action Steps Towards Developing Career Pathways
That Meet the Needs of Workers and Priority Sector Employers
(1) Objective 4.1: Increase the number of career pathway programs in priority industry sectors
Strategy 4.1.1: Identify and continue to monitor key industry sectors within the local region.
An important initial step in the development of career pathways is the identification of the
key industries within the local area and region. The WDB has spent significant time over the past 12
months in partnership with East Bay Economic Development Alliance (East Bay EDA), Contra
Costa Economic Partnership, Community Colleges, Adult Education, and other labor market
experts identifying high demand industries/sectors on which to focus. As mentioned elsewhere in
this plan, the four high demand sectors that have been selected to be of primary focus include:
advanced manufacturing, health and life sciences, information technology, and energy. As economic
and workforce conditions continue to change, the WDB will update these assessments on a
continual basis.
As another component of its career pathway efforts, the WDB will continue to organize and
lead a new and innovative partnership in the East Bay region through the recently established East
Bay Biomedical Manufacturing Network. The Workforce Development Board and East Bay EDA
are the primary conveners of the project; other partners include the Corporation for Manufacturing
Excellence (Manex), U.C. Berkeley, Laney College, and the Northern California Small Business
Development Center (SBDC) Network. Funded through the highly competitive national Advanced
Manufacturing Jobs Innovation Accelerator Challenge (AMJIAC) initiative, this project brings
together resources from five different federal agencies and six East Bay entities to build a regional
innovation ecosystem for technology transfer, economic development, and workforce development
in the medical device and bioscience manufacturing industry cluster along the I-80/880 corridor of
the inner San Francisco East Bay Area. From a career pathway development perspective, the key goal
of the project is to help workers in the region develop skills that lead to employment in the growing
medical device and bioscience manufacturing sector.
Strategy 4.1.2: Strengthen collaboration with education, employer, local government and
other partners to develop and/or enhance career pathway training programs in priority sectors.
The WDB will work in partnership with the Contra Costa Community College District
(CCCCD) and local employers in the development of priority sector career pathways. The WDB has
helped develop several large-scale partnerships to create and strengthen career pathways in demand
industries in the region. One of these efforts is partnership with the CCCCD and local employers
through a grant-funded project titled Design It-Build It-Ship It (DBS). The grant, funded through
the DOL Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College Career Training (TAACCCT)
initiative, includes a consortium of ten (10) East Bay Area Community Colleges, five (5) workforce
boards, UC Berkeley, and several other regional partners to develop and strengthen career pathway
training in advanced manufacturing, transportation/logistics, and engineering. In particular, the
focus of this work is to develop career pathway programs that help job seekers with barriers to
employment -- underemployed, unemployed, low skilled, veterans and others -- find a way into
education and then employment. The One-Stops, colleges, and employers will all work together to
create pathways that are understandable, navigable, and result in an increased number of Contra
Costa residents obtaining skills that give them access to living wage jobs.
An example of this in action is the FLOW (Forklift, Logistics, Operations, and Warehouse
Training) program at CCC. With support from the TAACCCT grant, the WDB helped to facilitate
the co-enrollment in WIA and FLOW of more than twenty people in the first two training cohorts
Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County
Strategic Workforce Development Plan 2013-2017
Page 27 of 58 4. Adult Strategies offered at Contra Costa College. The goal of the FLOW project is providing short-term training that
leads to employment in the growing field of transportation and logistics, and this project was
spotlighted in April 2013 when the Acting Secretary of Labor visited the region to announce the
release of additional TAACCCT funds for similar projects.
The WDB is also working closely with other Community Colleges in the region, particularly
Diablo Valley College and Los Medanos College, to make sure that the local workforce system is
participating in the development of upcoming pathway programs at these institutions. Specific
examples of this include the Industrial Maintenance Machinist/Mechanic (IMMM) program at
Diablo Valley College, as well as the Process Technology (PTEC) and Electrical & Instrumentation
Tech (ETEC) programs at Los Medanos College. Through its knowledge of the populations that are
served through the One-Stops, WDB is playing an important role in helping the community
colleges to design programs that are more responsive to individuals with different kinds of training
and support needs than traditional community college students.
At the broader regional level, the WDB is carrying out its pathway strategy through
participation in the Bay Area Community College Consortium (BACCC). Funded by the Carl D.
Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act, the BACCC is comprised of twenty-six (26)
colleges and ten (10) economic and workforce development initiatives in the Bay and Interior Bay
Regions. The BACCC seeks to improve the academic skills of vocational and technical education
students, strengthen connections between secondary and post-secondary education, prepare
individuals for demand occupations that pay family-supporting wages, and to invest in effective,
high-quality programs. The BACCC has chosen to focus on healthcare and information
communication technology (ICT) as its two primary industry sectors, and is also convening partners
connected to the energy, industrial maintenance, and water/wastewater sectors. The WDB continues
to engage with the networks that are developing new priority sector pathway training programs, and
is shaping business engagement strategies to ensure that these programs are both relevant and
effective at providing skilled workers for industries that need them.
As part of this strategy, the WDB will also partner with cities and other municipalities in
creating career pathways. Cities and municipalities have a unique vantage point from which to
connect businesses with emerging pathways, based upon their first hand knowledge of business
activity in their own communities. As new businesses get started in local cities, we will leverage the
WDB’s relationships with city managers and economic development staff to ensure that appropriate
businesses are connected to the One-Stops and colleges via the developed pathways. Additionally, we
will work with cities and municipalities to explore the development of local hire ordinances tied to
the pathways in order to retain our trained workers within our local communities.
The WDB will also partner with K-12 education and the early childhood education system
to enhance access to career pathways for students and parents. The WDB will impact the K-12
education world through presentations, activities, and trainings to excite and motivate younger
students by showing them how education leads to employment in different ways and by following
different paths. WDB will concurrently strengthen its partnerships with early childhood
organizations such as First 5 and Head Start, in order to bring young parents into the pathways and
simultaneously help them prepare their children to become lifelong learners.
The WDB will take part in task forces and work groups that foster communication and
collaboration among education providers and businesses. The WDB serves as the host location and
participates in the East Bay Leadership Council’s Workforce Education Task Force that is co-chaired
by one leader from education and another from business. Various education partners including
ROP, K-12, Adult Ed, Community Colleges and four-year institutions, as well as some business
leaders attend task force meetings. The WDB also has and will continue to participate in local
advisory committees including ROP and many others that help to bridge the work between the
Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County
Strategic Workforce Development Plan 2013-2017
Page 28 of 58 4. Adult Strategies One-Stops and education at all levels. The WDB also is represented on a number of community
college advisory committees and CTE programs linked to adult education and local high schools.
Strategy 4.1.3: Provide a diverse array of training opportunities and services that enable
participants to obtain a credential or degree acknowledged by priority sector employers.
Career-ladder programs that include longer-term trainings are a preferable option for
enabling hard-to-place individuals to obtain and retain employment, but in some cases these are
simply not available. As an alternative, the WDB will look to bolster the capacity of the One-Stops
to offer short-term certificated programs on-site in multiple and related occupations that can be
linked into longer-term pathways and jobs. For those who are already employed, these short-term
trainings can offer the opportunity of both lateral movement and direct advancement, such as the
National Retail Federation (NRF) certified customer service training currently offered on a monthly
basis at our flagship One-Stop.
To increase the range of opportunities for adult learners who have challenges with
transportation to in-person training, the WDB will expand the use of online and video training. The
WDB will pursue on-line options for new programs and redesign of existing programs, using video-
conferencing and other approaches, where practical, for seminar-style training. We will also pursue
expanding the online delivery of tools like WorkKeys and KeyTrain, as well expand the deployment
of online skill certification systems for specific occupations and industries.
To increase opportunities for post-secondary enrollment, the WDB will collaborate with
community colleges to develop or expand offerings that are more accessible to working people. This
would include additional course sections that are held at times (e.g. evenings and weekends) and of
shorter length (e.g. one semester vs. three semesters) that accommodate the busy schedules of
individuals with jobs and families. Some of these offerings could even be held at One-Stops that are
in high impact communities but not near the colleges.
In order to improve the likelihood that participants attain a degree or credential, the WDB
will continue to work with colleges to help them develop pathways programs that encourage
WDB/One-Stop support via co-enrollment and support services. The extremely high proportion of
students who do not complete their post-secondary education makes the kinds of support that the
WDB and the One-Stops can provide an extremely important resource for students who are at risk.
WDB will work with education partners to increase awareness of co-enrollment opportunities and
advantages and to develop a cross-system referral system. Co-enrollment can offer high-risk students
financial support for school materials, a cohort of similar students, a network of mentors through the
One-Stops, and tailored services and workshops developed at the One-Stops.
(2) Objective 4.2: Increase the number of Adult Basic Education students who successfully
transition to post-secondary education, training, or employment
Strategy 4.2.1: Convene and support partners to increase the accessibility of adult education.
As described under Strategy 4.1.2, the WDB will participate in task forces and work groups
that foster communication and collaboration among education providers. These include Workforce
Education Task Force; local advisory committees including ROP and many others that help to
bridge the work between the One-Stops and education at all levels, as well as other CTE advisory
committees attached to community colleges, high schools, and adult education programs.
The WDB will support adult education programs that are already offering GED preparation
and transition to post-secondary education by providing information to job seekers about adult
education in-person and through online preparation programs. We will develop workshops that help
inform students about the value of basic education and show how the completion of Adult Basic
Education can lead to jobs and a successful transition to post-secondary education. Workshops will
Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County
Strategic Workforce Development Plan 2013-2017
Page 29 of 58 4. Adult Strategies make the roadmap clear and doable and will help jobseekers address barriers they might have
experienced.
The WDB will also expand its intermediary role between adult education and community
colleges, with the expectation that adult education students will seek to further their education at the
community college level. More specifically, the WDB will support the creation of pathway and/or
bridge programs between Adult Education and Community Colleges. Additionally, in alignment
with its ongoing focus on integration and alignment of resources, WDB will work with Adult
Education to offer some of its educational classes directly at the One-Stop facilities to encourage job
seekers to take advantage of all opportunities open to them. Making educational opportunities more
accessible, particularly at a location where individuals may be receiving other services, will increase
the likelihood that students will enroll. In addition, the support services available through the One-
Stops will increase the likelihood of student success with these pathways.
Strategy 4.2.2: Identify the unique needs of Adult Basic Education students and provide a
variety of education and training opportunities to address these.
Beyond basic work skills, employers have expressed concerns about a growing lack of
capacity among prospective employees in critical thinking and problem-solving abilities. The WDB
will help Adult Basic Education students assess and develop essential soft skills such as critical
thinking and problem-solving. WorkKeys and KeyTrain are a few of the important tools that the
WDB uses for assessing and supporting the acquisition of these skills, as the skill measurements are
aligned to occupations as opposed to grade level. We will partner with employers to determine the
need for training in these skills and provide resources for workforce development in this area.
To address the need for business and computer skills, the WDB will collaborate with
education and training partners to offer this type of training. As an example of this, the major adult
education programs within the county collaborate with the WDB to offer eight (8) business and
computer training cohorts to enrolled One-Stop customers.
As another part of this strategy, the WDB will reduce remediation time for job seekers
through careful assessment and individual education planning. WDB will assist with assessment
services by implementing tools (KeyTrain and Work Keys®) that will provide an opportunity to
reduce remediation time for job seekers. WorkKeys® identifies skill gaps, and KeyTrain helps to
close the gaps at a faster rate than traditional education. WDB will explore ways to integrate these
assessment tools across all systems, including high school, Adult Education, Community College,
and on-the job training. It is also important to recognize that a portion of TAA participants (e.g.
assembly line workers, individuals from other countries) may have a need for remediation and
individualized strategies to enter pathways.
(3) Objective 4.3: Increase the number of under-prepared job seekers and displaced workers
who enter and successfully complete education/training in demand industries
Strategy 4.3.1: Identify and reach out to key populations of under-prepared job seekers and
displaced workers to facilitate access to education/training opportunities.
A critical first step in this strategy is the collection and analysis of demographic data on
under-prepared job seekers and displaced workers. WDB will conduct research to clearly define and
describe the underprepared population of job seekers and those who have been displaced to ensure
that those who are not already accessing educational and employment resources are encouraged to do
so.
The WDB will continue its ongoing work with high schools, Adult Education, and
Community Colleges to identify underprepared job seekers and place them in training and
remediation programs. Underprepared job seekers lack both general and specific job skills, and the
WDB will make assessment tools available to identify needed training and reduce remediation time
Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County
Strategic Workforce Development Plan 2013-2017
Page 30 of 58 4. Adult Strategies as they enter pathway programs. By using WorkKeys® assessments, job seekers can quickly identify
needed skills and pursue appropriate training. The WDB will assist in creating a customized
education and training plan for each individual that identifies specific programs that can enable
them to fill the gaps in their skills and knowledge.
Another important component of this strategy will be to work with EASTBAY Works One-
Stop affiliates and other community-based organizations to deepen the presence of the WDB in
high-need communities. Links to local organizations will provide the WDB with valuable
information on the needs and demographics of the populations they serve, and the One-Stops are
ideally situated to customize their services to the local community in their geographic areas.
The WDB will also strengthen collaborations with organizations that serve these populations
by continuing the development of geographically-based Workforce Integration Networks (WIN) in
three areas of Contra Costa County: Central, East, and West County. These networks are led by
One-Stop staff and attended by a wide range of workforce partners, and they draw upon valuable
local knowledge regarding the needs of local communities and populations. This work will also
facilitate the improvement and streamlining of communication with business partners in each of
these areas.
Strategy 4.3.2: Work with partners from education, community-based organizations, and
other entities to provide a wide range of training options available to under-prepared job seekers and
displaced workers.
As a way to improve the outcomes for participants in pathways training, the One-Stops will
look to increase the use of WorkKeys® assessment tools that measure job seekers’ Reading for
Information, Applied Mathematics, Writing, and Locating Information skills. A job seeker’s skills
are rated from 3-7 and the rating demonstrates work readiness across a number of industries. Based
on their test scores, job seekers receive a certificate that lists their WorkKeys® skills. The certificate
explains the system and places the WorkKeys® scores in context. The WDB will determine what
kinds of remedial support someone may need, and work with adult schools and others to provide
remediation those who are not ready for a distinct pathway program. As an example of this,
participants in the previously-mentioned FLOW project used WorkKeys® in this manner.
The WDB will increase the range of available training options by working with employers to
expand unpaid and minimally paid internship programs that can help underprepared workers
develop skills. Internships have been shown to provide an excellent bridge to employment for under-
prepared workers by giving them exposure to the workplace, and providing experience with a wide
range of soft skills needed for work readiness. The WDB will also pursue the development of
internship opportunities for recent college graduates, who often have a difficult time getting their
first job due to a lack of experience, with an initial focus on graduates with skills linked to the WDB
sector strategies.
As another part of this strategy, the WDB will enhance and better align WIA-funded
investments in training to maximize their impact. This will include the sponsorship of targeted
training individualized or group training programs to provide flexibility for people who need specific
types of skills training. The WDB will sponsor training programs and provide information on how
to access other types of training that are eligible to be paid for by Individual Training Accounts
(ITAs) using the Eligible Training Provider List (ETPL).
A key component of this strategy will include working with the East Bay workforce
intermediary to develop systems for obtaining business support and investment in training,
including customized training and other policy solutions to leverage training investments. Potential
approaches include: developing systems for obtaining advance employer support for training
programs to address the challenge of helping individuals obtain a crucial first job following training
in a difficult job market; working with municipalities on creating local hire ordinances, which have
Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County
Strategic Workforce Development Plan 2013-2017
Page 31 of 58 4. Adult Strategies been extremely successful in helping under-prepared job seekers obtain employment; and partnering
with employers to develop customized trainings in which the employer splits the training costs with
the WDB and agrees to give priority consideration to graduates.
In order to measure success in achieving this strategy, the WDB will incorporate high-
demand industry job placement into the local WDB/One-Stop goals and will measure and report
frequently. An important indicator of success should be placement into well-paid employment for
which one was trained. This will provide a more relevant outcome measure than those that recognize
placement in any job, whether or not that job is training-related.
(4) Objective 4.4: Develop and implement a strategic layoff aversion strategy to retain workers
in current jobs and provide rapid transition to new employment
Strategy 4.4.1: Provide support to businesses facing potential layoffs and assist with solutions
to help retain or rapidly transition their existing workforce.
A key component of this strategy includes conducting Rapid Response events in partnership
with the Employment Development Department (EDD). The WDB will provide assessments,
transition training, information to connect to One-Stops, and other services to provide rapid
transition to new employment. Rapid Response teams also offer career counseling; job search
assistance; resume preparation; interviewing skills workshops; and information about the local labor
market, unemployment insurance, and local education and training resources. Drawing upon the
expertise of the EDD, these activities can be instrumental in minimizing the period without
employment.
The WDB will also target Small Business Development Center (SBDC) training and
consulting services to small businesses in high priority industries to facilitate access to information or
workforce services (e.g. customized training) that might help with business stabilization and/or
growth. SBDC services will include workshops, technical assistance, and coaching that can provide
small businesses with the knowledge they need to improve their business practices.
The WDB will also provide resources to businesses to help them maintain their current
workforce. This will include identifying the training needs of incumbent workers and creating
training that enables them to upgrade their skills and knowledge. Additionally, the WDB will also
provide information on federal resources like the Work Share program, which provides funds to
keep workers in their jobs, rather than supporting them after they are laid off. When economic
conditions improve, the business has trained workers who are available to return to full time
employment.
The WDB’s February 2013 survey that was conducted for this plan shows that businesses
would like a way to find local technical or business professionals that can provide assistance on a
contract basis. In this vein, and to assist with rapid transition to new employment, the WDB will
explore ways to better connect local consultants to businesses for contract opportunities or
employment. This service would likely prove very beneficial to employees in the 40-60 year-old
demographic who have lost jobs and struggle to find work. Businesses could easily find candidates
matching their needs and interview them to find the best fit for their project. These engagements
may offer the potential to turn into a full-time job offers, or help consultants grow businesses that
may in turn need to hire people as they grow and scale.
Strategy 4.4.2: Develop proactive training for incumbent workers at risk of layoffs, designed
to facilitate the transition to new employment.
An important part of this strategy will be to develop incumbent worker training based upon
input from industry. WDB will seek input from employers on requirements for job growth/retention
in their industries and develop training to meet those needs. Input will be gathered through ongoing
surveys, interviews, and personal contact.
Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County
Strategic Workforce Development Plan 2013-2017
Page 32 of 58 4. Adult Strategies The WDB also will educate incumbent workers on transferable skills. We will conduct
workshops designed to help workers assess their existing skills, understand which ones may be
transferable to new jobs within and outside their current industry, and be able to present the case for
why they should be hired to a new position.
Another component of this strategy will be to bring together businesses and Adult
Education/Community Colleges to improve capacity and response time for offering contract
education. This custom designed training can be extremely valuable in retooling employees’ skills as
the needs of business change. This is another area in which the WDB will strengthen its role as a
convener and builder of networks.
(5) Objective 4.5: Expand the availability of apprenticeships, OJT, and other customized
training that enables workers to build skills while working
Strategy 4.5.1: Collaborate with business and labor to determine needs for apprenticeships,
OJT, and other customized training and plan accordingly.
The WDB will increase the use of on-the-job training (OJT) to offset the costs to employers
who are training underprepared job seekers and displaced workers. Funds provided to employers
defray their costs for training and developing new employees who have been referred by our partners.
OJT can be a critical option for individuals who are unable to live without employment income
during the training process.
The WDB will partner with labor and other training organizations to identify target
demographic groups and address their training needs. The WDB will define the target demographic
of the currently working population that would most benefit from participation in programs that
enable them to build skills while working. Specific populations of focus may include workers in
industries with declining demand and industries with increasing skill requirements. By targeting
participation in these programs, WDB intends to have the greatest possible impact in an area with a
limited amount of resources.
Strategy 4.5.2: Work with partners to strengthen existing apprenticeship programs, develop
new apprenticeship opportunities, and link these to appropriate state supports.
As a key part of this strategy, the WDB will continue its collaborative work with two pre-
apprenticeship programs: the Diablo Valley College (community college) pre-apprenticeship training
program, and the Future Build program with the Pittsburg Power Company & City of Pittsburg.
Both programs are focused on construction and skilled-trades training.
In order to strengthen support for apprenticeship programs in the region, the WDB will
engage with state bill AB554 to ensure that programs and services funded by WIA are conducted in
coordination with state apprenticeship programs. WDB will also encourage collaboration between
community colleges and apprenticeship programs to provide participants with both apprenticeship
training and continuing education. WDB will provide coordination and ensure appropriate training.
The WDB will also participate in the development of new apprenticeship programs and
assist with outreach to fill them. The WDB will work closely with local apprenticeship programs,
labor organizations, and businesses to develop new programs and recruit participants.
The WDB will seek to expand training for adults and dislocated workers through the
expansion of apprenticeship programs that are included in the Eligible Training Provider List
(ETPL). California's ETPL was established in compliance with the Workforce Investment Act
(WIA) of 1998. The purpose of the ETPL is to provide customer-focused employment training for
adults and dislocated workers. Training providers who are eligible to receive Individual Training
Accounts (ITAs) through WIA Title I-B funds are listed on the ETPL. California's statewide list of
qualified training providers offers a wide range of educational programs, including classroom,
correspondence, Internet, broadcast, and apprenticeship programs. With a renewed focus on
Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County
Strategic Workforce Development Plan 2013-2017
Page 33 of 58 4. Adult Strategies apprenticeship programs, we expect to see greater uptake of these programs by WIA-enrolled
participants.
Strategy 4.5.3: Expand the number and variety of “earn and learn” opportunities available
to job seekers.
The WDB will continue to develop, expand and enhance apprenticeship opportunities in the
region. The WDB is currently providing leadership and funding for the Future Build pre-
apprenticeship program, a construction training program located in Pittsburg, California, and it is
also supporting the Diablo Valley College apprenticeship program in the skilled trades. This has
included serving on the advisory boards for the two projects and the development of partnerships
with the One-Stops to facilitate access to the programs. Both programs serve youth and adults from
18 to 30 years of age, which helps to further the WDB goal of strengthening the connection between
youth and adult programs and pathways. WIA clients are co-enrolled in these programs to provide
for additional support, increasing the likelihood of successful completion.
As another approach to support those who are pursuing further education, we will work with
colleges to strengthen work-study options. While work-study provides an important way for students
to help finance their education, it is not widely used as an opportunity for learning or training for
employment. We will work with colleges to strengthen this element of work-study.
Finally, the WDB will actively engage with the local CalWORKs program (CCWORKs) in
the county’s Workforce Services Bureau, to increase the options for subsidized employment.
CCWORKS provides employment training, subsidized work experience, childcare, and supportive
services to CalWORKs jobseekers in Contra Costa County. The WDB will partner more closely
with this program, which offers employers wage subsidies equal to eight dollars per hour, with a
maximum payment of $9,000 over a six-month period.
Note: Objectives and Strategies related to resource development have been consolidated in
the Administration Section (Objective 6.4).
Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County
Strategic Workforce Development Plan 2013-2017
Page 34 of 58 5. Youth Strategies 5. YOUTH STRATEGIES
All of the WDB’s youth strategies
will be guided by the principles of practice
that are described in Section (a). In Section
(b), we outline the specific objectives and
strategies the WDB will undertake to
increase positive educational and career
outcomes for Contra Costa youth during the
plan period. Section (c) provides the context
for youth in Contra Costa County and a list
of existing services available to them.
(a) Vision for Increasing the
Educational, Training and
Career Attainment of Youth
The WDB’s youth ‘Principles of
Practice,’ outlined below, are applied across
all of the WDB’s youth work, which is
focused on realizing the vision described in
Section 1.
Principles of Practice
A set of principles of practice guide the WDB and Youth Council’s approach to realizing this
vision for delivering youth services and providing leadership and advocacy for focusing the region’s
youth-serving educational, social service, and workforce development programs and opportunities.
These principles of practice, described below, are applied across all of the youth objectives and
strategies, described in Section (b) as well as the activities delineated in the work plan (see
Attachment B.
Principle No.1: Align WIA youth programs, and seek to influence the alignment of local youth-serving
educational and workforce development efforts, with the interests, needs, and opportunities in the local and
regional economy, and with the priority sectors adopted by the WDB.
The WDB will continue to work closely with employers in the key sectors that have already
been identified as high growth in the region – advanced manufacturing, health and life sciences,
energy, and information technology – to identify areas where the greatest job opportunities will
occur, and seek to influence and direct education and training resources to support the development
of knowledge and skills necessary for success in those industries. In particular, the WDB will leverage
its relationships with organizations such as the Contra Costa Economic Partnership and the East Bay
Leadership Council (formerly the Contra Costa Council) to ensure that the programs that are being
developed for youth through Linked Learning and other efforts are aligned with industry demand.
The WDB will continue its collaboration with the East Bay Career Advancement Academies
(EBCAA), which offer a promising model for linking disconnected young adults with a workforce
pipeline to high paid career opportunities.
Principle No. 2: Engage in continuous quality improvement in WIA youth programs and across the entire
youth-serving system.
The WDB will ensure that a continuous quality improvement culture is embedded in all
aspects of the youth program. This will include a strong customer focus, an emphasis on continually
The WDB’s youth ‘Principles of Practice’
provides the basis for all youth objectives,
strategies, and activities.
The WDB will realize three key Youth Strategies
objectives:
1.Broaden the scope of the Youth Council to
pursue a high-impact, strategic agenda.
2.Collaborate in efforts to support K-12
educational achievement for increasing
numbers of youth and young adults.
3.Increase opportunities for high school
graduates and disconnected youth to
transition into post-secondary education
and careers.
Youth Strategies At-A-Glance
Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County
Strategic Workforce Development Plan 2013-2017
Page 35 of 58 5. Youth Strategies improving all processes, full engagement of WDB staff in quality improvement efforts, supporting
the youth provider community in a continuous self improvement process, and employing data and
knowledge of team members in the decision-making process.
In order to create a continuous quality improvement culture, the WDB will establish the
following practices:
• Maintain a clear and up-to-date understanding of the needs of youth in Contra Costa
County. This includes maintaining current data on different segments of the youth
population and their needs, communicating regularly with partners who are well-
informed about the status of specific youth populations, and surveying youth in WDB
sponsored programs;
• Regularly collect and analyze data in order to make decisions. This process begins with
determining the kind of data that can best measure program effectiveness, beyond those
required by funding source. Once the measures have been established, the program will
establish baseline and outcome targets, and then take actions for improvement based
upon the data;
• Focus on an empowered WDB staff, working as a team, as an important component of
quality improvement. Staff will need to understand the processes for conducting
improvement projects; and
• Continue to assess and improve organizational processes. The assumption is that as new
solutions are implemented they will also become part of the program evaluation process.
In addition, the WDB and its Youth Council will explore the application of an
organizational self-improvement process for youth workforce development organizations developed
through New Ways to Work for the City of Chicago.
Implemented properly, the continuous quality improvement strategy will yield better results
for the youth program, leading to improved customer satisfaction for participants. Having clear
metrics that are regularly tracked will increase staff accountability and will ultimately strengthen
morale and teamwork. By enabling programs to examine their own practice against a set of common
quality indicators and more effectively use resources, the WDB quality improvement effort will also
enable the youth program to impact a greater number of participants at a lower cost.
Principle No. 3: Direct WIA investments to support, and seek to expand access to, quality education and
training opportunities for all youth, including those who are most-in-need of assistance, such as out-of-
school youth, homeless youth, youth in foster care, youth aging out of foster care, youth offenders, children
of incarcerated parents, migrant and seasonal farm worker youth, youth with disabilities, and other at-risk
youth.
Pursuing common approaches, expanded partnerships, and strengthening connections across
agencies and programs so that services are provided to these youth in a fully integrated way is the
only way we can achieve this critical priority. The WDB and Youth Council are in the process of
implementing the All Youth-One System approach in the county as a way to connect and leverage a
range of resources to support youth and young adults. The principles behind the approach -
validated and adopted by the California State Youth Council, forty-nine (49) local workforce boards,
numerous County Offices of Education, and others across the country - state simply that all youth
need the same resources and support to be successful. Depending on their backgrounds and needs,
they may need support and focus in different doses at different times. A major role of the WDB and
its Youth Council will be to strategically direct resources to serve the most in need in the county.
The All Youth-One System approach brings local programs, initiatives, and institutions
together to eliminate the duplication of services, maximize the impacts of multiple funding sources,
and implement long-range plans to improve outcomes for the youth they serve. This model connects
Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County
Strategic Workforce Development Plan 2013-2017
Page 36 of 58 5. Youth Strategies employers and workplace partners, schools and training organizations, social services and community
organizations, and families and neighborhoods to serve the needs of young people as they prepare for
life as adults. Four core elements - Academic Achievement, Career Development, Community
Services and Support, and Youth Leadership - must all be in place in order to provide a balanced set
of services, supports, and opportunities to youth and ensure their success as they transition to
adulthood. These four core elements are supported by a fifth – a comprehensive and connected
youth development approach.
A primary consideration in the development of youth strategies is the recognition that there
are three distinct populations of young people with different needs who require different strategies to
achieve academic and career-related success. These populations include:
1) Students who are struggling in school (including potential dropouts as indicated by those
who are over age and under-credited, others who are not on track to complete high
school on time, those who are chronically absent or truant);
2) Recently disconnected students (including dropouts for whom a high school–like
experience leading to a diploma is still within reach); and
3) Older youth who are out of work and out of school (graduated or not), and fully
disconnected from the workplace, education, and pro-social engagement in their
community.
Strategies to support success for these three defined groups will be identified in section (b) below.
Principle No. 4: Collaborate across systems and programs, and position the Workforce Development
Board and Youth Council as conveners and catalysts for change.
The WDB is uniquely positioned to bring together a broad spectrum of stakeholders to
address the challenges that young people face in obtaining the knowledge and skills they need to
succeed in the new economy. This convening role in the area of youth strategies is particularly
important, given the fragmented nature of services available to youth, especially those who face
multiple barriers to completing their education or obtaining employment that pays a living wage.
(b) Objectives and Strategies for Improving Educational and Training Outcomes and
the Career Attainment of Youth and Young Adults
Infused with the Principles of Practice described above, WDB youth work during the plan
period will focus on three primary objectives:
• Broaden the scope of the Youth Council, and move from serving primarily as a
regulatory committee of the Workforce Development Board, to pursuing a broader,
strategic agenda;
• Strengthen the WDB and Youth Council collaboration with all key partners and
participate in efforts to support K-12 educational achievement for increasing numbers of
youth and young adults; and
• Increase opportunities for high school graduates and disconnected youth to transition
into postsecondary education and careers.
These objectives, with their corresponding strategies, are fully described below. The
complete version of the plan, including objectives, strategies, activities, timelines and indicators, is
included at Appendix B.
(1) Objective 5.1: Broaden the scope of the WDB Youth Council, and move from serving
primarily as a regulatory committee of the Workforce Investment Board, to pursuing a
broader, strategic agenda.
Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County
Strategic Workforce Development Plan 2013-2017
Page 37 of 58 5. Youth Strategies While there are some single-system focused organizational policy and oversight bodies in the
county, the WDB believes that no single body now exists to address the development of an
integrated youth services vision. Development of this integrated vision will be a key strategic role for
the WDB Youth Council going forward. Consistent with the current strategic plan guiding the work
of the WDB, the Board and Youth Council will continue to support the implementation of All
Youth-One System in the county, and to broaden the position and scope of the Youth Council as a
connecting and convening body across a number of youth-serving domains. There is a current lack
of a formal organizational leadership body with a focus on supporting a comprehensive and
connected system across the domains of youth workforce development, education, social services,
foster care, and juvenile justice. Our intent is to grow the Youth Council to fulfill the overall policy
development and priority setting roles necessary to connect services, support and opportunity for
youth and young adults in the county.
To meet this objective, the WDB and Youth Council will engage in the following strategies
and activities:
Strategy 5.1.1: Engage the Youth Council (YC) and Board in a self-assessment process, and
set goals and benchmarks for the council’s transition to guiding the development of an integrated
vision for serving youth in the context of the regional economy.
The Council will engage in a self assessment and priority setting process to support and
frame the work going forward in order to strategically apply its WIA investments, connect to and
leverage other systems (such as education, foster care, job corps, juvenile justice, education, and
others), and influence and align education and training programs with economic development
priorities.
In addition, the WDB will implement the Comprehensive Youth Development Approach as
described in the All Youth-One System frameworks. In a comprehensive youth serving system, a
formal network provides the foundation for an equitable and coordinated system that meets the
needs of youth. A community that is successfully addressing the elements of a Comprehensive Youth
Development Approach will demonstrate the following characteristics:
• All activities embody a youth development approach;
• Individualized, youth-centered plans guide programs and services;
• Engaged community leadership supports collaboration;
• Adequate resources are available and leveraged;
• A quality system is responsive to individual and cultural differences; and
• The community publicly supports a focus on youth issues.
Strategy 5.1.2: Participate in conducting a needs assessment and opportunity scan of the
county, and, together with system partners, provide regular reports to policy makers and the public on
factors affecting successful youth transition in the county.
The Youth Council and WDB staff will work to identify partners and the resources needed
to conduct a needs assessment for youth and young adults in the county, and to describe the state of
youth and young adults in our community, their success in school and the world of work, and the
barriers they face to the successful transition to productive employment. To publicize the results of
the assessment and opportunity analysis, the WDB will work with the East Bay Leadership Council
Workforce Education Task Force (EBWETF) and other youth-serving systems to develop a
communications plan designed to regularly inform and engage the community in supporting
successful youth transitions to adulthood. The WDB will also update its community resources guide
describing services, programs, and opportunities for youth and young adults in the county. As a
Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County
Strategic Workforce Development Plan 2013-2017
Page 38 of 58 5. Youth Strategies component of the overall communications plan, the WDB and YC will, in partnership with a range
of community partners, convene community meetings (annually or bi-annually) designed to share
information, identify community priorities, design and develop solutions to issues, and garner
community support for addressing the challenges youth and young adults face.
Strategy 5.1.3: Develop and implement strategies to direct Workforce Investment Act and
other public or private resources to serve youth and young adults who are most-in-need, and support
their success in education, career development, training, and employment.
The WDB will engage in a process to determine the strategic application of WIA dollars to
support success for the most in need in its youth serving programs. In developing priorities for future
investments and preparing for the next procurement cycle, the Youth Council will identify and
consider providing support to place-based youth development programs with the capacity to
augment workforce development services. It will also focus youth workforce development
investments that are aligned with identified sector priorities and this strategic plan and that
demonstrate the capacity to leverage other resources. The Youth Council and WDB staff will define
a procurement process and service priorities for youth workforce development services that support
eligible youth with significant barriers to academic achievement and employment success.
Strategy 5.1.4: Design and implement strategies to strengthen the existing collaboration
between the workforce investment system and a broad array of programs and systems that seek to
address the needs of youth who have significant barriers to employment.
The WDB will continue to strengthen the existing collaboration between the workforce
investment system and a broad array of systems that address the needs of youth who have significant
barriers to employment. It will develop a marketing campaign targeted at youth-serving
organizations to increase the understanding of the services provided by the One-Stops, the WDB,
and the SBDC. The WDB will also seek to develop and share resources with and among other youth
serving agencies that have goals that are aligned with those of the WDB and the Youth Council. In
this process, the One-Stops will serve as conveners and service hubs, offering regular information
sharing sessions among a range of partner providers, including area schools, youth providers, social
services programs, child welfare, juvenile justice, city sponsored youth programs, and others. The
WDB will also increase the use of social media and information technology to engage youth.
Strategy 5.1.5: Leverage the WDB’s employer and industry base to support WIA enrolled
youth, connect to and engage with K-12 Career Pathway programs, and community college
initiatives, and influence the implementation and growth of education and training programs that
are aligned with growth clusters and projected workforce needs.
The WDB will engage employers and industry partners to connect to, influence, and support
systems-based efforts in high school and post-secondary education and training programs to increase
access and support for those youth and young adults who are most-in-need, and increase the number
of education and training systems that are aligned with WDB identified industry sectors and
economic development priorities and that provide pathways to the jobs of the future for our
County’s youth and young adults. The WDB will work with employers and industry partners to
identify barriers to engagement in schools or in the provision of employment opportunities for youth
and young adults, as well as to develop new opportunities for work and learning in the workplace.
(2) Objective 5.2: The WDB and Youth Council (YC) will collaborate with all partners and
participate in efforts to support K-12 educational achievement for increasing numbers of
youth and young adults.
Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County
Strategic Workforce Development Plan 2013-2017
Page 39 of 58 5. Youth Strategies The WDB and Youth Council will work closely with education and industry partners to
support K-12 efforts to implement new strategies for increasing the numbers of students who engage
in and complete a challenging high school curriculum. Our belief is that all students and young
adults should be supported with a range of opportunities and supports over time that have
demonstrated success in preparing them for both college AND careers. Strategies for achieving this
objective include strengthening partnerships with K-12 education, post-secondary education, and
employers, as well as expanding the scope of the Youth Council to help influence educational
improvements in the context of current and projected workforce needs. In particular, the role of the
WDB and Youth Council will be to engage in efforts to increase access to quality education for
youth who are at risk of dropping out, to help engage employers and industry partners to influence
educational improvement priorities, and participate in our schools and provide connected work-
based learning opportunities.
To meet this objective, the WDB and Youth Council will engage in the following strategies
and action steps.
Strategy 5.2.1: Work with community and education partners through the East Bay
Leadership Council Workforce/Education Taskforce to establish baseline data for the county's high
schools, and collectively set goals and measures for high school graduation, drop-out reduction, and
dropout recovery rates. The mission of the East Bay Leadership Council Workforce
Development/Education Task Force is to improve workforce preparation by:
• Strengthening partnerships between industry and education, public agencies and
community organizations;
• Fostering a better understanding of the educational issues common to business and the
education community;
• Identifying common initiatives that will increase the supply of well-qualified workers;
• Promoting activities, programs, and events that bring together Contra Costa County’s
educators and business leaders to discuss and identify issues/concerns about the need for
an educated workforce;
• Recognizing individuals and organizations that engage in on-going collaboration; and
• Facilitating joint-task force meetings.
The WDB and Youth Council will work with the Task Force and local school districts to
develop a system for gathering information about, setting goals for, and measuring high school
graduation, and drop-out prevention and recovery rates.
Strategy 5.2.2 Work with education and community providers to increase access for at-risk
populations in Linked Learning, Career Academies, and other Career Technical Educational
offerings in our high schools.
The WDB and Youth Council will work with local school districts to develop a system for
providing access to, and supporting success in, career themed programs for at risk youth in the
county.
Strategy 5.2.3: Collaborate with and support career focused instructional strategies at the
high school and community college levels, particularly those that are aligned with WDB-identified
priority sectors in the region.
Our state and nation are experiencing a resurgence of educational approaches at the high
school and post-secondary levels that are organized around career themes, and are designed to
develop the skills needed to drive the economy of the future. To carry out this strategy, the WDB
and Youth Council will connect with and support career-focused instructional programs such as
Linked Learning, Career Pathways, Career Academies, Career Technical Education, and Partnership
Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County
Strategic Workforce Development Plan 2013-2017
Page 40 of 58 5. Youth Strategies Academies which have proven to be a powerful pedagogy for helping youth engage with their
education and gain knowledge and skills that are relevant to the workplace. The WDB has worked
closely with the Contra Costa Economic Partnership to develop both classroom-based and work-
based opportunities for high school students and will continue to strengthen and expand this work.
The WDB and Youth Council will also expand and build upon career-integrated academic
opportunities that prepare high school students to effectively transition from high school to college
and career, with an emphasis on opportunities in industry sectors adopted by the WDB as a priority
for economic development activity. We will also encourage local education providers to continue to
support and expand STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), STEAM (STEM
plus the Arts), and ROP (Regional Occupational Programs). Based upon the anticipated economic
growth in the PSTS (Professional, Scientific and Technical Services) sector within the region,42 solid
training in STEM subjects will help prepare students for the kind of career opportunities that are
likely to be available when they graduate.
The WDB will engage private sector, government, and community partners to support
career-focused instructional programs. The WDB and Youth Council are well positioned to help
engage industry partners and employers in supporting policy efforts to expand and grow career
pathway programs in the county’s schools, help design systems and processes to bring employers into
our schools to support instruction and to extend the classroom to the workplace through the
provision of high-quality work-based learning opportunities. We will work with our partners to
develop and implement systems that expand employer engagement in our schools.
Strategy 5.2.4: Work with Education and Industry partners to develop systems that effectively
engage employers in providing a range of career development and work-based learning opportunities
for youth and young adults to learn about, explore, and prepare for careers.
The WDB can play a valuable role by facilitating communication and functional
partnerships between K-12 education, post-secondary institutions, and local industry to help expose
and prepare youth and young adults for the world of work. This first step in the employer
engagement process will help build and strengthen relationships that will allow us to bring employers
into the classroom as partners, and to extend the classroom to the workplace through the provision
of high quality work-based learning activities. The WDB will use its connections with business,
particularly its business services staff, to help strengthen experiential work-based learning
opportunities that enable students to learn about the workplace first hand and work with the
education system to provide students with exposure to the workplace. The WDB will participate in
efforts designed to bring together employers and educators to support the early engagement of young
people with potential career and work options. Using the Career Development Continuum43 as a
guide, we will seek to help provide a full range of meaningful career development opportunities for
all youth that include real world work experiences that are integrated across the curriculum.
The WDB and the YC will partner with employers to identify key skill gaps and to confirm
the knowledge and skills needed to enter work in their industry. The WDB and Youth Council will
explore the potential for leading the development of a set of common, entry-level work readiness
standards as defined by local employers, using ACT, WorkKeys®, KeyTrain, NAF, CTE or other
standards as a starting place for a locally-confirmed list of necessary skills for workforce entry. Of
particular promise and interest is Career Ready 101- A Comprehensive Career Readiness Training
Program from ACT. That being said, the need for a common set of standards that is driven by
industry – not vendor or education provider – is clear.
42 “Building our Assets: Economic Development and Job Creation in the East Bay”, East Bay Economic
Development Alliance, October 2011, p. 5.
43 “The Career Development Continuum: Preparing All Youth for Success in College, Career and Life”, New
Ways to Work, www.newwaystowork.org.
Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County
Strategic Workforce Development Plan 2013-2017
Page 41 of 58 5. Youth Strategies The WDB and Youth Council will help develop a common set of definitions and
expectations related to the range of work-based learning experiences being offered and supported in
the county. Properly designed and supported, work-based learning provides a practical context for
academics. It enables youth and young adults to acquire the attitudes, skills, and knowledge needed
to succeed in today’s workplace.
Strategy 5.2.5: Work with education and community partners to identify potential dropouts,
and focus WIA and other potential public and private investments to provide interventions and
supports to keep them connected and engaged.
The WDB and its sub-contracted program staff will work collaboratively with high school
counselors and teachers to ensure that targeted youth who are at risk of dropping out are identified
and provided services to successfully reengage them in High School and reduce their risk of dropping
out. This will include the development of referral mechanisms with targeted high schools and
community-based programs. Through its upcoming procurement process, the WDB and Youth
Council will seek provider partners with the capacity to work with the schools to identify potential
dropouts and provide critical supports to keep those enrolled in the WIA youth program in school.
We will also seek partners with access to a range of additional resources to support student success.
The WDB will also work with school and community partners to identify additional
resources to support youth who are struggling and develop referral and follow up processes to ensure
access, on-going case management, and successful connections in school. The WDB and Youth
Council recognize that WIA dollars alone do not begin to meet the needs of the in-school
population at risk of dropping out. Working with the East Bay Leadership Council Workforce
Education Task Force, we will seek to implement drop-out prevention strategies in our schools, with
support from local community-based organizations.
The WDB will explore and help implement parental/guardian engagement and support
strategies, including full family supports where appropriate. The parents and guardians of our youth
who are most in need are often in need of workforce development support themselves. We will work
with our education and community partners to make them aware of the adult services provided by
the WDB, and establish information and referral mechanisms to connect these adults to appropriate
services and support.
Strategy 5.2.6: Collaborate with K-12 Education, Adult Education, and Community
Colleges to identify and replicate approaches to provide pathways back to high school for recent
dropouts.
The WDB will develop a collaborative approach to drop out recovery and seek to help build
systems and support to reconnect youth to high school and alternative educational options. We will
research and document successful dropout recovery practices in California and other states, and
identify replicable components for the county. We will also work with the Youth Council to discover
local model programs and approaches that address the needs of dropouts and successfully reengage
them in school. One such example is Gateway to College, designed for young adults ages 16-20 who
have dropped out of high school or are significantly behind in credits and unlikely to graduate. The
program enables youth to complete their high school diploma requirements while simultaneously
earning college credit toward an associate degree or certificate. Students are placed into small
learning communities during their first semester(s), and together they take classes in reading,
writing, math, and college skills. Upon completion of the "Foundation" courses, students transition
and begin taking classes with the general student population--all classes are conducted on the Contra
Costa College campus. Throughout their enrollment in the program, students receive one-on-one
advising and support from resource specialists who act as mentors and advisors. The wrap-around
support of the resource specialists keeps students on the right track for success.
Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County
Strategic Workforce Development Plan 2013-2017
Page 42 of 58 5. Youth Strategies The WDB and Youth Council will also work with education partners and the community to
identify resources to establish, support, and implement dropout recovery processes. Through
collaboration and resource realignment and generation, the WDB and the East Bay Leadership
Council Workforce/Education Task Force and local school districts will develop strategies to support
and sustain dropout recovery activities.
(3) Objective 5.3: The WDB and Youth Council will work with the East Bay Leadership
Council Workforce Education Task Force and other partners to increase opportunities for
high school graduates and disconnected youth to transition into post-secondary education
and careers.
Strategy 5.3.1: Develop resources to establish baseline data and adopt goals and measures to
reflect post-secondary participation and success rates.
The WDB the Youth Council will engage partners and identify resources to gather data that
describes the condition of youth in the county, in particular their success rates in post-secondary
education, training and careers. The WDB and Youth Council will partner with the East Bay
Leadership Council Workforce Education Task Force, school districts, local service providers, the
courts, and the juvenile justice system to determine the needs of disconnected youth in Contra Costa
County.
The WDB will also partner with school districts, local service providers, the courts, and the
juvenile justice system to determine the needs of disconnected youth in Contra Costa County, and
set goals and benchmarks for success. By strengthening ongoing communication with and among
these various entities, the WDB will be better prepared to identify appropriate opportunities that can
help young people successfully transition to post-secondary education and careers.
Strategy 5.3.2: Work with Community Colleges, Apprenticeship Programs, Trade Schools
and others to provide expanded opportunities for disconnected youth to achieve success.
The WDB and YC will collaborate with education and community partners to support
career planning and transition activities for youth who graduate from high school, and support their
success in post-secondary education, training, and learn and earn opportunities.
To address the unique needs of out of school youth, the WDB will expand the Career
Pathways Programs that it co-sponsors with Los Medanos and Contra Costa Community College
that enable disconnected youth ages 16-22 to enroll in remedial reading and math and earn 12
college credits. The WDB will seek resources to enable these existing programs to serve a larger
number of students.
In addition, the WDB will identify, support, and provide connections to programs designed
to assist youth who are challenged to be successful in post-secondary experiences. The WDB and YC
will help facilitate concurrent college enrollment for high school students who are ready. K-12
education is moving towards more personalized learning that enables students to learn and advance
at their own pace. Increasing the options for enrollment in college courses will offer students more
choices and enable them to complete high school better prepared for post-secondary education or
entry into the workforce. One study showed that students who were dual enrolled (in high school
and college) were 2.2 times more likely to enroll in a two- or four-year college, 2.0 times more likely
to return for a second year of college, and 1.7 times more likely to complete a college degree.44
The WDB will also support replication of successful local programs that provide case
management and WIA enrollment for disconnected youth. The WDB will work with community
partners to revitalize the WDB-sponsored North Richmond Empowerment Center program, which
was established to support disconnected youth by facilitating their enrollment in WIA and providing
44 “Taking College Courses in High School: A Strategy for College Readiness” Ben Struhl and Joel Vargas, Jobs
for the Future, 2012.
Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County
Strategic Workforce Development Plan 2013-2017
Page 43 of 58 5. Youth Strategies case management services and connection to the One-Stop Career Centers. Cross-agency case
management to help disconnected youth access a range of support services has been shown to be an
important tool for enabling them to successfully transition to employment or further education.45
The WDB and Youth Council will promote collaboration with community colleges to
provide a range of support services for disconnected youth. Los Angeles and other workforce areas as
well as programs like the Guardian Scholars have found that having supports on the community
college campus greatly increases the success rates for disconnected youth in the community college
setting. To this end, we will seek to strengthen collaboration between WIA case managers and
college personnel. Youth receiving WIA services require substantial support in order to enroll and
succeed in post-secondary education. By working closely with college personnel, WIA case managers
can ensure a “warm handoff” that provides continuity of support for youth who undertake a college
education in the midst of the other challenges in their lives. In situations where college personnel are
not able to provide the level of support needed to ensure success at the college level, we will explore
replication of models where WIA-funded case managers provide regular on-campus support to a
particular cohort of WIA-enrolled youth.
The WDB will continue to sponsor ongoing summer employment and learning programs for
youth. Programs of this type offer youth the opportunity to work full time in a field of their interest,
gaining valuable work experience while earning a paycheck. Activities of this kind can also provide
the motivation for a young person to return to school, become engaged in a training program, enroll
in an apprenticeship, or pursue certifications that provide access to good jobs and careers.
We will also collaborate with out-of-school training programs to offer alternatives to students
who may not have access to such programs. As an example, the Future Build program, located in the
City of Pittsburg, is a construction skills training program that has been serving approximately 35 to
40 students per year operating under the auspices of the WDB. Students learn a variety of
construction skills from skilled trainers, and have the opportunity to enter into a pre-apprenticeship
program tied to one of the local skilled trade unions upon completion. Programs such as Richmond
BUILD and other “Green Training” programs provide promising models of this kind for potential
replication.
In order to ensure that youth throughout the county have access to needed resources, we will
convene youth-serving partners in the sub regions of the county as part of this strategy. To promote
collaboration, cross-system referrals, and build knowledge of available services and opportunities, this
work will focus on forming networks of youth serving organizations in sub regions of the county,
initially centered at the One-Stops.
Strategy 5.3.3: Form functional teams of youth case managers and One-Stop representatives
to increase access to and participation in One-Stop services targeted to entry-level job seekers.
These functional teams will be able to use their shared knowledge to conduct more effective
outreach to older out-of-school youth, and make their services more accessible and welcoming to this
demographic. As part of this strategy, the WDB and YC will work to connect older youth to
appropriate services as described in the Adult Strategies section of this plan (Section 4.3). Access to
and participation in the range of programs and services described in Adult Strategies section will be a
primary support for older out-of-school youth.
(c) The Context for Collaboration – Youth Needs and Available Services in Contra
Costa County
At -Risk Youth Populations in Contra Costa County
45 “Opportunity Road: The Promise and Challenge of America’s Forgotten Youth,” John M. Bridgeland and
Jessica A. Milano, Annie E. Casey Foundation, January, 2012.
Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County
Strategic Workforce Development Plan 2013-2017
Page 44 of 58 5. Youth Strategies As a recent policy report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation indicates, America is in crisis
in relation to employment opportunities for young people.46 Youth employment is currently at its
lowest level since World War II, with only one half of young people ages 16 to 24 currently
employed, and 6.5 million in that group out of school and out of work.47 The report also indicates
that California has some of the lowest employment rates in the nation for youth ages 16 to 19 (18%)
and those ages 20 to 24 (56%).48 The key recommendations of the report focus on the importance of
creating multiple pathways to success, the need to have a wide range of systems and sectors working
together to provide the supports that disconnected youth need, and the need for a continuum of
work experiences from the teen years onward.
As of the 2010 Census, there were 133,709 or 12.7% of residents in Contra Costa County
between the ages of 15 and 24 years of age. 49 Youth in Contra Costa County face the same difficult
job market, and many of the same barriers to completing the education and training they need to
obtain well-paid employment as other youth across the country. However, youth in some
communities in West and East Contra County face particularly difficult challenges. As an example,
youth ages 16 to 19 in the cities of Richmond in West County and Antioch in East County recently
had one-year estimated unemployment rates of 45.2% and 53.6% respectively, well above the
California rate of 37.9% during the same period.50
The challenges are particularly acute for low income youth: “More than 70% of low-income
youth leave high school without a path toward either a post-secondary degree or a livable-wage job,
all but guaranteeing that they will struggle to earn a family-supporting income in today’s
economy.”51 High levels of poverty in certain areas of the county create a challenge for many youth.
Across the county, 9.9% of persons are below poverty level. However, in cities such as Richmond,
San Pablo, and Pittsburg, this percent is much higher (17.5%, 18.7%, and 15.7% respectively).52
A number of communities in Contra Costa County have a high concentration of English
Learners. In San Pablo, 68% of residents speak a language other than English at home, and
percentages of non-native English speakers are also above the statewide average in Richmond and
Pittsburg.
Table 6: Demographic Data for Select Contra Costa County Cities53
West County East County Contra Costa
County CA Richmond San Pablo Pittsburg Antioch
Unemployment
rate for 16-19 yrs 45.2% 41.2% 40.0% 53.6% 37.7% 37.9%
Unemployment
rate for 20-24 yrs 24.2% 23% 18.2% 25.6% 20.1% 19.4%
Persons below
poverty level 17.5% 18.7% 15.7% 14.0% 9.9% 14.4%
Language other
than English
spoken at home
48.8% 68.0% 46.8% 33.7% 38.4% 43.2%
46 “Youth and Work: Restoring Teen and Young Adult Connections to Opportunity”, Annie E. Casey
Foundation, 2012.
47 Ibid, page 2.
48 Ibid, page 4.
49 2010 Demographic Profile Data, U.S. Bureau of the Census, factfinder2.census.gov, accessed on 4/16/13.
50 U.S. Census 2010 American Community Survey, http://factfinder2.census.gov, accessed on 3/11/2013.
Average for Richmond was 34.7%, and the average for San Pablo was 32.1%.
51 “Challenges Facing Urban Youth”, www.yearup.org, accessed on 3/27/13.
52 U.S. Census, 2010 American Community Survey.
53 All data from the U.S. Census American Community Survey.
Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County
Strategic Workforce Development Plan 2013-2017
Page 45 of 58 5. Youth Strategies
Another significant challenge for youth in Contra Costa County is the high school dropout
rate. While the total Annual Adjusted Grade 9-12 Dropout Rate for the county (4.1%) is only .1%
higher than the statewide total (4%), the dropout rates of several of the county’s school districts are
significantly higher, as demonstrated in the table below. The dropout rate is 5.3% in the West
Contra Costa Unified School District, which includes Richmond and San Pablo, and 6.0% in the
Pittsburg Unified School District in East County. Additionally, the dropout rates vary significantly
across ethnic groups. The majority (38.5%) of students that drop out across the county are Hispanic
or Latino of any race, followed by students who are or African American (32%).
Youth in Contra Costa County also face unique challenges in their Health and Safety,
including alcohol and drug use and experience with weapons on campus. Across the county, 65% of
11th graders had used alcohol or other drugs in their lifetime, and 28% had seen someone with a
weapon on school property.54 As with other statistics regarding county youth, those in West and East
County have greater risk and reduced protective factors in comparison with young people in other
areas of the county.
Table 7: Contra Costa County High School Youth Data
Location Drop Out Health and Safety
Region District 2011-2012
Rates55
Seen someone with a weapon on school property
1 or more times, past 12 months (% Grade 11)
West
County
West Contra Costa Unified
(Richmond and San Pablo) 5.3% 38%56
East
County
Pittsburg Unified 6.0% 32%57
Antioch Unified 4.0% 36%58
County-wide 4.1% 28%59
The primary implications of this data for the work of the WDB include the following:
1) A larger proportion of the eligible youth population resides in the West and East regions
of the county;
2) The large proportion of young people in communities for whom English is not the
primary language means that workforce services for youth need to be provided with a
sensitivity to issues of language and culture; and
3) Poverty and unemployment rates for youth in West and East County indicate that many
youth from these communities require substantive supportive services in addition to
specific types of educational and training content.
Local Youth Programs, Organizations, Services, Education, Training Opportunities
The list of organizations and programs below highlights some of the key entities that will be a part of
the network that the WDB and Youth Council will be helping to build and strengthen and is not
comprehensive. As the WDB begins to conduct a community engagement and network-building
process, more organizations and entities will invariably become involved in this work.
54 California Healthy Kids Survey, 2010-11.
55 California Department of Education, DataQuest, 2011-12, http://data1.cde.ca.gov/dataquest/
56 California Healthy Kids Survey, 2009-10.
57 California Healthy Kids Survey, 2010-11.
58 California Healthy Kids Survey, 2011-12.
59 California Healthy Kids Survey, 2008-10.
Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County
Strategic Workforce Development Plan 2013-2017
Page 46 of 58 5. Youth Strategies City of Richmond Employment & Training/Richmond WIB YouthWORKS
The City of Richmond provides case managed services to at-risk and in-risk youth that are
16-21. The mission of YouthWORKS is to provide Richmond youth with a personalized service
system that will focus on addressing their academic, social, and economic needs that affect their
quality of life; and provide alternatives that will enable them to become self-sufficient, productive
citizens.60 Services provided through the program include: academic support, transportation
assistance, cultural enrichment trips, life skills, and pre-employment training.
College and Career Academies (School districts throughout the county)
The college and career academies that are integrated into the majority of the school districts
in Contra Costa County blend core academics, career-technical education (CTE), real-world
experiences, and supportive relationships to produce civic-minded, college and career ready graduates
prepared for the competitive 21st Century global economy. College and Career Readiness, a new
focus of the California Common Core Standards (http://www.cde.ca.gov/re/cc/), is achieved
through well-implemented academy programs in which all academy students graduate with the
knowledge, skills, and behaviors necessary to succeed in college and career.
Community-Based Organizations
There are a number of community-based organizations in Contra Costa County that provide
services for youth and young adults in need of additional resources and supports to help them realize
educational and career success. A few of these include Lao Family Community Development (San
Pablo), New Horizons Career Center (Rodeo), Open Opportunities (Pittsburg), Opportunity
Junction (Antioch), Rubicon Programs (Richmond), Stride Center (San Pablo and Concord), and
STS Academy (Pittsburg).
Contra Costa Independent Living Skills Program (ILSP)
The Contra Costa ILSP provides services to youth in foster care between the ages of 16
through 19. The primary focus of the standard ILS program is to identify all eligible youth and
provide emancipation services with the goal of preparing them for responsible adulthood. Post-
emancipation services have recently been added to the program and include assistance with
education, employment, and housing services.
EASTBAY Works One-Stop Career Center Network
EASTBAY Works is a regional collaborative of the four East Bay workforce boards that helps
to build and enhance connections between a variety of partners in the East Bay region, including
organizations that provide services to youth and young adults.
East Bay Career Advancement Academies (EBCAA)
The EBCAA is a joint workforce development initiative led by the Contra Costa and Peralta
Community College Districts. The EBCAA provides short-term certificate programs of nine months
or less that offer both a certificate leading to employment and linkages to secondary certificates and
degree programs that offer a pathway into higher education. The program includes contextualized
basic skills instruction in math and English that are known to greatly increase completion and
retention. In addition, the program includes participation in supportive learning communities,
wraparound support that helps students stay engaged with their education, and a broad range of
supplemental supportive services. Examples of pathways based upon industry demand include:
Warehouse Operations, Logistics, Office Administration, Healthcare Career Gateway, Industrial
Maintenance, and Energy Efficiency Sales and Auditing.
Treasure Island Job Corps Center (Treasure Island, San Francisco)
The Treasure Island Job Corps Center supports the Job Corps program's mission of teaching
eligible young people, ages 16 through 24, the skills they need to become employable and
independent and placing them in meaningful jobs or further education.
60 For additional information, visit: http://www.ci.richmond.ca.us/index.aspx?nid=662.
Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County
Strategic Workforce Development Plan 2013-2017
Page 47 of 58 6. Administration 6. ADMINISTRATION
Effective administration provides an
essential foundation for the work of the
Workforce Development Board of Contra
Costa County, as described in the pages that
follow. A description of the principles of
practice for this dimension of the WDBs
work is found in Section (a). Section (b)
includes a description of the WDB
objectives and strategies in the area of
Administration. These are aligned with the
WDB Strategic Action Plan included in
Appendix B, which provides a complete
work plan, including objectives, strategies,
activities, timelines and indicators.
Items (c) through (s) of this section
address additional administration-related
areas identified by the California Workforce
Investment Board (CWIB), including:
support for the regional training and
education pipeline, engagement of
stakeholders and the public in plan
development, the local One-Stop system, accessibility of programs, support for small business,
resource development, oversight of training providers service for UI claimants, green job training,
integration of apprenticeships and the Job Corps though the One-Stop system, the process for
updating the local plan, and the implementation of integrated service delivery.
(a) WDB Administrative Principles of Practice
Principle No. 1: Provide leadership in convening a broad range of partners to facilitate the growth of the
regional economy and the development of a skilled workforce.
Over the past few years, the WDB has played a critical leadership role on workforce issues in
Contra Costa County and in the wider region. The WDB provides and/or supports convening and
networking functions that draw together a wide spectrum of partner organizations that contribute to
the health of the local economy and seeks to prepare residents for effective participation in the
workforce. These include local and regional businesses, economic development experts and
organizations, public agencies, education, labor, and community-based organizations.
The WDB has been a key partner and sponsor, with the East Bay Economic Development
Alliance (East Bay EDA), of an in-depth study of the regional economy, including the primary
regional economic drivers, businesses responsible for job creation, the regional workforce, the built
environment (infrastructure), and how the region can meet the future challenges it is likely to face.61
Released in October 2011, this report, entitled Building on our Assets: Economic Development and Job
Creation in the East Bay, garnered broad attention, from policymakers to the general public, and has
been a catalyst for multiple projects and initiatives that have been working to advance regional sector
strategies in East Bay. A follow-up report titled East Bay Assets: Special Workforce Report, also co-
sponsored by the WDB, includes more detailed information on sub-regions of the East Bay and was
61 “Building On Our Assets: Economic Development and Job Creation in the East Bay,” East Bay Economic
Development Alliance, October, 2011.
The WDB will provide leadership in convening
a broad range of partners to facilitate the growth
of the regional economy and the development of
a skilled workforce.
The WDB will realize three key objectives
related to Administration:
1.Support and strengthen administration,
management, and oversight roles and
responsibilities.
2.Create a high level of accountability for
results and strengthen program performance
and reporting.
3.Secure and expand resources that help to
support workforce and economic
development in Contra Costa County and
the greater region.
Administration At-A-Glance
Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County
Strategic Workforce Development Plan 2013-2017
Page 48 of 58 6. Administration released in May 2013. Similar to its predecessor, this publication is expected to further advance the
work that the WDB is doing with business, economic development, education, labor, community-
based organizations, and others to help support a vibrant business climate and a skilled workforce.
In addition to supporting this research and analysis, the WDB has had a primary role in a
number of other critical initiatives at the regional and sub-regional levels. In 2011, as part of the
statewide Regional Industry Clusters of Opportunity Grant initiative, the WDB helped to launch
the Diablo Innovation Alliance (DIA) (www.diabloinnovationalliance.org), an initiative designed to
promote the cluster of emerging clean energy and water technology companies in the greater East
Bay (defined as including Alameda, Contra Costa, and Solano counties). This effort, which is now
housed at and managed by the Contra Costa Economic Partnership, helped to raise the visibility of
many emerging businesses in these vital industry clusters and has since led to the awarding of a grant
to streamline the permitting process for rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) panels. A total of eight (8)
cities within Contra Costa County, as well as the county itself, have now adopted a common
application and approval process that helps to simplify, expedite, and lower the costs for contractors
to file applications for new residential and commercial PV installations.
Another example of the WDB’s leadership on workforce and business climate issues has been
its participation in the EC2 initiative (www.eastcontracosta.org), which seeks to help the East Contra
Costa sub-region to approach economic and workforce development from more of a regional (and
collaborative) perspective, rather than a siloed approach that pits individual cities against one
another. As one of the hardest hit areas of our county during the economic downturn, East Contra
Costa has correspondingly seen the slowest rebound in both the housing market and job growth
since the recovery has begun to take hold, requiring new and different ways of approaching
traditional problems. The WDB Executive Director served as the emcee at the first EC2 public event
in September 2012, which was attended by more than 150 people, including several local elected
officials. Since that time, the city councils in each of the four (4) cities that comprise East Contra
Costa, including Pittsburg, Antioch, Oakley, and Brentwood, have all passed resolutions supporting
the principles espoused by EC2 as it relates to economic and workforce development. The WDB
continues to play an active role in the work of EC2, which will hold a second summit event this fall.
In a related initiative, in February 2013, the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors
approved the “Northern Waterfront Economic Development Initiative,” which seeks to improve
maritime and land-based resources that can help to stimulate the development of vacant and
underused industrial lands. As an asset that once drove economic vitality and job creation in the
county and broader region, it is only logical that Contra Costa County once again look at this same
area to help revitalize the county’s economic base and create new businesses that offer high-quality
jobs for residents. In a nod to the WDB’s importance on these issues, Federal D. Glover, the current
Chair of the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors, consulted with the WDB as the northern
waterfront plan was being conceived and prepared, as he and the rest of the Contra Costa County
Board of Supervisors understand that a skilled workforce is an essential prerequisite for success in
attracting and growing new businesses.
Above and beyond these specific initiatives, the WDB has also been a leader in supporting
and aligning economic development efforts in Contra Costa County and the broader region. For the
past six years, the WDB has convened countywide meetings with staff from economic development
departments and chambers of commerce from its nineteen (19) cities and other influential local
organizations, as well as inviting representatives from state and regional organizations such as the
Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO Biz), the California Association for
Local Economic Development (CALED), and East Bay EDA. These meetings, which had a short
hiatus in the wake of the dissolution of redevelopment agencies, have been restarted in the past year
and provide an important connection point for the WDB to ensure that its One-Stop Career
Centers and other resources under its purview, such as the Contra Costa Small Business
Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County
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Page 49 of 58 6. Administration Development Center (SBDC), are more closely connected to business development efforts across the
county in real time. Establishing and supporting this network has enabled the WDB to position
itself as a viable resource when businesses are moving in and need to hire new workers, as well as
helping to assist in the less fortunate instances where companies may be downsizing or closing.
In helping to organize these countywide economic development network and meetings, one
of the WDB’s primary roles has been to help support strategies that break down barriers and support
a stronger regional framing of economic and workforce development issues. While the WDB is
proud of its success with the aforementioned initiatives, it also acknowledges the strong partnerships
it has with other influential organizations in the county and region. A few of these include the East
Bay Leadership Council (formerly the Contra Costa Council), the Contra Costa Economic
Partnership (a nonprofit on which the WDB Executive Director has a board seat), East Bay EDA,
and several other organizations, including the county’s other workforce board within the City of
Richmond. These partnerships ensure the WDB’s ability to fully leverage its resources and effectively
accomplish its work, and are significant in virtually every aspect of WDB activities. A list of key
initiatives and partnerships appears in Appendix A of this plan.
Principle No. 2: Engage in a continuous review of policies and practices that includes a high level of
accountability to stakeholders.
The WDB believes in the value of regular assessment of its work to ensure that it is using its
resources in the best possible way. Because the policies and practices of the organization directly
impact the capacity of the WDB to serve employers and job seekers in the region, accountability to
stakeholders is a key element of this principle. This is embodied in how the WDB communicates
and reports its results to the community, whether at its board and board committee meetings, other
public events, or on our website.
Principle No. 3: Provide frequent and easily accessible communication to the community regarding the
progress of the Workforce Development Board towards the goals of its Strategic Plan.
The WDB is deeply committed to providing the community with regular information
regarding its activities and progress towards its goals. This level of transparency enables the WDB to
effectively exercise its leadership role in economic and workforce development, by helping the
community fully understand its work, and enabling potential partners to identify shared goals and
values. With an electronic mailing list that contains more than 6,500 active subscribers and an active
social media presence, the WDB is already well-prepared to support this endeavor.
(b) Administration Objectives and Strategies
(1) Objective 6.1: Support and strengthen administration, management, and oversight roles
and responsibilities.
Strategy 6.1.1 Refine and update policies, procedures, and tools used to support needs and
requirements as a Local Workforce Investment Area (LWIA)
A primary component of this strategy will include an inventory by the WDB of its existing
policies and procedures, followed by archiving or updating them as required. The WDB will review
related best practices by other workforce boards for guidance on ways to improve its own work. As
an additional step in this area, we will also review operational oversight responsibilities in all major
areas, including fiscal, procurement, contracting, program monitoring, training provider
performance, and other required areas. Finally, we will review all funded programs and services
under the purview of the WDB to help maximize efficiency and effectiveness.
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Page 50 of 58 6. Administration (2) Objective 6.2: Create a high level of accountability for results and strengthen program
performance and reporting.
Strategy 6.2.1 Develop and publish reports of WDB investments on the WDB website and in
other venues.
A key step in strengthening performance and reporting in WDB investments will be to
define localized performance criteria and determine how data will be collected. In order to do this
more effectively, we will plan to refine our existing dashboard and key performance indicator (KPI)
reporting tools based upon stakeholder feedback and direction from California Workforce
Investment Board (CWIB) Issues & Policy Committee (IPC).
(3) Objective 6.3: Improve and expand the Workforce Development Board's communications
systems and networks.
Strategy 6.3.1: Develop and implement a communications plan.
To provide an understanding of what has been done in the past and what approaches have
been the most successful, the WDB will conduct a SWOT analysis of previous PR and marketing
efforts. The WDB will also seek the benefit of outside expertise by exploring different solutions for
obtaining communications, public relations, and other related assistance.
(4) Objective 6.4: Secure and expand resources that help to support workforce and economic
development in Contra Costa County and the greater region.
Strategy 6.4.1: Research and pursue targeted fund development opportunities focused on local
and regional economic and workforce development efforts.
As a key part of this strategy, the WDB will pursue alternative sources of grant funding,
including Employment Training Panel (ETP) funding, to support workforce training. The WDB is
also exploring forming a 501(c)3 organization to help diversify funding sources supporting the work
of the WDB. This would significantly expand the range of funders that we will be able to access.
The WDB will create collaborative projects that are eligible for grants and other funding
sources. The convening role played by the WDB provides an important platform for creating
collaborative partnerships that are able to seek grant funding for workforce development in priority
industry sectors. The Design it-Build it-Ship it initiative offers a prime example of a substantial
partnership coming together to obtain this kind of support.
(c) Supporting the Regional Training & Education Pipeline
The regional education and training pipeline is a key component of the WDB plan. The
WDB’s strategies will leverage the assets of both new and ongoing investments in the existing system
while also developing resources and partnerships in areas where gaps may exist. One of the most
significant recent investments in this regard has been the new $15 million regional Design it-Build
it-Ship it (DBS) initiative, one of two Trade Adjustment Act Community College Career Training
(TAACCCT) grants funded in California. This particular project has been a “game-changer” in
more ways than one, for in addition to training more than 2,000 people in high priority East Bay
industries over the next three (3) years, the grant is helping the region’s ten (10) community colleges,
five (5) workforce boards, and other partners (specifically K-12 and economic development) rethink
their approach to organizing, aligning, and delivering workforce training services that meet the needs
of industry. While still in a relatively early stage, initial results of this project are very promising: a
recent visit to the region by the Acting Secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor showcased a
graduate of a forklift operations warehouse training program who had been placed at a local
employer due to the additional support of the WDB’s on-the-job-training (OJT) program. As these
anecdotal successes are replicated, we expect to see data from this initiative validate the direction we
are taking in the East Bay to support the regional training and education pipeline.
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Page 51 of 58 6. Administration Related to the aforementioned example, the East Bay, and Contra Costa County in
particular, are very fortunate to have a number of high schools and school districts that are
supportive of career technical education (CTE) programs and more sweeping reforms such as those
that have been developed and promoted through Linked Learning. Two (2) school districts in
Contra Costa County (Antioch Unified and West Contra Costa Unified) were among the first six
districts in California to implement Linked Learning in their high schools, and since that time, other
districts have begun to join these efforts as well, particularly through some of the new AB 790
projects that are beginning to come online. As described in both the Adult Strategies and Youth
Strategies sections of this plan, the WDB has prioritized working with the education system at all
levels, from high school onward, to ensure that there is strong alignment of these programs with the
needs of businesses from the driving industry sectors in the county and region. This work is expected
to continue to move forward and evolve as the needs of business continue to change over time.
(d) Stakeholder Involvement
The WDB’s new five-year strategic plan has been developed through a highly transparent,
inclusive, and open process that incorporated a variety of processes, tools, and techniques that
enabled the active engagement of a large and diverse group of stakeholders. Some of the highlights of
this work include the following:62
• Online Survey. The WDB distributed an online survey to a contact list containing more
than 6,500 individual addresses in February of 2013. This list included a diverse range of
stakeholders, including business, economic development, education, labor, community-
based organizations, public agencies, elected officials, and others. A total of 348
recipients completed the survey questions; a summary of their responses is included in
Appendix D, with further detail provided on the WDB website. The respondents include
a broad representation of key economic and workforce development stakeholders,
including priority sector employers and organized labor.
• Key Informant Interviews: The WDB also conducted interviews with twenty-five (25)
key leaders from the priority business sectors, labor, education and training, community
based organizations, and local government. Responses to those interviews informed the
development of the plan in a variety of ways, and a list of key interviewees and a
summary of the results are included in Appendix E, with a more detailed report on the
WDB website.
• WDB Retreat: The planning process included a one-day retreat of the WDB
membership that drew upon the diverse experience and knowledge of the members to
identify strategies that effectively align with State goals. Information from the WDB
retreat is provided on the WDB website.
• One-Stop Involvement: WDB staff brought the plan elements forward to several other
stakeholder groups, including the Contra Costa One-Stop Consortium, which is charged
with providing technical assistance and resource support to our local One-Stop Career
Center system.
• Other Direct Stakeholder Involvement: Elements of the plan were also shared with the
East Bay Leadership Council, the Workforce Education Task Force, and at Workforce
Integration Network (WIN) meetings that were held in three (3) different sub-regions of
the county (WIN meetings include a wide range and large number of service provider
partners in our local workforce system).
62 Summaries of the results from all of the stakeholder involvement activities undertaken by the WDB in the
development of the Strategic Plan are available at http://www.wdbccc.com/about/strategic-plan.
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Page 52 of 58 6. Administration • Public WDB Committee Meetings: The WDB released various drafts of different
sections of this report as it was under development and discussed them at public
committee meetings between March and May 2013; as with all WDB committee
meetings, agendas and notes are posted on the WDB’s website, as are some of the other
documents used to help inform the development of this plan (e.g. summary of survey
results).
(e) Inviting Public Comment
The WDB has undertaken an extensive process for seeking public comment regarding the
development of the Local Plan. Three public meetings were held across the county in April 2013
to solicit responses regarding some of the key strategies that are proposed in the plan. The meetings
were widely publicized by the WDB and the Board of Supervisors. Each of the following meetings
started with a welcome from a member of the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors (BOS),
with two (2) BOS members attending the third meeting in Antioch.
• A meeting was held in the city of Martinez in the central portion of the county on April
18th, from 3:00 to 5:30 included forty-two (42) participants representing business,
education, labor, community-based organizations, and local government.
• A meeting was held in the city of Richmond in the western portion of county on
Tuesday, April 23rd, from 3:00 to 5:30, attended by fifty-seven (57) participants, who
also represented all of the stakeholder groups identified above. This meeting was
conducted in partnership with the City of Richmond’s Workforce Investment Board.
• A third meeting held in the city of Antioch on Thursday, April 25th, from 3:00 to 5:30,
was attended by fifty-two (52) participants, and included representation from all of the
stakeholder groups present at the other two meetings.
A summary of the key items from each of the meetings are included in Appendix C, and
more detailed information is available for viewing on the WDB website.
In addition to the public meetings, the proposed plan was made available to the public for
the required 30-day review period, from May 13 to June 12, 2013. The WDB authorized its
Executive Committee to approve the plan during its meeting on June 12, 2013, and the Contra
Costa County Board of Supervisors have final action on the plan during their June 25, 2013
meeting.
(f) Entity Responsible for Disbursement of Grant Funds
The Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County is housed inside of the Contra
Costa County Employment & Human Services Department (EHSD), the second largest department
within county government. The WDB procures services in accordance with all federal, state, and
local guidelines and requirements, and it relies on the EHSD to help administer and facilitate the
execution of grant awards and contracts to local service providers. The EHSD utilizes two methods
of procurement as prescribed by State law – the purchasing process and the contracting process. The
purchasing process is used to secure goods, equipment, capital items, office supplies and the like.
The contracting process is used to purchase services. In accordance with Contra Costa County
policies and procedures, procurements for services of $100,000 or more are subject to a Request for
Proposals (RFP) process, which also requires approval from the Board of Supervisors (BOS) before
being initiated. Procurements under the $100,000 level do not require BOS approval, but are still
subject to several checks and balances within the EHSD that ensure impartiality throughout the
bidding process, from solicitation to appeals to awards. To help maximize its reach to prospective
bidders, all RFPs and RFIs under the purview of the WDB are posted in local newspapers (both
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Page 53 of 58 6. Administration print and electronic versions) as well as on both the WDB website and Contra Costa County
websites (each of which has a separate URL).
(g) The Local One-Stop Career Center System
Within the Contra Costa Local Workforce Investment Area (LWIA), the WDB directly
oversees four One-Stop Career Centers, located in the cities of San Pablo (West County), Concord
(Central County) Antioch (East County), and Brentwood (Far East County). An additional One-
Stop in the City of Richmond is administered by the Richmond WIB. As a member of EASTBAY
Works, the WDB is connected to a network of 18 One-Stops throughout both Alameda and Contra
Costa Counties. There are also four (4) affiliate One-Stop Centers that have formal Memorandums
of Understanding (MOUs) with the WDB to offer job seeker and business services in isolated parts
of the county.
Contra Costa’s One-Stop Career Center system is nested within the County’s Employment
and Human Services Department (EHSD). The WDB is responsible for performance and regulatory
oversight of the One-Stop Career Center system, while the Contra Costa One-Stop Operator
Consortium, a consortium of mandated partners under the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) serves
in an advisory and capacity-building role for the One-Stops. The Consortium helps connect the
LWIA’s One-Stops with direct partner services such as CalWORKs, the Community Colleges, Adult
Education, and others. Many of the Consortium partners also have staff assigned to work at our
One-Stops. During the 2012-2013 fiscal year, the Contra Costa One-Stop Career Center system will
enroll nearly 600 job seekers into WIA; more than 31,000 new customers will use a One-Stop for
the first time, and we will have more than 100,000 visits from self-service customers. The LWIA’s
One-Stop system has consistently exceeded the WIA common measures, and other indicators of
success (wage rates, training investments, and training-related placements) are among those that are
used to evaluate the effectiveness of the local system. As a current user of Geographic Solutions’
Virtual One-Stop (VOS) database, the Contra Costa LWIA is well-positioned to synchronize with
the State of California’s recent conversion of its CalJOBS system when ready.
Operationally, the Contra Costa LWIA’s One-Stop Career Centers provide the following
services to job seekers and businesses:
Universal Services – Each One-Stop has between 25 and 45 computers in the resource
rooms available for universal customers. Additionally, there are updated job postings and resource
binders throughout the site to complement our suite of online services.
Assessment – Each of the four One-Stops has an assessment center with a total of eighty (80)
computers. These centers are used for assessment and training with the bulk of assessments related to
core academic skills needed for the workplace (WorkKeys®), with other instruments for career
interest, etc., also deployed with some frequency. Our goal in the coming months and years is to
increase usage of WorkKeys® for job seekers at the One-Stops, within the colleges and increase the
recognition of WorkKeys® by businesses. Each year, the One-Stops help to assess nearly 1,000 job
seekers.
Skills Workshops – Each of the One-Stops offers a multitude of workshops available to
universal and WIA job seekers. These workshops are taught by One-Stop or partner staff; we also
have an emerging relationship with the local chapter of the American Society for Training &
Development (ASTD) whereby they will offer some skill-building workshops in the One-Stops later
this year (and prospectively longer). These kinds of offerings support our efforts to continue to move
towards more cost-effective and impactful group learning and development strategies.
Training – The majority of training for job seekers in our LWIA is provided through three
different modalities: (1) through contracted providers via the Eligible Training Provider List
(ETPL); (2) through On-the-Job Training; and (3) through on-line (Internet-based) learning. Most
of the job seekers enrolled in WIA receive training of some type. Additionally, we have been
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Strategic Workforce Development Plan 2013-2017
Page 54 of 58 6. Administration promoting our online learning vouchers by making them available through our affiliate sites and our
mandated partners, thereby helping to expand the way in which training is offered to job seekers.
Performance – The Contra Costa County One-Stops are busy thriving places attracting job
seekers from across the county. We exceed our negotiated goals for each of the common measures
and are proud to offer a high level of diverse services in partnership with other workforce agencies
and educational institutions.
Additional information about the One-Stop Career Centers is included in Attachment 8.
(h) Certification of One-Stop Operators
The four (4) One-Stop Career Centers in the Contra Costa LWIA are supported by a
consortium comprised of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) mandated partners offering services
in our local area known as the Contra Costa One-Stop Operator Consortium (Consortium). The
Consortium meets regularly to strategize and problem-solve issues related to the operation and
delivery of services through the One-Stops including maximizing the leveraging of staff and
resources. The WDB updated its master Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with each of the
WIA-mandated partners, which is attached to this plan as required (Attachment #9). The oversight
responsibility of our One-Stop Career Centers occurs through the WDB’s Policy, Performance, and
Program (P3) Committee, which reviews system performance at least quarterly. As the Contra Costa
LWIA has met or exceeded all of the WIA common measures for each of the past several fiscal years,
the WDB and WDB P3 committee have made an intentional effort to expand the metrics by which
our One-Stop Career Center system is evaluated, including measures such as wage levels, placement
of job seekers into training-related employment, funds leveraged to support training of job seekers,
number(s) and type(s) of businesses served, and a number of other important indicators.
(i) Accessibility of Services
The WDB works hard to ensure that training and other services available through our One-
Stops and any contracted service providers are accessible to people with barriers to employment. At
the most basic level, all of our One-Stop Career Center locations are compliant with the Americans
with Disabilities Act (ADA), and there are several resources – both human and physical – that are
available to help serve people with disabilities who need to access our system. For example, the
California Department of Rehabilitation provided training to all One-Stop staff in February 2013
on how to best work with people with disabilities. We also have strong relationships with our
mandated partners who support our work to ensure that the full range of employment and training
services in our system meet the needs of our diverse job seekers. Our Wagner-Peyser Act partners
from the Employment Development Department (EDD) Workforce Services Branch, with whom
we are co-located, provide strong veteran services and we co-enroll whenever possible. The California
Human Development Corporation supports our migrant worker population and they have an office
in our Brentwood One-Stop in far East Contra Costa County. Similarly CalWORKs staff members
provide some job club/job search classes at the One-Stops to introduce people to the system and
support cross referral and co-enrollment (this is especially true at our One-Stop in Antioch, which is
co-located in the largest and busiest social services building in Contra Costa County).
The Contra Costa LWIA’s customer profile and WIA enrollment demographics indicate that
it is doing well with serving populations in need of the kinds of services that it offers through its
One-Stops.
(j) Supporting Small Business Creation
One of the unique advantages that the WDB has compared to most local workforce boards is
that it is the host to the local Small Business Development Center (SBDC). The WDB has hosted
the Contra Costa SBDC for more than fifteen (15) years, serving as a key provider of services to
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Strategic Workforce Development Plan 2013-2017
Page 55 of 58 6. Administration both aspiring entrepreneurs as well as in-business entities across Contra Costa County. This has
helped lead the WDB to develop an interactive, web-based small business resource map that its on
the WDB website and several other economic development and city websites across the county and
region. The Contra Costa SBDC has offered some of its workshops at the local One-Stop Career
Centers, including an introductory workshop entitled “Is Self-Employment Right for You?” to target
displaced job seekers who may be thinking about career transitions in a new way. This workshop has
been among our most popular offerings and has helped to both encourage (as well as dissuade)
individuals from considering self-employment/business ownership as a viable next step in their career
development.
In addition to working on self-employment and entrepreneurship, the SBDC has helped
small businesses with a few key strategic issues, including accessing capital, expanding markets (with
a particular emphasis on exports), competing for procurements, sustainable business products and
services, and helping to accelerate the growth and development of new technologies. In the course of
doing this work, the SBDC also helps direct businesses that are growing and/or expanding and have
a need for new workers to utilize the local One-Stop Career Center system as a go-to place for
human capital. Recent efforts to strengthen this referral pipeline are paying off, as “warm” handoffs
from the SBDC Advisors to our local One-Stops are becoming more frequent, creating a win-win
situation for everyone, from business owners to job seekers to the taxpayers that support these
programs and services.
(k) Strategies to Ensure Sufficient Resources for Training in Priority Sectors
The WDB and the WDB’s P3 committee are charged with monitoring investments in
training on an ongoing basis. Data on training investments is rolled up into a quarterly “Key
Performance Indicator” (KPI) report, some elements of which are also transcribed onto a WDB
“dashboard” report that is also issued quarterly. At the present and in the recent past, the majority of
the WDB’s investments in training happen through the Individual Training Account (ITA) process,
which, although not explicitly tied to sector strategies at this point in time, are largely spent on
training for health-related jobs (either allied health or healthcare administration) or other support
(office-related) occupations, with a measurable percentage also going to an important regional sector
(transportation). With the WDB having recently renewed its commitment to a sector-based
approach to workforce development by identifying four (4) primary sectors in our regional economy
for additional investment (advanced manufacturing, energy, health & life sciences, and information
communications technology/digital media), the WDB’s P3 committee expects to be taking a closer
look at policy development and investment priorities for WIA funds and other funds the WDB
might leverage to help train job seekers in our area.
From a transparency perspective, to ensure that training resources are being spent
appropriately to support training in priority sectors, the WDB will engage in a continuing
assessment of data regarding the size and growth of workforce opportunities in particular industry
sectors. The WDB will also maintain a current database on the number of participants in training
programs throughout the county. The WDB will make this information available to training
providers on a regular basis to inform their use of training resources. In the case of sectors where
there is a clear shortage of resources, the WDB will pursue a broad range of sources to bring
additional funds into the region.
(l) Braiding & Leveraging Other Federal, State, and Local Resources
As the amount of WIA funding available to local boards has continued to decline, the WDB
has made it a key priority to use WIA funds as a means for accessing additional funding from a range
of other sources. The WDB has a strong track record of leveraging and braiding funding from a
diverse array of sources to increase the impact of WIA funding in Contra Costa County and the
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Strategic Workforce Development Plan 2013-2017
Page 56 of 58 6. Administration greater region. The WDB has been an active partner in the Design it-Build it-Ship it (DBS)
program, which is funded by nearly $15 million from a Trade Adjustment Act Community College
Career Training (TAACCCT) grant. The DBS initiative is being operated by the local community
college district in partnership with, K-12 education, labor and local business to support training and
economic development in manufacturing, transportation and logistics, and engineering-related
occupations. As exciting as the DBS project is, these kinds of partnerships are not new to the WDB,
which was also a partner in a Community Based Job Training Grant program operated by Los
Medanos Community College to train Process Operators/Process Technicians to work at local
refineries and petrochemical companies.
The WDB will pursue foundation funding as another means of increasing resources for
workforce development in the region. The WDB has successfully obtained funding from Chevron to
support the work of the Small Business Development Center in providing training and technical
assistance to small business. It has also been working with the Contra Costa Building Trades
Council and the City of Pittsburg, along with other partners, to help fund and operate a new pre-
apprenticeship training program known as Future Build. These kinds of partnerships are expected to
increasingly become the norm. As we look ahead, the WDB can play a unique role in linking
together businesses, education, economic development, community-based organizations, labor,
employer associations, and public sector agencies into an integrated network where all members can
share ideas and participate in joint programs.
(m) ETPL Training Provider Oversight and Quality Improvement
The WDB currently works in partnership in a joint contract with its neighboring workforce
boards in Alameda County, the City of Oakland, and the City of Richmond to evaluate and monitor
its training providers to ensure that they are meeting local workforce and employer needs and are
continually improving their outcomes. Each year, the WDB runs a report with the following data to
determine the effectiveness of training providers in the area of participant outcomes:
• Completion rate;
• Employment rate in related occupation at one year;
• Percentage of individuals who obtain unsubsidized employment;
• Wages at placement in employment;
• Retention rate in unsubsidized employment at six months following employment;
• Wages at six months after employment;
• Rate of licensure; and
• Cost per participant.
When a provider is not performing at an acceptable level in a particular area, based upon
trainee performance measures or participant and employer evaluations, the WDB will work
individually with that provider to identify the cause and develop a plan for improvement.
The WDB will also look to conduct surveys and interviews with participants to determine
their satisfaction with each of the providers it works with. This will provide additional information
on the extent to which an ETPL trainer is meeting the needs of trainees.
Finally, the WDB will survey employers to learn about the preparation of individuals who
were trained by a specific trainer. This will provide another source of data regarding the effectiveness
of providers in preparing workers for jobs in their chosen field.
(n) Serving UI Claimants and TAA recipients
Regional Wagner-Peyser (EDD) staff members are based at each of the One-Stop Career
Centers, and provide regular workshops for UI claimants and TAA service recipients.
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Strategic Workforce Development Plan 2013-2017
Page 57 of 58 6. Administration Unemployment insurance workshops are provided on a weekly basis, along with the opportunity for
claimants to meet individually with staff from EDD. WIA and EDD One-Stop staff members have
regular quarterly meetings to ensure that they are working together strategically to serve UI and TAA
recipients. Where permissible (and in turn, possible), staff from both EDD and WIA sides of the
One-Stops share participant data and other relevant information to help support not only
information-sharing, but also to leverage service delivery and resource supports to job seekers. WIA
and EDD staff members also help support each other when conducting participant outreach,
promoting specific service options in the One-Stops, and helping to provide placement services.
(o) Preparing Workers for Green Jobs
The WDB has been pleased that its efforts to support the preparation of the workforce for
“green jobs” has come primarily through aligning with the building trades to teach important
fundamental skills. Indeed, the WDB-sponsored Future Build program, which provides pre-
apprenticeship construction training in partnership with the Contra Costa County Building Trades
Council and the City of Pittsburg, provides an important vehicle for these and other types of federal
funding related to activities such as green construction, energy and water efficiency, alternative
energy, and hazardous waste remediation.
Looking ahead, the WDB will seek out opportunities that enable workers to prepare for
green jobs through the support of federal funds.63 Recent examples of these opportunities include
Environmental Workforce Development Job Training Grants through the Environmental
Protection Agency, YouthBuild grant funding from the Department of Labor, and California Clean
Energy Workforce Training Program (CEWTP) grants provided by the EDD through Recovery Act
funding. It is anticipated that as the construction industry continues to recover from the economic
downturn that the number of green opportunities within that industry will grow substantially.
The WDB will also work through its Small Business Development Center (SBDC) to
provide training to small business owners and entrepreneurs who want to develop a green business or
want their business to be environmentally responsible. The SBDC will use Employment Training
Panel and other federal dollars to support training for small business owners in these areas. Related
to this, green business is anticipated to grow among spin-off businesses tied to the work that will be
taking place at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) Richmond Bay campus, located
in the western portion of the county. LBNL will be investing heavily in research on biofuels, and it is
expected that this work will lead to the creation of businesses designed to take advantage of research
findings. Activity in this area focuses on the energy sector, identified as a priority sector for the
WDB for training and collaboration.
(p) Policies in Place for Integrating Federal and/or State Registered Apprenticeship
Programs and the Job Corps in the Local One-Stop System
The WDB is committed to working closely with education to prepare students with barriers
to career and education for apprenticeship in construction trades and has been an active partner in
pre-apprenticeship programs throughout our diverse county.
The WDB participates in the advisory council for the Diablo Valley College (DVC) Pre-
Apprenticeship Program, an intensive 18-week program that simulates the rigor of the workplace
and prepares students for a successful career in the trades. Outreach and recruitment is supported
through our One-Stops and local WIA youth contractors and WIA enrollment is encouraged. The
63 As defined by a 2009 California State Survey cited by the LMID, green jobs include the following five
categories: 1) Generating and storing renewable energy; 2) Recycling existing materials; 3) Energy efficient product
manufacturing, distribution construction, installation, and maintenance; 4) Education, compliance, and awareness; and
5) Natural and sustainable product manufacturing.
Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County
Strategic Workforce Development Plan 2013-2017
Page 58 of 58 6. Administration WDB and DVC have established strong relationships with local apprenticeship programs that sit on
the advisory council, participate in curriculum development, provide guest speakers, and offer field
trips to their training facilities. DVC has several direct entry agreements with local apprenticeships:
Laborers Funds Administrative Office of Northern California, Inc. (NorCal Laborers) and the
Carpenters Training Committee for Northern California and internship agreements with East Bay
Municipal Utility District for summer plumbing internships.
The WDB has played an active role in developing and funding the Future Build pre-
apprenticeship program in Pittsburg in East Contra Costa County with a 100% WIA co-enrollment
and is a strong supporter of the Richmond BUILD pre-apprenticeship program in West Contra
Costa County. Both programs operate similar to the DVC program and provide an intensive,
rigorous and relevant training experience with the engagement and collaboration of local
apprenticeship programs that offer entry opportunities to qualified graduates.
The WDB youth council and WIA youth contractors support a comprehensive local youth
serving system and are committed to making active referrals to ensure a “no-wrong door approach.”
WIA youth contractors work collaboratively with a variety of local youth programs including Job
Corp ensuring appropriate referrals and WIA co-enrollment.
(q) Bylaws
The WDB bylaws are included as Attachment 11.
(r) Process for Updating the Local Plan
The WDB Strategic Workforce Development Plan is designed to be a living document that
provides continuing guidance for the work of the Board. On a quarterly basis, the WDB, its
committees, and WDB staff will review the strategies, goals and objectives in the areas that they are
responsible for, to assess progress towards achieving the goals and objectives in the plan. Should the
actual outcomes fall short of those envisioned in the plan, the aforementioned groups will conduct
an analysis to determine what adjustments need to be made in the outcomes or the implementation
in order to improve the likelihood of success.
In addition to the review of proposed outcomes, information in the plan regarding the
regional economy and workforce will be reviewed on at least a bi-annual basis by WDB committees
and staff to determine whether new data or information is available. The rapidly changing economy
requires flexibility and the development of new strategies as changes in dominant economic sectors,
government legislation, and the character of the workforce need to be taken into account in the
planning process. When new data becomes available, both the WDB members and staff will
determine what kinds of adjustments will need to be made in the plan’s articulated strategies to
account for this new information.
(s) Integrated Service Delivery (ISD)
At this point in time, the WDB has yet to adopt the ISD model inside of our LWIA.
However, despite our not having been one of the implementing LWIAs for ISD, we have been eager
to borrow from some of the best and most effective practices of that model, with a particular
emphasis on the following: sharing staff resources; enhancing initial assessment activities; conducting
a greater degree of work with job seekers using group processes and activities; and coordinating
employer resources, including any “on-site” events conducted by businesses at our One-Stop
locations; and other activities.
With the new CalJOBS system now in operation, there would appear to be greater
opportunities into the future for the Contra Costa LWIA to work with its EDD partner to move
towards operating an ISD model. This is something that the WDB, its committees, and the WDB
staff will continue to monitor and consider for implementation as the user environment in which we
operate becomes more streamlined and efficient.
Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County
Strategic Workforce Development Plan 2013-2017 – Appendix A
Page 1 of 2 Appendix A: Key Initiatives and Partnerships Initiative/Partnership Primary Purpose Key WDB Partners
East Bay Leadership Council
Workforce Development Education
Task Force
Workforce
Development
• East Bay Leadership Council
• California State University – East Bay
• Private 4-year colleges: St. Mary’s, JFK University
• Contra Costa Community College District
• Contra Costa County Office of Education
• Contra Costa County Adult Education network
• Mount Diablo Unified School District
• America’s Edge
• Community-Based Organizations and others
East Bay Workforce Intermediary Workforce
Development
• Workforce Investment Boards (WIBs): Alameda County, City
of Oakland, City of Richmond
• Design-It! Build It! Ship It! (DBS) collaborative of regional
Community College districts (Chabot-Las Positas, Contra
Costa, Peralta, Solano, Ohlone)
• Career Ladders Project
• Contra Costa Economic Partnership
• East Bay Economic Development Alliance (East Bay EDA)
Pre-Apprenticeship Programs Workforce
Development
• Contra Costa County Building Trades Council
• City of Pittsburg
• Richmond BUILD
Community Corrections Partnership
(CCP) – AB 109
Re-entry Services • Contra Costa County Probation Department, Contra Costa
County Sheriff , Contra Costa County Health Services
Department, Contra Costa County District Attorney, Contra
Costa County Public Defender, Contra Costa County –
County Administrator
• Contra Costa County Employment & Human Services Dept
• Zero Tolerance Domestic Violence (ZTDV)
• AB 109 funded partners – reentry/reemployment services
Linked Learning & AB 790 programs Education • Antioch Unified School District, Mount Diablo Unified
School District, West Contra Costa Unified School District
Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County
Strategic Workforce Development Plan 2013-2017 – Appendix A
Page 2 of 2 Appendix A: Key Initiatives and Partnerships Initiative/Partnership Primary Purpose Key WDB Partners
East Contra Costa (EC2) Economic
Development – East
Contra Costa County
• East Contra Costa Cities: City of Antioch, City of Brentwood,
City of Oakley, City of Pittsburg
• Contra Costa County (Supervisor Federal Glover &
Supervisor Mary Piepho)
• East Contra Costa local Chambers of Commerce
East Bay Economic Development
Alliance (East Bay EDA) Economic
Development Directors
Economic
Development – East
Bay region
• Alameda County cities (multiple)
• Contra Costa County cities (multiple)
• Alameda County Small Business Development Center
• Contra Costa Small Business Development Center
Northern Waterfront Initiative Economic
Development –
Contra Costa County
• Supervisor Federal Glover
• Contra Costa County cities (multiple)
• Contra Costa County Department of Conservation &
Development
Contra Costa CAN Business
Development
• Contra Costa Small Business Development Center
• West County Business Development Center
• Opportunity Fund
• California Association of Microenterprise Opportunities
(CAMEO)
• Financial Institutions (banks, bank foundations)
Key Organizational Partnerships (not included above)
Organization Primary Purpose Area(s) of Focus
Industrial Association of Contra Costa County Business Development • Energy, Manufacturing, and Heavy
Industry
East Bay Leadership Council Small Business Task Force Business Development • Small Business
Local & Regional Chambers of Commerce (including
Hispanic & Black Chambers)
Business Development • Supporting local businesses in cities across
Contra Costa County
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Action Step 3.1.1.1: Continuously collect and analyze data on the
local and regional economy, and share with city economic
planning and development directors to fine-tune business
engagement efforts.
WDB staff, economic development staff from cities and
regional organizations
Action Step 3.1.1.2: Increase outreach to priority sector businesses
with regional partners regarding their needs.
Business Services staff from East Bay
intermediary partners
Action Step 3.1.1.3: Conduct surveys and interviews with
businesses in targeted sectors.
Business Services staff from East Bay
intermediary partners
Action Step 3.1.2.1: Analyze local economic data to determine
the kinds of jobs that businesses are having the greatest difficulty
filling, particularly in targeted sectors.
Business Services staff from East Bay
intermediary partners
Action Step 3.1.2.2: Organize groups of businesses from similar
industries and/or with similar workforce needs.
Business Services staff from East Bay
intermediary partners
Action Step 3.1.3.1: Develop cohort-based training programs
based upon demand in high-priority sectors.
WDB staff, training partner(s) providing cohort-
based training
Action Step 3.1.3.2: Leverage ETP and SBA funding to assist local
businesses in training existing employees.WDB staff, SBDC staff, others TBD
Action Step 3.1.3.3: Use above model to expand opportunities
for demand-driven training in the region.
WDB staff, SBDC staff, East Bay Intermediary
partners
Action Step 3.1.4.1: Work with public and private economic
development organizations at the local and regional level to align
resources, strategies, and tools to meet the needs of new and
relocating businesses.
WDB board members, WDB staff, SBDC staff
Action Step 3.1.4.2: Expand private sector partner network to
include developers, commercial real estate brokers, lenders, and
other entities that can help support local business development.
WDB board members, WDB staff, SBDC staff
Objective #3.1: Work with key partners to enhance our capacity and speed to analyze and understand economic and labor market trends and respond to the needs of businesses in the region.
Strategy #3.1.1: Determine local area/regional employer needs through labor market analysis and direct business engagement strategies, including surveys and interviews.
Strategy #3.1.2: Identify high priority occupations/positions for which local businesses have difficulty finding qualified candidates.
Strategy #3.1.3: Identify, design, and implement training and educational opportunities that can close workforce skills gaps and enhance the competitiveness of business.
Enhanced intelligence around economic and labor
market trends; deeper awareness of business
activities within local cities and the region;
expanded and enhanced relationships with
businesses in targeted industry sectors
Regularly updated list of high-priority occupations
for each industry sector; enhanced data on priority
sector business needs; expanded business networks
Business Services
Goal: Meet the workforce needs of high demand sectors of the local and regional economies.
Objectives/Strategies/Action Steps
PY 2013
Responsible Indicators & Outcomes
Number of people completing training and
securing/retaining training-related employment;
number of jobs created or retained; funds
leveraged for worker training; model developed
for scaling/expanding training for existing workers
New business starts, relocations of businesses to
Contra Costa County; SBDC client profile and
services accessed; SBDC economic impact
measures (jobs created, retained, capital access
levels, etc.)
Strategy #3.1.4: Strengthen linkages with business-serving organizations to expedite access to resources and services beyond workforce development.
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Business Services
Goal: Meet the workforce needs of high demand sectors of the local and regional economies.
Objectives/Strategies/Action Steps
PY 2013
Responsible Indicators & Outcomes
Action Step 3.2.1.1: Continue to provide access to a wide range
of services to businesses through the One-Stop system, including
matching job seekers to employer needs, and providing labor
market and job outlook information to assist with planning.
Business Services staff from East Bay
intermediary partners
Action Step 3.2.1.2: Convene geographically-based interagency
coalitions as forums in which to share business intelligence.
Business Services staff from East Bay
intermediary partners, staff from local
education and community-based organizations
Action Step 3.2.1.3: Provide small business support through the
SBDC in alignment with local workforce system needs.SBDC staff
Action Step 3.2.1.4: Assist businesses in accessing the resources of
the Pittsburg-Bay Point Enterprise Zone and similar economic
incentives.
WDB staff, EZ Administrator, state & local
government agency staff
Action Step 3.2.2.1: Continue to play a lead role in the DBS
initiative through assessment of industry needs; support of an
intermediary to link, align and leverage resources; and outreach,
recruitment, co-enrollment and support and placement for
participants.
WDB staff, community college staff, economic
development staff from key local and regional
organizations
Action Step 3.2.2.2: Prioritize training around knowledge and
skills identified by local and regional businesses as most
important.
WDB staff, East Bay Intermediary partners
Action Step 3.2.2.3: Work with business and education to identify
effective training organizations and resources.
Business Services staff from East Bay
intermediary partners; business associations &
individual businesses
Action Step 3.2.4.4: Provide leadership to the East Bay
Biomedical Manufacturing Network by supporting cluster and
intermediary development, convening and connecting industry
employers to technology, and providing technical assistance and
workforce components.
East Bay Biomedical Manufacturing Network
Partners: WDB, UC Berkeley, Laney College,
Manex, SBDC Tech Futures Group.
Action Step 3.2.3.1: Strengthen linkages between community
college educational opportunities and the FutureBuild pre-
apprenticeship construction training program.
WDB staff, Future Build program staff,
community college staff, apprenticeship
programs, labor organizations
Action Step 3.2.3.2: Leverage WDB member involvement with
apprenticeship programs to place job seekers in programs and
ensure that curricula are relevant to job opportunities.
WDB board and staff, community college
faculty & staff, apprenticeship programs,
labor organizations
Strategy #3.2.3: Foster collaboration between community colleges and DIR-DAS approved apprenticeship programs for planned use of WIA Title I funds.
Number of participants entering into
apprenticeship programs; number of participants
placed into training-related employment; earnings
and retention rates; number of agreements with
signatory unions for direct entry from pre-
apprenticeship programs
Number of businesses using One-Stops for hiring
events; number of people hired; types of jobs
hired and wages; increased alignment of public
and private resources for business development;
reduced duplication of services from different
partners; SBDC client profile and economic impact
measures (jobs created, retained, capital access
levels, etc.); use of economic incentives (hiring tax
credits, etc.) by businesses
Number of participants enrolling and completing
DBS-funded classes; participant placement and
wage data; new and/or redesigned training
programs with stronger industry partnerships and
placement; inventory of training providers and
resources supported/utilized by local business;
developed process for understanding workforce
requirements for rapidly evolving industries;
increased capacity to map skill requirements to
specific industries & occupations
Strategy #3.2.2: Collaborate with industry and education partners to develop solutions for workers to acquire essential skills for employment in high-growth, high-demand industries and occupations.
Objective #3.2: Improve systems and networks that bring together industry and education partners to address key workforce needs in priority sectors.
Strategy #3.2.1: Integrate business services (including WPA) within the One-Stop system.
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Business Services
Goal: Meet the workforce needs of high demand sectors of the local and regional economies.
Objectives/Strategies/Action Steps
PY 2013
Responsible Indicators & Outcomes
Action Step 3.3.1.1: Cross-train business services staff on all WDB
and SBDC funded activities and initiatives and provide a forum
for regular information-sharing and updates.
Business Services staff from East Bay
intermediary partners
Action Step 3.3.1.2: Strengthen relationships and communication
with priority sector employers to ensure that job training
strategies are directly relevant to their needs.
Business Services staff from East Bay
intermediary partners
Action Step 3.3.2.3: Work proactively with cities and other entities
to leverage local government resources for layoff prevention.WDB staff, SBDC staff, Rapid Response team
Action Step 3.3.2.2: Build a proactive layoff aversion strategy
that includes broad partnerships, data collection and analysis,
early warning systems and education of staff on layoff
prevention options.
WDB staff, SBDC staff, Rapid Response team
Action Step 3.3.2.3: Profile and inventory skill sets for workers
threatened by layoffs.One-Stop staff; Rapid Response team
Action Step 3.3.2.5: Provide assessments, transition training and
access to One-Stop and other services to provide rapid transition
to new employment for laid off workers.
One-Stop staff; education partners, and other
partners providing reemployment services
Advance notices of business layoffs or closures
from city staff; other advance notices of layoff
events; local workforce system well-prepared to
mobilize and respond to business needs, including
possible downsizing; increased agility to match
workers whose jobs are threatened with other
labor market opportunities; expedited processes
and systems to help recently displaced workers
find new employment
Coherent, concise, comprehensive, and aligned
messaging around totality of business services
offered by local workforce system partners;
enhanced relationships with businesses that lead to
increased utilization of local workforce system for
human capital and other needs
Objective #3.3: Work with WDB partners to develop an array of innovative workforce services supports.
Strategy #3.3.1: Partner with business to implement customized job training strategies and business support services, including on-the-job-training (OJT), with a focus on employers from high-priority industry sectors and
occupations.
Strategy #3.3.2: Develop a proactive Rapid Response system that supports workers and businesses, including those covered by the Trade Adjustment Act (TAA).
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Business Services
Goal: Meet the workforce needs of high demand sectors of the local and regional economies.
Objectives/Strategies/Action Steps
PY 2013
Responsible Indicators & Outcomes
Action Step 3.4.1.1: Work with primary regional partners
(community colleges, economic development, education, other
regional workforce boards, etc.) to identify regional needs and
priorities.
East Bay Workforce Intermediary Partners
(regional workforce boards, community
colleges, economic development, and other
stakeholders)
Action Step 3.4.1.2: Identify key actions and deliverables for
businesses in driving industry sectors.
East Bay Workforce Intermediary Partners
(regional workforce boards, community
colleges, economic development, and other
stakeholders)
Action Step 3.4.1.3: Convene geographically-based networks of
economic development, education, labor, community-based
organizations, and other providers to enhance alignment of
efforts to prepare workers for high-demand jobs.
East Bay Workforce Intermediary Partners
(regional workforce boards, community
colleges, economic development, and other
stakeholders)
Action Step 3.4.1.4: Inventory available human and financial
resources to map capacity to complete required work.
East Bay Workforce Intermediary Partners
(regional workforce boards, community
colleges, economic development, and other
stakeholders)
Action Step 3.4.1.5: Enhance local forecasting and reporting tools
to provide real-time economic and labor market information
(including skill gap information) to businesses, job seekers, and
workers.
East Bay Workforce Intermediary Partners
(regional workforce boards, community
colleges, economic development, and other
stakeholders)
Action Step 3.4.1.6: Convene meetings with key stakeholders to
monitor economic activity across the county and region.
East Bay Workforce Intermediary Partners
(regional workforce boards, community
colleges, economic development, and other
stakeholders)
Action Step 3.4.2.1: Convene Workforce Integration Network
(WIN) meetings of economic development, education, labor,
community-based organizations, and other service providers to
facilitate and enhance communication and resource alignments.
WDB staff, One-Stop staff
Action Step 3.4.2.2: Work with local chambers and municipal
economic development staff to leverage resources and networks
around priority areas.
WDB staff, SBDC staff, One-Stop staff
Action Step 3.4.3.1: Identify specific metrics with East Bay
workforce intermediary to measure and communicate success.
East Bay Workforce Intermediary Partners
(regional workforce boards, community
colleges, economic development, and other
stakeholders)
Action Step 3.4.3.2: Actively communicate and report progress
against metrics on a regular basis to all constituents.WDB, WDB Executive Committee, WDB staff
Coordinated workforce and economic development
priorities and networks aligned around common
local, regional & sub regional priorities
Establishment of a "collective impact" framework
that measures collective investments against
community outcomes, while also enabling "drill-
down" reports for specific programs and initiatives
Strategy 3.4.1: Work with key partners to organize and develop an East Bay workforce intermediary network to more effectively link, align, and leverage funding and other resources that meet the needs of businesses in the
region.
Objective #3.4: Support the development and evolution of regional workforce and economic development networks in California’s regions to address workforce education and training priorities.
Strategy 3.4.2: Organize sub-regional networks that align with regional needs and priorities.
Strategy 3.4.3: Explore and promote the establishment of shared measures of workforce and economic development success.
Increased alignment of workforce boards,
community colleges, and other resource providers
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Action Step 4.1.1.1: Continually update economic and workforce
data to inform the regional workforce network and job seekers
about economic and labor market trends.
WDB staff; core staff from primary regional
economic development and education partners
Action Step 4.1.1.2: Continue to lead the East Bay Biomedical
Manufacturing Network to gain advance knowledge of skill
requirements for high-priority occupations in biomedical industries;
use model as an action research project for other industries.
East Bay Biomedical Manufacturing Network
Partners: WDB, UC Berkeley, Laney College,
Manex, SBDC Tech Futures Group.
Action Step 4.1.2.1: Continue to expand and enhance partnership
with community colleges in the region, including engagement with
the Bay Area Community College Consortium (BACCC).
WDB staff with primary responsibility for
adult worker services and job seeker policy
development
Action Step 4.1.2.2: Partner with cities and municipalities to
support businesses and industry sectors that offer viable career
pathway opportunities for residents.
WDB staff with primary responsibility for
business services engagement
Action Step 4.1.2.3: Partner with K-12 and adult education to
increase worker pipeline and deepen community and business
engagement with career pathway activities.
WDB staff with primary responsibility for
adult and youth services, business services and
business and job seeker policy development
Action Step 4.1.2.4: Participate in task forces and work groups
that foster communication and collaboration among education
providers and businesses.
WDB staff
Action Step 4.1.3.1: Offer short-term skill-building programs at
One-Stop sites for groups of occupations that can be linked into
longer-term pathways and jobs.
One-Stop staff; education partners, and other
partners providing services at One-Stops
Action Step 4.1.3.2: Expand the use of online and video training
to increase the range of opportunities for adult learners who have
challenges with transportation to in-person training
One-Stop staff; education partners, and other
partners providing services at One-Stops
Action Step 4.1.3.3: Collaborate with community colleges to
develop offerings that are accessible to people who are already
employed.
WDB staff, One-Stop staff, Community
College partner staff
Action Step 4.1.3.4: Work with public education partners to help
them develop career pathway programs that encourage
WDB/One-Stop support via co-enrollment and support services.
One-Stop staff; contracted service providers,
adult basic education partners, community
college partners
Strategy #4.1.1: Identify and continue to monitor priority industry sectors within the local region.
Strategy #4.1.2: Strengthen collaborations with education, employer, local government and other partners to develop and/or enhance career pathway training programs in priority sectors.
Strategy #4.1.3: Provide a diverse array of training opportunities and services that enable participants to obtain a credential or degree acknowledged by priority sector employers.
Monthly labor market analyses; quarterly to semi-
annual economic updates; businesses benefiting
from network services; jobs filled from pipeline
programs
Number of community college programs
developed or enhanced; increased number of
business partners from different industry sectors;
new business partnerships; increased job
placements; increased number of businesses
involved with CTE programs; increased enrollment
in post-secondary education; continued sourcing of
information about trends and investments related
to CTE programs in the region
Goal: Increase the number of Contra Costa residents who obtain marketable and industry-recognized credentials or degrees, with a special emphasis on those
who are unemployed, low skilled, low-income, veterans, individuals with disabilities, and other in-need populations.
Objectives/Strategies/Action Steps
PY 2013
Responsible Indicators & Outcomes
Adult Strategies
Objective #4.1: Increase the Number of Career Pathway Programs in Priority Industry Sectors.
Certificates earned by job seekers; increased job
placement rate; participation in online learning
programs; completion and credential attainment
rate through online learning; development of new
programs using online learning and/or
implementing scheduling that is viable for
employed individuals; increased number of
participants enrolling into career pathway
programs; increased rates in credential attainment
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Goal: Increase the number of Contra Costa residents who obtain marketable and industry-recognized credentials or degrees, with a special emphasis on those
who are unemployed, low skilled, low-income, veterans, individuals with disabilities, and other in-need populations.
Objectives/Strategies/Action Steps
PY 2013
Responsible Indicators & Outcomes
Adult Strategies
Action Step 4.2.1.1: Participate in task forces and work groups
that foster communication and collaboration among education
providers.
One-Stop staff; adult basic education
partners, community college partners
Action Step 4.2.1.2: Support the creation of pathway and/or
bridge programs that increase enrollment in community colleges
and other post-secondary education programs.
WDB staff, One-Stop staff; contracted service
providers, adult basic education partners,
community college partners
Action Step 4.2.1.3: Offer educational classes directly at the One-
Stop facilities to encourage job seekers to take advantage of all
opportunities open to them.
One-Stop staff; education partners, and other
partners providing services at One-Stops
Action Step 4.2.2.1: Assess adult basic education students and
help them develop essential building blocks to improve their
employability, including technical and non-technical skills.
One-Stop staff; education partners, and other
partners providing services at One-Stops
Action Step 4.2.2.3: Reduce remediation time for job seekers
through careful assessment and individual education planning.
One-Stop staff; education partners, and other
partners providing services at One-Stops
Action Step 4.3.1.1: Collect and analyze demographic data on
job seekers and displaced workers who have a greater degree of
need for employment services.
WDB staff
Action Step 4.3.1.2: Continue ongoing work with high schools,
adult basic education providers, and community colleges to
identify needs and solutions to help underprepared job seekers
and place them in training and remediation programs.
WDB staff, One-Stop staff, Community
College partner staff
Action Step 4.3.1.3: Work with EASTBAY Works One-Stop
affiliates and other community-based organizations to deepen
presence in high-need communities.
One-Stop staff; EASTBAY Works affiliate site
staff, education partners, and other partners
providing services at One-Stops
Action Step 4.3.1.4: Continue development of three
geographically-based Workforce Integration Networks in the
county to improve and streamline communication with business
partners.
One-Stop staff; education partners, and other
partners providing services at One-Stops
Objective #4.2: Increase the Number of Adult Basic Education Students who Successfully Transition to Post-Secondary Education, Training, or Employment
Strategy #4.2.2: Identify the unique needs of Adult Basic Education students and provide a variety of education and training opportunities to address them.
Objective #4.3: Increase the Number of Under-Prepared Job Seekers and Displaced Workers who Enter and Successfully Complete Education/Training in Demand Industries
Strategy #4.3.1: Identify attributes and needs of priority populations of under-prepared job seekers and displaced workers to facilitate access to education/training opportunities.
Strategy #4.2.1: Utilize emerging East Bay workforce intermediary to promote CTE and related educational offerings and increase enrollment in additional post-secondary education & training programs.
Enhanced communication and alignment of
resources for CTE and adult basic education
programs; congruent policy development; new
and/or expanded program offerings; increase in
enrollment patterns from these programs into post-
secondary education; class enrollment and
completion records; certificate attainment rates of
classes
Increased usage of assessment services; increases
in academic readiness for CTE and other post-
secondary training programs; reduced length of
time spent in adult basic education programs;
increased usage of web-based and distance-
based learning opportunities
Enhanced understanding of job seeker profile;
increased capacity to target services; enrollment
rates in adult basic education and CTE programs
at community colleges and adult education
programs; larger pipeline of students/participants
in training; profile of candidates enrolling in CTE
and adult basic education programs; number and
level of partnerships in place with community-
based organizations; mapping of capacity of
regional post-secondary education offerings;
clearer understanding of education & training
gaps
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Goal: Increase the number of Contra Costa residents who obtain marketable and industry-recognized credentials or degrees, with a special emphasis on those
who are unemployed, low skilled, low-income, veterans, individuals with disabilities, and other in-need populations.
Objectives/Strategies/Action Steps
PY 2013
Responsible Indicators & Outcomes
Adult Strategies
Action Step 4.3.2.1: Increase the use of assessment tools at One-
Stop Career Centers to strengthen remediation services and
strategies for job seekers and improve educational and
employment outcomes.
One-Stop staff; educational partners and
mandated partners providing services at One-
Stops
Action Step 4.3.2.2: Increase the range of available training
options by working with employers to expand internship and other
work-based learning programs that can help underprepared
workers to develop skills.
Business Services staff from East Bay
intermediary partners
Action Step 4.3.2.3: Enhance and better align WIA-funded
investments in training to maximize impact.
WDB members (policy), WDB staff, education
& training providers
Action Step 4.3.2.4: Work with East Bay workforce intermediary
to develop systems for obtaining business support and investment
in training, including customized training and other policy solutions
to leverage training investments.
WDB staff, community college staff, adult
basic education staff, economic development
partners involved in East Bay intermediary
Action Step 4.3.2.5: Incorporate high-demand industry job
placement into the local WDB/One-Stop goals and measure and
report frequently.
WDB members (policy), WDB staff, education
& training providers
Action Step 4.4.1.1: Conduct Rapid Response events in partnership
with the Employment Development Division (EDD) and identify
opportunities for rapid re-employment of impacted workers.
WDB staff, One-Stop staff, EDD staff
Action Step 4.4.1.2: Target Small Business Development Center
(SBDC) training and consulting services to small businesses in high
priority industries to facilitate access to information or workforce
services (e.g. customized training) that might help with business
stabilization and/or growth.
WDB staff, SBDC staff
Action Step 4.4.1.3: Develop a directory to connect local
consultants to businesses for contract opportunities or employment. TBD
Action Step 4.4.2.1: Elicit business input on requirements for job
growth/retention in their industries and develop training to meet
those needs.
Business Services staff from East Bay
intermediary partners
Action Step 4.4.2.2: Improve capacity to assist workers at risk of
layoffs on identifying and marketing transferable skills.
WDB staff, One-Stop staff; education
partners, and other partners providing
services at One-Stops
Action Step 4.4.2.3: Work with training providers to improve
capacity and response time for offering contract education to
businesses.
Business Services staff from East Bay
intermediary partners
Strategy #4.4.2: Develop proactive training for workers at risk of layoffs.
Number of assessments completed; use of One-
Stop assessment services as part of enrollment into
community college and other post-secondary
education programs; use of One-Stops by
businesses for pre-hire screening & testing;
Increased utilization of internships, paid & unpaid
work experience, OJTs, and other training
provided by employers; profile of training
investments using WIA funds; amount(s) and type(s)
of funds leveraged for sector-specific training;
aggregation of business investments in local &
regional workforce development efforts;
diversification of training modalities for
participants; Enhanced tracking of process and
outcome measures of training by industry sector
Number and type of businesses and workers
impacted by Rapid Response events; enhanced
capacity to re-employ workers in new jobs; SBDC
business client profile; increased utilization of
multiple services by business customers
Enhanced profile of training needs for business;
length of time spent unemployed; contract
education/customized training offerings for
businesses
Strategy #4.3.2: Work with partners from education, community-based organizations, and other entities to provide a wide range of training options available to under-prepared job seekers and displaced workers.
Objective #4.4: Develop and Implement a Strategic Layoff Aversion Strategy to Retain Workers in Current Jobs and Provide Rapid Transition to New Employment
Strategy #4.4.1: Provide support to businesses facing potential layoffs and assist with solutions to help retain or rapidly transition their existing workforce.
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Goal: Increase the number of Contra Costa residents who obtain marketable and industry-recognized credentials or degrees, with a special emphasis on those
who are unemployed, low skilled, low-income, veterans, individuals with disabilities, and other in-need populations.
Objectives/Strategies/Action Steps
PY 2013
Responsible Indicators & Outcomes
Adult Strategies
Action Step 4.5.1.1: Increase use of on-the-job training to
subsidize the costs to employers who are training underprepared
job seekers and displaced workers.
WDB staff, One-Stop staff involved in business
services
Action Step 4.5.1.2: Partner with labor and other training
organizations to profile current and projected human capital
needs in apprenticeship programs.
WDB staff, One-Stop staff involved in business
services; labor/apprenticeship program staff
Action Step 4.5.2.1: Continue collaborative work with two pre-
apprenticeship programs: Diablo Valley College (Community
College), and Future Build with Pittsburg Power.
WDB staff, One-Stop staff involved in business
services; labor/apprenticeship program staff
Action Step 4.5.2.2: Engage with state bill AB554 to ensure that
programs and services funded by WIA are conducted in
coordination with apprenticeship programs.
WDB staff, One-Stop staff involved in business
services; labor/apprenticeship program staff
Action Step 4.5.2.3: Participate in the development of new
apprenticeship programs and assist with outreach to fill them.
WDB staff, One-Stop staff involved in business
services; labor/apprenticeship program staff
Action Step 4.5.2.4: Expand training for adults and dislocated
workers through the expansion of apprenticeship programs that
are included in the ETPL.
WDB staff; local labor organizations &
apprenticeship programs
Action Step 4.5.3.1: Continue to develop, expand, and enhance
apprenticeship opportunities in the region.
WDB staff; local apprenticeship programs
and labor unions; local businesses
Action Step 4.5.3.2: Work with colleges to strengthen work-study
options. WDB staff, community college staff
Action Step 4.5.3.3: Actively engage with local CalWORKs
program to increase the options for subsidized employment. WDB staff, CalWORKs staff
Strategy #4.5.2: Work with partners to strengthen existing apprenticeship programs, develop new apprenticeship opportunities, and link these to appropriate state supports.
Number of people participating in OJT; level of
investment in OJT placements; mapping of current
supply and demand for workers in different
apprenticeship programs; improved projections of
demand for apprentices in all Bay Area building
trades
Enrollment, completion, placement, and wage rates
of participants in DVC and Future Build programs;
improved alignment of WIA funded investments
and apprenticeship programs; ETPL includes all
apprenticeship programs in the region
Strategy #4.5.1: Collaborate with business and labor to determine needs for apprenticeships, OJT, and other customized training and plan accordingly.
FutureBuild established as formal pre-
apprenticeship training by June 2013 with direct
entry to multiple building trades; increased
participation in work-study; increased utilization of
work subsidies leading to employment
Strategy #4.5.3: Expand the number and variety of “earn and learn” opportunities available to job seekers.
Objective #4.5: Expand the Availability of Apprenticeships, OJT, and Other Customized Training that Enables Workers to Build Skills While Working
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Action Step 5.1.1.1: Conduct a self assessment and set
priorities for future work, desired scope of the Youth
Council and optimal composition.
WDB Youth Council, WDB staff, consultants
Action Step 5.1.1.2: Implement a comprehensive youth
development approach as described in various best
practice frameworks.
WDB Youth Council, WDB staff, consultants
Action Step 5.1.2.1: Seek resources and work with county
partners to conduct a needs assessment for youth and
young adults in the county.
WDB Youth Council, WDB staff, consultants
Action Step 5.1.2.2: Work with the East Bay Council
Workforce Education Task Force and other youth-serving
systems, design, develop and implement a communications
plan designed to regularly inform and engage the
community in supporting successful youth transitions to
adulthood.
WDB Youth Council, WDB staff, East Bay
Leadership Council Workforce-Education
Task Force, community college & K-12 staff
Action Step 5.1.2.3: Update the community resources
guide developed by the WDB describing services,
programs, and opportunities for youth and young adults
in the county.
WDB Youth Council, WDB staff, consultants
Action Step 5.1.2.4: Publish results and share with the
community in solutions-focused meetings and forums.WDB Youth Council, WDB staff, consultants
Action Step 5.1.3.1: Engage in a process to determine the
strategic application of WIA dollars to support success
for the most in need.
WDB, WDB Executive Committee, WDB
Youth Council, WDB Policy, Program &
Performance Committee
Action Step 5.1.3.2: Identify and consider providing
support to place-based youth development programs
with the capacity to augment workforce development
services.
WDB, WDB Executive Committee, WDB
Youth Council, WDB Policy, Program &
Performance Committee
Action Step 5.1.3.3: Procure youth workforce
development services that support eligible youth who
experience significant barriers to academic achievement
and employment success.
WDB Executive Committee, WDB Youth
Council
Objective #1: Broaden the scope of the WDB Youth Council, and move from serving primarily as a regulatory committee of the Workforce Investment Board, to pursue a broader, strategic agenda.
Strategy 5.1.1: Engage the youth council and board in a self-assessment process, and set goals and benchmarks for the council’s transition to guiding the development of an integrated vision for serving youth
in the context of the regional economy.
Strategy 5.1.3: Develop and implement strategies to direct Workforce Investment Act and other public or private resources to serve youth and young adults who are most in need, and support their success.
Coherent plan(s) and strategies for
leveraging WIA Youth investments with
other funding, programs, and initiatives
supporting youth in Contra Costa County
Report of WDB Youth Council strengths,
opportunities, and liabilities; development
of clear plan & strategic direction for the
WDB Youth Council
Strategy 5.1.2: Participate in conducting a needs assessment and opportunity scan of the county, and together with system partners, provide regular reports to policy makers and the public on factors
affecting successful youth transition in the county.
Report(s) and map(s) detailing network of
organizations, resources, and assets
available for youth and young adults in
Contra Costa County; strengthened
network of providers; increased visibility
around youth issues
Objectives/Strategies/Action Steps Responsible Indicators & Outcomes
PY 2013
Youth Strategies
Goal: Increase the number of high school students, with emphasis on at-risk youth and those from low-income communities, who graduate
prepared for postsecondary vocational training, further education, and/or a career.
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Objectives/Strategies/Action Steps Responsible Indicators & Outcomes
PY 2013
Youth Strategies
Goal: Increase the number of high school students, with emphasis on at-risk youth and those from low-income communities, who graduate
prepared for postsecondary vocational training, further education, and/or a career.
Action Step 5.1.4.1: Develop a marketing campaign
targeted at youth-serving organizations to increase the
understanding of the services provided by the One-Stops,
the WDB, and the SBDC.
WDB, WDB Youth Council, WDB staff,
contracted youth providers
Action Step 5.1.4.2: Develop and share resources with
and among other youth serving agencies that have goals
that are aligned with those of the WDB and Youth
Council.
WDB Youth Council, WDB staff, WDB youth
providers, East Bay Leadership Council
Workforce-Education Task Force, community
college & K-12 staff
Action Step 5.1.4.3: Increase the use of social media and
information technology to engage youth.WDB, WDB Youth Council, WDB staff
Action Step 5.1.1.1: Work with employers and industry
partners to identify barriers to engagement in schools, or
in the provision of employment opportunities for youth
and young adults.
WDB Youth Council, WDB staff, East Bay
Leadership Council Workforce-Education
Task Force, community college & K-12 staff
Action Step 5.1.1.2: Work with employers, industry
associations and school based partners to create
opportunities for work and learning in the workplace.
WDB Youth Council, WDB staff, WDB youth
providers, East Bay Leadership Council
Workforce-Education Task Force, community
college & K-12 staff
Action Step 5.2.1.1: The WDB and Youth Council will
work with the East Bay Leadership Council Workforce-
Education Task Force and local school districts to develop
a system for gathering information about, setting goals
for and measuring high school graduation, and drop-out
prevention and recovery rates.
WDB staff, East Bay Leadership Council
Workforce-Education Task Force, community
college & K-12 staff
Regular countywide reports on high school
performance
Action Step 5.2.2.1: The WDB and Youth Council will work
with local school districts to develop a system for
providing access to, and supporting success in career
themed programs for at risk youth in the county.
WDB staff, East Bay Leadership Council
Workforce-Education Task Force, community
college & K-12 staff
Increased participation rates among at-
risk youth in career related programs in
high schools.
Strategy 5.1.5: Leverage the WDBs employer and industry base to support WIA enrolled youth, connected to and engage with K-12 Career Pathway programs and community college initiatives, and
influence the implementation and growth of education and training programs that are aligned with growth clusters and projected workforce needs.
Objective #5.2: The WDB and Youth Council will collaborate with all partners and participate in efforts to support K-12 educational achievement for increasing numbers of youth and young adults.
Strategy 5.2.1: Work with community and education partners through the East Bay Leadership Council Workforce/Education Taskforce to establish baseline data for the county's High Schools, and collectively
set goals and measures for high school graduation, drop-out reduction and dropout recovery rates.
• Report detailing network of
organizations, resources, and assets
available for youth and young adults in
Contra Costa County; strengthened
network of providers; increased visibility
around youth issues
Strategy 5.1.4: Design and implement strategies to strengthen the existing collaboration between the workforce investment system and a broad array of programs and systems that seek to address the needs
of youth who have significant barriers to employment.
• Marketing plan developed and
implemented; number of organizations
who increase engagement with the WDB;
number of social media followers; number
of events organized and/or supported by
the WDB and WDB Youth Council
Strategy 5.2.2: Work with education and community providers increase access for at-risk populations in Linked Learning, Career Academies, and other Career Technical Educational offerings in our high
schools.
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Objectives/Strategies/Action Steps Responsible Indicators & Outcomes
PY 2013
Youth Strategies
Goal: Increase the number of high school students, with emphasis on at-risk youth and those from low-income communities, who graduate
prepared for postsecondary vocational training, further education, and/or a career.
Action Step 5.2.3.1: Connect with and support career-
focused instructional programs such as Linked Learning.
WDB staff, WDB youth providers, community
college & K-12 staff
Action Step 5.2.3.2: Engage private sector, government,
and community partners to support career focused
instructional programs.
WDB staff, East Bay Leadership Council
Workforce-Education Task Force, community
college & K-12 staff
Action Step 5.2.4.1: Help strengthen experiential work-
based learning opportunities that enable students to
learn about the workplace first hand and work with the
education system to provide students with exposure to the
workplace.
WDB staff, East Bay Leadership Council
Workforce-Education Task Force, community
college & K-12 staff
Action Step 5.2.4.2: Partner with employers to identify
key skill gaps and to confirm the knowledge and skills
needed to begin work in their industry.
WDB staff, East Bay Leadership Council
Workforce-Education Task Force, community
college & K-12 staff
Action Step 5.2.4.3: Help develop a common set of
definitions and expectations related to the range of work-
based learning experiences being offered and
supported in the county.
WDB staff, East Bay Leadership Council
Workforce-Education Task Force, community
college & K-12 staff
Action Step 5.2.5.1: Help develop referral mechanisms
with targeted high schools and community-based
programs.
WDB Youth Council, WDB staff, WDB
providers, East Bay Leadership Council
Workforce-Education Task Force, community
college & K-12 staff
Action Step 5.2.5.2: Work with school and community
partners to identify additional resources to support youth
who are struggling, and develop referral and follow up
processes to ensure access, on-going case management,
and successful connections in school.
WDB Youth Council, WDB staff, WDB
providers, East Bay Leadership Council
Workforce-Education Task Force, community
college & K-12 staff
Action Step 5.2.5.3: Explore and help implement
parental/guardian engagement and support strategies,
including full family supports where appropriate.
WDB staff, WDB youth providers, K-12 staff
Strategy 5.2.3: Collaborate with and support career focused instructional strategies at the high school and community college levels, particularly those that are aligned with WDB identified priority industry
clusters in the region.
Increasing numbers of career pathway
programs are aligned with WDB
identified priority industry sectors, are
available to increased numbers of youth
including those who are most in need, and
are actively supported by employers and
industry partners.
Strategy 5.2.4: Work with Education and Industry Partners to develop systems that effectively engage employers in providing of career development and work-based learning opportunities for youth and
young adults to learn about, explore, and prepare for careers.
Increasing numbers of youth and young
adults are provided opportunities to
become aware of careers and the skills
and education or training needed to enter
a field of interest. They have directly
experienced the workplace, and are
prepared to make informed choices about
their future; Local career development and
work-based learning activities leverage
private sector investments and offer the
opportunity to develop and demonstrate
needed skills.
Strategy 5.2.5: Work with education and community partners to help them identify potential dropouts, and focus WIA and other potential public and private investments to provide interventions and supports
to keep them connected and engaged.
WIA and other program youth are
successfully reengaged in high school and
are no longer at risk of dropping out.
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Objectives/Strategies/Action Steps Responsible Indicators & Outcomes
PY 2013
Youth Strategies
Goal: Increase the number of high school students, with emphasis on at-risk youth and those from low-income communities, who graduate
prepared for postsecondary vocational training, further education, and/or a career.
Action Step 5.2.6.1: Research and document successful
dropout recovery practices in California and other states,
and identify replicable components for the county.
WDB Youth Council, WDB staff, East Bay
Leadership Council Workforce-Education
Task Force, community college & K-12 staff
Action Step 5.2.6.2: Work with education partners and
the community to identify resources for, establish, support
and implement drop-out recovery processes.
WDB Youth Council, WDB staff, East Bay
Leadership Council Workforce-Education
Task Force, community college & K-12 staff
Action Step 5.3.1.1: Engage partners and identify
resources to gather data that describes the condition of
youth in the county, their success rates in post-secondary
education, training and careers.
WDB staff, WDB youth contractors
Action Step 5.3.1.2: Partner with school districts, local
service providers, courts and the juvenile justice system to
determine the needs of disconnected youth in Contra
Costa County.
WDB staff, WDB youth contractors
Action Step 5.3.2.1: Expand Career Pathways Programs
at local Community Colleges to serve disconnected youth
ages 16 to 22.
WDB Youth Council, WDB staff, East Bay
Leadership Council Workforce-Education
Task Force, community college & K-12 staff
Action Step 5.3.2.2: Identify, support and provide
connections to programs designed to assist youth who are
challenged to be successful in post secondary
experiences.
WDB staff, K-12 education, community-
based organizations
Action Step 5.3.2.3: Continue to sponsor ongoing summer
employment and learning programs for youth.
WDB staff, K-12 education, community-
based organizations
Action Step 5.3.2.4: Collaborate with out-of-school
training programs to offer alternatives to students who
may not have access to such programs.
WDB staff, K-12 education, community-
based organizations
Action Step 5.3.2.5: Regularly convene youth serving
partners in the sub regions of the county.
WDB staff, K-12 education, community-
based organizations
A collaborative approach to drop out
recovery is in place that reconnects youth
to high school and alternative educational
options.
Strategy 5.3.1: Develop resources to establish baseline data and adopt goals and measures to reflect post secondary participation and success rates.
Strategy 5.3.2: Work with Community Colleges, Apprenticeship Programs, Trade Schools and others to provide expanded opportunities for disconnected youth to achieve success.
Regular reports on the state of youth and
young adults in the county
A collaborative approach to drop out
recovery is in place that reconnects youth
to high school and alternative educational
options.
Strategy 5.2.6: Collaborate with K-12 Education, Adult Education, and Community Colleges to identify and replicate approaches to provide pathways back to high school for recent dropouts.
Objective #5.3: The WDB and Youth Council will work with the CCC Workforce/Education Task Force and other partners to increase opportunities for High School graduates and disconnected youth to
transition into postsecondary education and careers.
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Youth Strategies
Goal: Increase the number of high school students, with emphasis on at-risk youth and those from low-income communities, who graduate
prepared for postsecondary vocational training, further education, and/or a career.
Action Step 5.3.3.1: Connect older youth to appropriate
services as described in the Adult section of this plan.
WDB staff, WDB youth providers, One-Stop
staff, K-12 education, community-based
organizations
Young people are able to access a
continuum of services that can provide
additional & ongoing assistance with
educational and career development
needs.
Strategy 5.3.3: Form functional teams of youth case managers and one-stop representatives to increase access to and participation in one-stop services targeted to entry level job seekers.
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Action Step 6.1.1.1: Inventory existing policies and procedures
and archive and/or update them as required.
WDB, WDB Executive Committee, WDB
Program, Policy, and Performance Committee,
WDB staff
Action Step 6.1.1.2: Review operational oversight responsibilities
in all major areas, including fiscal, procurement, contracting,
program monitoring, training provider performance, and other
required areas.
WDB, WDB Executive Committee, WDB
Program, Policy, and Performance Committee,
WDB staff
Action Step 6.1.1.2: Review all funded programs and services
under the purview of the WDB to help maximize efficiency and
effectiveness.
WDB, WDB Executive Committee, WDB
Program, Policy, and Performance Committee,
WDB staff
Action Step 6.2.1.1: Define localized performance criteria and
how data will be collected to measure this.
WDB, WDB Executive Committee, WDB
Program, Policy, and Performance Committee,
WDB staff
Action Step 6.2.1.2: Refine reporting tools based upon
stakeholder feedback and direction from California Workforce
Investment Board (CWIB) Issues and CWIB Issues & Policy
Committee (IPC).
WDB, WDB Executive Committee, WDB
Program, Policy, and Performance Committee,
WDB staff
Action Step 6.3.1.1: Conduct a SWOT analysis of previous PR
and marketing efforts.WDB, WDB Executive Committee, WDB staff
Action Step 6.3.1.2: Explore different solutions for obtaining
communications, public relations, and other related assistance.
WDB, WDB Executive Committee, WDB staff,
EHSD and County PIOs
Action Step 6.4.3.1: Pursue alternative sources of grant funding,
including Employment Training Panel funding to support workforce
training.
WDB members, WDB staff, SBDC staff, East
Bay Intermediary partners
Action Step 6.4.3.2: Form a 501(c)3 organization to help
diversify funding sources supporting the work of the WDB.
WDB members, WDB staff, Contra Costa
County staff
Action Step 6.4.3.3: Create collaborative projects that are
eligible for grants and other funding sources.
WDB members, WDB staff, SBDC staff, East
Bay Intermediary partners
Objective #6.4: Secure and expand resources that help to support workforce and economic development in Contra Costa County and the greater region
Strategy #6.4.1: Research and pursue targeted fund development opportunities focused on local and regional economic and workforce development efforts.
New grant proposals written; new projects &
initiatives launched; number, source(s), and
amount(s) of new funding awards; diversification
of revenue;
Objective #6.2: Create a high level of accountability for results and strengthen program performance and reporting.
A communications strategy is created and
implemented; ongoing monitoring of public
relations and marketing efforts/impacts, including
media coverage of events, programs, and/or
initiatives supported by the WDB
Strategy 6.2.1: Develop and publish reports of WDB investments on WDB website and in other venues.
Reports that enhance understanding of local
workforce system impacts and value proposition to
businesses, job seekers, and community
stakeholders
Objective #6.3: Improve and expand the Workforce Development Board's communications systems and networks.
Strategy 6.3.1: Develop and implement a communications plan.
Objective #6.1: Support and strengthen administration, management, and oversight roles and responsibilities.
Strategy 6.1.1: Refine and update policies, procedures, and tools used to support needs and requirements as a Local Workforce Investment Area (LWIA).
Updated policies & procedures; improved and
expedited processes; decrease in monitoring
findings; potential redesign and/or enhancements
of WDB/WIA funded programs
Objectives/Strategies/Action Steps Responsible Indicators & Outcomes
PY 2013
Accountability, Administration, & System Alignment
Goal: Support system alignment, service integration and continuous improvement, using data to support evidence-based policymaking.
Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County
Strategic Workforce Development Plan 2013-2017: Appendix C
Page 1 of 2 Appendix C: Public Meeting Summaries SUMMARIES FROM PUBLIC MEETING INPUT TO STRATEGIC PLAN
The WDB held three public meetings across the county in April 2013 to solicit responses to
the key strategies that are proposed in the plan. Meetings took place in the cities of Martinez on
April 18 (Central county), Richmond on April 23 (West county) and Antioch on April 25th (East
county). Participants included representatives from business, education, labor, community-based
organizations, and local government. The summaries below include the key input from each meeting
in the three focus areas of Business Services, Adult Strategies and Youth Strategies. Full versions of
the notes from each meeting are available on the WDB website at www.wdbccc
Martinez, April 18, 2013 (42 participants)
Business Services
• Create a county-wide intermediary, regional organization (WDB as single point of contact)
• Include the “business voice” to validate strategy, direction, programming, policies, assumption
and ensure a demand-driven approach
• Focus on investments in priority sectors
• Provide expertise to business on assessing skill sets
• Assist employers to create/adopt improved hiring practices
Adult Strategies
• Accelerate readiness to include social skills and problem-solving and negotiations
• Senior strategies for older workers
• Build a space to share input from different organizations and build on each others expertise
• Re-skill/more skill to help workers move to better jobs
• Stress “liberal” education that includes broad knowledge and social skills, soft skills
Youth Strategies
• Provide a range of opportunities for disconnected youth to connect
• Develop partnerships with businesses
• Grow and support the range of high-quality work-based learning opportunities for young people,
expanding to the middle school level, and including teachers
• Help define common work readiness standards and language
• Facilitate functional partnerships between education and community based organizations
• Partner with education to ensure college/career readiness
Richmond, April 23, 2013 (Held jointly with Richmond WIB, 57 participants)
Business Services
• Promote local first source hiring and procurement requirements to strengthen employment
opportunities for training graduates
• More fund development collaborations, more non-traditional sources (foundations vs.
government)
• Explicit strategies to engage businesses directly
• Identify key metrics for program success and track these
• Partner with HR departments to market programs (NLHRA, best practice of other WIBs)
• More communication channels, including social media, to increase access to information
• Assist local businesses and contractors to navigate procurement process
• Expand employee and talent retention strategies (include affordable housing as a consideration)
Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County
Strategic Workforce Development Plan 2013-2017: Appendix C
Page 2 of 2 Appendix C: Public Meeting Summaries • Mentoring for new business owners (and more opportunities for business owners to “give back”)
• Make WDB benefit programs easier to sell (streamline process, educate about importance of
programs like OJT, Enterprise Zone)
Adult Strategies
• Stronger collaboration between service providers
• Special population needs (Re-entry, addiction, felony, “clean slate”)
• Rapid implementation of economic strategies for community (before labor market changes)
• Build meaningful partnerships (business – education – CBOs – WDB)
• Provide a continuum of support that encourages life long learning
• Provide central repository for information about education, training, employment opportunities
Youth Strategies
• Importance of including digital literacy in education and training
• Mentors at work (on site)
• Increased partnership between WDBCC and School districts, especially WCCUSD
• Families of youth with barriers need wraparound support
• Advocate for policies that positively impact youth preparation for careers
• Exposure to jobs in school, Career days to spark interest (bring employer to youth)
• Promote youth-focused One-Stop services to schools
Antioch, April 25, 2013 (52 participants)
Business Services
• Provide accurate, current local labor market information to identify gaps of job seekers we serve
• Make sure plan is revisited annually to ensure we’re on target
• Strengthen partnerships with business to create internships K-12 and post-secondary
• Change perception of One-Stops as solely a welfare-to-work program
• Use internships for business buy-in as training partners – develop paid internships for those who
need them
Adult Strategies
• Support apprenticeship model as a proven approach to training
• Identify college incomplete population and target for support with completion
• Earn and learn for young recent graduates (43% unemployed with large debt) ex: OJT partner
with business subsidies to business
• Incentivize business to recognize existing skills and train up
• Provide skill ladders (short term skill training) as well as career ladders
• Role of business to provide info on skills. Needed for entry level on up.
Youth Strategies
• Increase number of intern/externships
• Address needs of students who are not college bound
• Career exposure should be an educational requirement for all young people
• Supportive services for disconnected youth
• Parent/guardian involvement/engagement
• Provide support for the expansion of Linked Learning
Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County
Strategic Workforce Development Plan 2013-2017: Appendix D
Page 1 of 2 Appendix D: Online Survey Summaries SUMMARIES FROM ONLINE SURVEY REGARDING STRATEGIC PLAN CONTENT
The WDB distributed an online survey to a contact list containing more than 6,500
individual addresses in February of 2013. This list included a diverse range of stakeholders,
including business, economic development, education, labor, community-based organizations,
public agencies, elected officials, and others. A total of 348 recipients completed the survey
questions. The respondents include a broad representation of key economic and workforce
development stakeholders, including priority sector employers and organized labor. Additional
survey result data is available on the WDB website at http://www.wdbccc.com/about/strategic-plan.
Economic Ratings for Contra Costa County:
• 61% of respondents ranked the local economy as satisfactory or good
• 70% of respondents ranked the business climate in the county as satisfactory or good
• 56% of respondents ranked the climate for small business as satisfactory or good
New Employee Skills - Top 4 skills/knowledge areas identified by businesses as most
important when hiring new employees:
1. Social Skills (e.g. Coordination, Instruction, Negotiation, Persuasion, Service Orientation, Social
Perspective)
2. Workplace Behavior and Values
3. Technical Skills and Knowledge
4. Complex Problem-Solving Skills
WDB Strategies – Top 3 strategies identified as important for assisting with meeting the
human capital needs of businesses in Contra Costa County and the greater East Bay
region:
1. Provide access to local technical or business professionals that can provide assistance on a
contract basis
2. Provide pre-screened workers to fill job openings
3. Provide pre-employment testing services for candidates pursuing specific job openings
Local Assets – Top 3 assets identified as contributing to the economic vitality of our local
area/region:
1. A highly diversified labor force, including educated professionals, workers with technical skills
2. Growing innovation industries, including engineering, scientific R&D, biotechnology, and clean
energy
•Distribution: Survey was distributed to approximately 6,500 recipients, and received 348
responses
•Types of Participants: The distribution of respondents included the following: Business-34%,
Governement-18%, Community-based Organization-14%, Education-11%, Job Seeker-9%,
Economic Develoment-3%, Other-11%.
•Location of Participants: 74% of participants worked in Contra Costa County, and 76% were
county residents.
•Business Representation: Business respondents to the survey included the following sectors:
Manufacturing-13%; Professional, Scientific and Technical Services-13%; Health Care and Social
Assistance-12%; Retail Trade-7%; Real Estate Rental and Leasing-6%.
Survey Participant Information
Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County
Strategic Workforce Development Plan 2013-2017: Appendix D
Page 2 of 2 Appendix D: Online Survey Summaries 3. An extensive transportation and communications infrastructure that connects workers and goods
within the region and to global markets (highway, rail, water, communications, etc.)
New Job Industries – Top 5 industry categories identified as being poised to add a
substantial number of new jobs to the local area/region:
1. Health Care and Social Assistance
2. Information (includes Communications Technology)
3. Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (includes Bioscience)
4. Construction
5. Manufacturing
Skill Gaps – Top 3 skills/knowledge areas identified as gaps or educational needs
among job seekers:
1. Basic Skills and Knowledge (e.g. Math, Science, Reading, Writing, Speaking)
2. Social Skills (e.g. Coordination, Instruction, Negotiation, Persuasion, Service Orientation, Social
Perceptiveness)
3. Technical Skills and Knowledge (e.g. Equipment Selection, Installation, Operation and Control;
Operation Monitoring; Programming; Quality Control Analysis, Technology Design,
Troubleshooting)
Local Board Actions – Top 3 actions recommended to enable the Local Board to be
more effective in meeting the needs of job seekers and businesses in our County:
1. Developing partnerships that will help plan, organize and deliver workforce services to employers
and job seekers
2. Support innovation that adds jobs by expanding existing businesses or creating new start-ups
3. Sector-based initiatives that focus on the needs of businesses and job seekers in a specific industry
Job Seekers – Top 5 categories of job seekers with the greatest need in the local area:
1. Individuals with multiple barriers to employment (Including older individuals, limited English
proficiency individuals, and persons with disabilities)
2. Low- and very low-income Individuals
3. Dislocated workers
4. Veterans
5. Public assistance recipients
Youth Challenges – Top 4 challenges facing young people in our County:
1. Low educational achievement
2. Family poverty
3. Lack of positive adult role models
4. High levels of family stress
Youth Strategies – Top 5 strategies and/or programs in the area of youth education and
training that are most useful/ beneficial for your organization:
1. Career guidance for youth
2. Partnerships with businesses
3. Academic enrichment
4. Employment placement assistance
5. Summer employment
Visibility – Top 3 actions recommended to increase Local Board visibility in our County:
1. Expand collaboration with local business or industry groups
2. Expand partnerships with industry leaders
3. Sponsor internship programs that help new graduates gain experience
Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County
Strategic Workforce Development Plan 2013-2017: Appendix E
Page 1 of 2 Appendix E: Key Informant Interview Summaries KEY INFORMANT INTERVIEW SUMMARY
Environmental Factors
Economic Assets/Resources of Contra Costa County: Major industry sectors present in the county
include: health care, biotech, petroleum engineering, manufacturing, energy, construction, green
businesses, information technology, public service, STEM-related industry; Many institutions of
higher education and progressive community college system; Location within the Bay Area and its
culture of innovation; Vacant land and infrastructure available for new companies; Diverse
population, much of which is well-educated; Large number of small businesses/entrepreneurship
Economic Challenges Facing Contra Costa County: Recovery from
recession is slow; Geographic dispersion of county, difficulty in linking
labor pools and jobs; Rapidly shifting economy; Regulatory challenges to
starting new businesses; Generational poverty; Educational system not in
step with demands of local economies; Inequity in access to education and
careers
Workforce Factors
Assets: Youth and adults that want employment; Well-educated workforce
Challenges: Lack of skilled employees for high-demand positions and
skilled trades; Lack of prepared entry-level employees; Retiring boomers; Declining education level
of adult workforce
Skills and knowledge needed by workers that are lacking in existing workforce
Soft Skills: Showing up to work on time, dressed appropriately, ready to work; Basic reading,
writing, and numeracy; Working collaboratively, working in teams; Oral and written
communication; Ability to apply skills to new or unpredictable circumstances; Ability to analyze
information; Ability to read the social context and behave appropriately
Essential occupation-specific skills: Specialized skills for crafts, trades, and occupations; Technical
and biomedical skills; STEM/STEAM skills; Computer literacy
Necessary career readiness skills: How to do a resume and cover letter; How to explore careers and
interests; How to map out choices, pathways, ladders; How to search for, find, and retain a job
What should CCWDB do to respond to the environmental and workforce factors that have been
identified above?
Research and analyze economic/workforce data: Determine what the labor market says about jobs we
should be training for; Determine what sectors can provide internships and summer programming;
Deliver digestible workforce data to partners, including education and employers; Analyze specific
post-secondary skills needed
Support collaboration and partnerships: Strengthen
relationships with K-12 institutions, especially high
schools; Strengthen relationships with high capacity
workforce; Facilitate government and nongovernment
interfaces; Strengthen connections to Chambers of
Commerce to advertise SBDC to members; Maintain and strengthen relationships with funding
sources – private and public; Participate in HUD continuum of care conversations
“We need strong
integration with
government and
nongovernment
entities to help
evaluate, plan and
drive economic
success.”
“A WDB strength is its relationships
with funding sources to bring those
dollars to the economy.”
Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County
Strategic Workforce Development Plan 2013-2017: Appendix E
Page 2 of 2 Appendix E: Key Informant Interview Summaries
Create opportunities for work and learning: Create internships;
Earn and learn models for ROP; Bring new companies into the
city; Get more employers to hire more youth for summer jobs
Educate and Train: More emphasis on soft skills; Need
opportunities for people to experience the workplace – site visits
and tours; Tutoring and mentoring; Align K-12 to postsecondary
and career opportunities; More emphasis on skills retraining;
Develop programs that match kids’ interest and industry needs;
More training for hard-core unemployed; Linked learning from
high school to Adult Ed to community colleges; Expand ROP and
CTE; Work with community college to develop certificate
programs for needed skills; Get industry instruction in the schools; Collaborate with Adult Ed to get
more training programs into the area; Tie CCC career academy graduates to jobs in CCC
Develop Sector Strategies: Support training for jobs that will be available; Work to modify
regulatory issues to make it easier for businesses to get started
Convening/Connecting: Pull groups together to support the growth of business in the county;
Connect business to education – align these systems
Population specific strategies: Identify employers interested in hiring under-represented populations;
Be the driver of linking under-represented populations to training
Strengths and Challenges of the WDB
Time factors: Time lag in training people for emerging skills; Time lag in funding for emerging
programs
Role of Board membership: Board must be able to articulate a clear
mission and purpose; Goals and objectives understood and voiced by all
board members; More employer engagement emphasis and strategy needed
at board level
Role of staff: Staff attend many functions and interact with many agencies;
Relatively small staff – strategic plan can help with prioritization
Organization: WDB seen to be doing outstanding work; People looking
to WDB to solve workforce needs; Consider segmenting the county,
delivering programs targeted by location
Communication: Great job of getting communications out – assess what is most useful; Assess how
far reaching communication is – may need to be extended in scope; Report more outcomes and
results/metrics; Communicate about the quality of the available workforce
“We need to develop
different approaches to
address the needs of
different age groups, for
example, recent high
school grads vs. 50-year-
olds. Each requires a
different strategy.”
1
“A key role for the
WDB is to act as a
convener in
bringing
stakeholders to the
table to secure
resources.”
2
ATTACHMENT 3
FWSD12-14B Page 1 of 2 5/13
WIA Local Plan Program Years 2013-17
Assurances
A. The Local Workforce Investment Board (local board) assures that it will comply with
the uniform administrative requirements referred to in the Workforce Investment Act
(WIA) Section 184(a)(3).
B. The local board assures that no funds received under WIA will be used to assist,
promote, or deter union organizing. [WIA Section 181(b)(7)]
C. The local board assures that the board will comply with the nondiscrimination
provisions of WIA Section 188.
D. The local board assures that the board will collect and maintain data necessary to
show compliance with the nondiscrimination provisions of WIA Section 188.
E. The local board assures that there will be compliance with grant procedures of WIA
Section 189(c).
F. The local board assures that funds will be spent in accordance with the WIA, written
U.S. Department of Labor guidance, and other applicable federal and State laws
and regulations.
G. The local board assures that veteran workforce investment programs funded under
WIA Section 168 will be carried out in accordance with that Section.
H. The local board assures it will comply with future State Workforce Investment Board
policies and guidelines, legislative mandates and/or other special provisions as may
be required under federal law or policy, including the WIA or State legislation.
I. The local board assures that when allocated adult funds for employment and
training activities are limited, priority shall be given to veterans, recipients of public
assistance and other low-income individuals for intensive and training services.
[WIA Section 134(d)(4)(E), 118(b)(4), and California Unemployment Insurance
Code (CUIC) Section 14230(a)(6)]
J. The local board certifies that its One-Stop Career Centers (One-Stops) will
recognize and comply with applicable labor agreements affecting represented
employees located in the One-Stops. This shall include the right to access by State
labor organization representatives pursuant to the Ralph C. Dills Act. [Chapter 10.3
(commencing with Section 3512) of Division 4 of Title 1 of the Government Code,
and CUIC Section 14233]
FWSD12-14B Page 2 of 2 5/13
K. The local board assures that State employees who are located at the One-Stops
shall remain under the supervision of their employing department for the purposes
of performance evaluations and other matters concerning civil service rights and
responsibilities. State employees performing services at One-Stops shall retain
existing civil service and collective bargaining protections on matters relating to
employment, including but not limited to hiring, promotion, discipline, and grievance
procedures.
L. The local board assures that when work-related issues arise at One-Stops between
State employees and operators or supervisors of other partners, the operator or
other supervisor shall refer such issues to the State employee’s civil service
supervisor. The One-Stop operators and partners shall cooperate in the
investigation of the following matters: discrimination under the California Fair
Employment and Housing Act [Part 2.8 (commencing with Section 12900) of
Division 3, of Title 2 of the Government Code], threats and/or violence concerning
State employees, and State employee misconduct.
M. One-Stop Operator is responsible for administering One-Stop Center services in
accordance with roles that have been defined by the local board. The local board
assures that it will select the One-Stop Operator with the agreement of the Chief
Local Elected Official through one of three means:
1. Through a consortium of at least three or more required One-Stop partners; or
2. Through competitive process such as a Request for Proposal; or
3. It may serve as the One-Stop Operator directly but only with the consent of the
Chief Local Elected Official and the Governor.
The only time these selection procedures are not required is in the following
circumstances: the One-Stop delivery system, of which the operator is a part,
existed before August 7, 1998; the existing One-Stop system includes all of the
required One-Stop partners; and a Memorandum of Understanding has been
executed which is consistent with the requirements of the Act. [WIA Section
121(d)(2)(A), and Title 20 CFR Part 662.410]
Martin Aufhauser
Local Board Chair Signature Date
ATTACHMENT 4
ADULT DW YOUTH
1.250 250 225
2.250 300 200
3.500 550 425
4.275 305 250
5.225 245 175
6.3,350 4,000
7.495 545
8.495 545
9.275 358
10.135
11. Attainment of a High School Diploma, GED, or Certificate 150
12.212 235 83
12A.148 164 33
13.8
14.5
15.6
16.125
17.25
18.8
19.63 62 70
925.602.6800 6/12/2013
Contact Person, Title
FWSD12-14C 5/13
Date Prepared
Local Workforce Investment Area
Telephone Number
Stephen Baiter, Executive Director
Comments:
Remained with Layoff Employer
Entered Military Service
Exited for Other Reasons
Returned to Secondary School
Entered Advanced Training
Entered Postsecondary Education
Entered Apprenticeship Program
WIA Local Plan Program Year 2013-14
Title IB Participant Plan Summary
Totals for PY 2013 (07/01/13 through 06/30/14)
WIA 118; 20 CFR 661.350(a)(13); TEGL 17-05
Plan the number of individuals that are in each category.
Registered Participants Carried in from PY 2012
YOUTH MEASURES
New Registered Participants for PY 2013
Total Registered Participants for PY 2013 (Line 1 plus 2)
Registered Participants Carried Out to PY 2014 (Line 3 minus 4)
PROGRAM SERVICES
Core Self Services
Intensive Services
Exiters for PY 2013
Core Registered Services
Training Services
Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County
Training-related
Attainment of a Literacy and/or Numeracy Gain
EXIT STATUS
Entered Employment
Page 1 of 1
ATTACHMENT 5
K491011 Subgrant
1.2013-14
2.1,928,676
3.
4.
5.1,928,676
6.1,735,808
172,696
356,778
642,522
409,034
154,778
7.192,868
8.1,928,676
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.506,282
14.1,012,565
15.1,518,847
16.1,928,676
17.1,928,676
18.1,928,676
19.1,928,676
20.1,928,676
COST COMPLIANCE PLAN (maximum 10%)
21.% for Administration Expenditures (Line 7/Line 5)10%
Local Workforce Investment Area
06/03/2013
Date Prepared
(Adult or Dislocated Worker)
December 2013
WIA Local Plan Program Year 2013-14
Title IB Budget Plan Summary¹
and recapture and reallocation policies and procedures.
Comments:
10%
1 Refer to 20 CFR Part 667.160 and WIA Directive WIAD01-10 for guidance and information regarding local area obligation rates,
925 313-1706
Telephone NumberContact Person, Title
Rhonda Scott, ASAIII
March 2015
December 2014
Contra Costa County
TOTAL (Line 6 plus 7)
September 2012
1,949,913
1,949,913
December 2012 1,023,714
A. Core Self Services
B. Core Registered Services
1,949,913
1,754,922
174,597
Program Services (sum of Lines 6.A thru 6.E)
511,857
QUARTERLY TOTAL EXPENDITURE PLAN (cumulative from July 1, 2012 and July 1, 2013 respectively)
March 2014
360,707
649,597
413,538
September 2013
Administration (Line 5 minus 6)
March 2013 1,535,571
June 2013
1,949,913
Transfers - Plus or Minus
2012-13
1,949,913
1,949,913
Year of Appropriation
Allocation Adjustment - Plus or Minus
Formula Allocation
Grant Code 201/202/203/204 WIA IB-Adult
Grant Code 501/502/503/504 WIA IB-Dislocated Worker
PROGRAM TYPE for PY 2013-14, beginning 07/01/13 through 06/30/14
TOTAL ALLOCATION COST CATEGORY PLAN
156,483
194,991
C. Intensive Services
D. Training Services
E. Other
FUNDING IDENTIFICATION
WIA 118; 20 CFR 661.350(a)(13)
K386292 Subgrant
June 2015
1,949,913
1,949,913June 2014
September 2014
TOTAL FUNDS AVAILABLE (Lines 2 thru 4)
FWSD12-14D Page 1 of 1 5/13
ATTACHMENT 5
K491011 Subgrant
1.2013-14
2.2,550,026
3.
4.
5.2,550,026
6.2,295,023
228,332
471,719
849,520
540,810
204,642
7.255,003
8.2,550,026
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.669,388
14.1,338,777
15.2,008,165
16.2,550,026
17.2,550,026
18.2,550,026
19.2,550,026
20.2,550,026
COST COMPLIANCE PLAN (maximum 10%)
21.% for Administration Expenditures (Line 7/Line 5)10%
Local Workforce Investment Area
06/03/2013
Date Prepared
June 2015
2,688,211
2,688,211June 2014
September 2014
FUNDING IDENTIFICATION
WIA 118; 20 CFR 661.350(a)(13)
K386292 Subgrant
TOTAL FUNDS AVAILABLE (Lines 2 thru 4)
TOTAL ALLOCATION COST CATEGORY PLAN
215,732
268,821
C. Intensive Services
D. Training Services
E. Other
Grant Code 201/202/203/204 WIA IB-Adult
Grant Code 501/502/503/504 WIA IB-Dislocated Worker
PROGRAM TYPE for PY 2013-14, beginning 07/01/13 through 06/30/14
Transfers - Plus or Minus
2012-13
2,688,211
2,688,211
Year of Appropriation
Allocation Adjustment - Plus or Minus
Formula Allocation
March 2014
497,282
895,555
570,116
September 2013
Administration (Line 5 minus 6)
March 2013 2,116,987
June 2013
2,688,211
2,688,211
2,419,390
240,705
Program Services (sum of Lines 6.A thru 6.E)
705,662
QUARTERLY TOTAL EXPENDITURE PLAN (cumulative from July 1, 2012 and July 1, 2013 respectively)
2,688,211
December 2012 1,411,325
A. Core Self Services
B. Core Registered Services
10%
1 Refer to 20 CFR Part 667.160 and WIA Directive WIAD01-10 for guidance and information regarding local area obligation rates,
925 313-1706
Telephone NumberContact Person, Title
Rhonda Scott, ASAIII
Contra Costa County
and recapture and reallocation policies and procedures.
Comments:
WIA Local Plan Program Year 2013-14
Title IB Budget Plan Summary¹
(Adult or Dislocated Worker)
December 2013
March 2015
December 2014
TOTAL (Line 6 plus 7)
September 2012
2,688,211
FWSD12-14D Page 1 of 1 5/13
ATTACHMENT 6WIA Local Plan Program Year 2013-14
K491011 Subgrant
1.2013-14
2.1,964,860
3.
4.1,964,860
5.1,768,374
893,243
875,131
6.196,486
7.1,964,860
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.123,555
14.510,864
15.1,021,727
16.1,532,591
17.1,964,860
18.1,964,860
19.1,964,860
20.1,964,860
21.10%
Local Workforce Investment Area
6/3/2013
Contact Person, Title Date Prepared
Comments:
Telephone Number
Rhonda Scott, ASAIII 925 313-1706
TOTAL FUNDS AVAILABLE (Line 2 plus 3)
% for Administration Expenditures (Line 6/Line 4)
QUARTERLY TOTAL EXPENDITURE PLAN (cumulative from April 1, 2012 and April 1, 2013 respectively)
TOTAL ALLOCATION COST CATEGORY PLAN
B. Out-of-School (30%)
Allocation Adjustment - Plus or Minus
PROGRAM TYPE for PY 2013-14, beginning 04/01/13 through 06/30/14
Year of Appropriation
Formula Allocation
FUNDING IDENTIFICATION
1,981,803
1,981,803
June 2014
September 2014
December 2014
March 2015
June 2015
March 2014
March 2013
Administration (Line 4 minus 5)
TOTAL (Line 5 plus 6)
December 2012
June 2012
September 2013
December 2013
1,981,803
1,981,803
891,811
198,180
1,981,803
125,000
515,269
1,981,803
1,030,538
1,981,803
891,812A. In School
1,545,806
June 2013
September 2012
K386292 Subgrant
2012-13
1,783,623Program Services (sum of Lines 5A and 5B)
WIA 118; 20 CFR 661.350(a)(13)
1,800,000
Grant Code 301/302/303/304 WIA IB-Youth
10%
Contra Costa County
COST COMPLIANCE PLAN
and recapture and reallocation policies and procedures.
1 Refer to 20 CFR Part 667.160 and WIA Directive WIAD01-10 for guidance and information regarding local area obligation rates,
Title IB Budget Plan Summary¹
(Youth)
FWSD12-14E Page 1 of 2 5/13
ATTACHMENT 7
FWSD12-14F Page 1 of 2 5/13
WIA Local Plan Program Year 2013-14
Negotiated Levels of Performance
(Responses to State Plan Appendix H – Section 8)
Instructions: Enter your local area's levels of performance for PYs 2011-12 and 2012-13 and provide an
estimate of your PY 2013-14 performance target. On the following page, provide a narrative rationale that
supports each PY 2013-14 goal. For example, if the local projected goal is lower than the PY 2012-13 State
goal, provide an explanation.
STATE NEGOTIATED LEVELS OF PERFORMANCE 1
WIA Requirement at Section 136(b)² PY
2011-12
PY
2012–13
Adults
Entered Employment Rate 56.4% 59%
Employment Retention Rate 81.% 81%
Average Earnings $13,000 $13,700
Dislocated Workers
Entered Employment Rate 65% 64.5%
Employment Retention Rate 83% 84%
Average Earnings $15,900 $18,543
Youth (ages 14-21)
Placement in Employment or Education 65% 72%
Attainment of a Degree or Certificate 61% 60%
Literacy and Numeracy Gains 40% 54%
LOCAL LEVELS OF PERFORMANCE¹
WIA Requirement at Section 136(c)² PY
2011-12
PY
2012–13
Estimated PY
2013–14
Adults
Entered Employment Rate 76.5% 76.5% 77%
Employment Retention Rate 80% 81% 81%
Average Earnings $13,500 $13,700 $13,750
Dislocated Workers
Entered Employment Rate 77% 77% 77%
Employment Retention Rate 86% 86% 86%
Average Earnings $16,500 $18,543 $18,543
Youth (ages 14-21)
Placement in Employment or Education 65% 72% 72%
Attainment of a Degree or Certificate 61% 60% 60%
Literacy and Numeracy Gains 40% 54% 54%
1 Guidance on state and local performance can be found on the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Employment and Training Administration Web site.
Specific Training and Employment Guidance Letters (TEGL) include, but are not limited to 8-99, 11-01, and 17-05.
2 The DOL Employment and Training Administration approved California’s waiver request to move from the statutory performance measures specified
in WIA Section 136 to the common performance measures defined in TEGL 17-05. This waiver was initially approved for
Program Year (PY) 2007-08 and has been extended through PY 2013-14.
FWSD12-14F Page 2 of 2 5/13
RATIONALE SUPPORTING PY 2013-14 ESTIMATED LOCAL PERFORMANCE LEVELS
All PY 2013 -14 Performance Levels proposed match local PY 2012-13 levels and match or exceed State
levels for PY 2012 -13. Given the expectation of reductions in allocated funding and the areas continued slow
progress in economic recovery, the local workforce area considers these projected PY 2013-2014 to be
reasonable and attainable.
ATTACHMENT 8
FWSD12-14G Page 1 of 2 5/13
WIA Local Plan Program Years 2013-17
Comprehensive One-Stop Center Partner Listing
The Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Section 121(b) identifies all the required partner
programs that must be part of the local One-Stop Career Center system. Those
programs are listed below. The Chief Local Elected Official may also include additional
partners to enhance the services provided locally. The Final Rule Section 662.250
requires these same partners to offer their program’s core services in at least one
comprehensive One-Stop Career Center in the local workforce area. Provide the name
of each organization (required and additional) that provides services in your local One-
Stop Career Center system. Include with your submittal, a copy of the executed
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) required under WIA Section 121(c). If an MOU
has not been fully executed with a partner, notice instructions are included in
Directive WIAD05-6, Notification Requirement Relating to Lack of One-Stop MOUs.
A separate form should be completed for each One-Stop Career Center in your local
area that meets this requirement.
1. LWIB Please enter all information requested
Today’s Date: 6/12/13
Name of Local Workforce Investment Board: Workforce Development Board of Contra
Costa County
Counties covered: Contra Costa
Center’s complete physical address: 4545 Delta Fair Blvd, Antioch, CA 94509
Mailing address (if different): see above
One-Stop Career Center hours of operation: Mon - Fri 8:30am - 5pm
Public phone number: 925-706-4830
Public fax number: 925-706-4855
TTY number:
Website URL: www.eastbayworks.com
Office Manager/Administrator:
(Name and Title)
Richard Cox, Site Coordinator
Phone number and email: 925-706-4829 rcox@ehsd.cccounty.us
Public contact email address:
Number of staff: 6
2. Required Partner Programs Partner Providing the Core Services
Programs authorized under WIA Title I
(Public Law 105-220);
Contra Costa County Employment and Human
Services Department
Programs authorized under
the Wagner-Peyser Act
(29 U.S.C. 49 et seq.);
Employment Development Department
Adult education and literacy activities
authorized under WIA Title II
(Public Law 105-220);
Pittsburg Adult Education Center
FWSD12-14G Page 2 of 2 5/13
Programs authorized under Title I of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973
(29 U.S.C. 720 et seq.);
California Department of Rehabilitation
Programs authorized under Section
403(a)(5) of the Social Security Act
(42 U.S.C. 603(a)(5), as added by
Section 5001 of the Balanced Budget
Act of 1997);
Contra Costa County Employment and Human
Services Department
Activities authorized under Title V of the
Older Americans Act of 1965
(42 U.S.C. 3056 et seq.);
Senior Community Service Employment
Program/Workforce Development Board
Postsecondary vocational education
activities authorized under the Carl D.
Perkins Vocational and Applied
Technology Education Act
(20 U.S.C. 2301 et seq.);
Pittsburg Adult Education Center
Activities authorized under Chapter 2 of
Title II of the Trade Act of 1974
(19 U.S.C. 2271 et eq.);
Employment Development Department
Activities authorized under Chapter 41
of Title 38, U.S.C.;
Employment Development Department
Employment and training activities
carried out under the Community
Services Block Grant Act
(42 U.S.C. 9901 et seq.);
Contra Costa County Employment and Human
Services Department
Employment and training activities
carried out by the Department of Housing
and Urban Development; and,
Contra Costa County Department of Conservation &
Development
Programs authorized under State
unemployment compensation laws
(in accordance with applicable federal
law).
Employment Development Department
Additional Partner Programs Organization
ATTACHMENT 8
FWSD12-14G Page 1 of 2 5/13
WIA Local Plan Program Years 2013-17
Comprehensive One-Stop Center Partner Listing
The Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Section 121(b) identifies all the required partner
programs that must be part of the local One-Stop Career Center system. Those
programs are listed below. The Chief Local Elected Official may also include additional
partners to enhance the services provided locally. The Final Rule Section 662.250
requires these same partners to offer their program’s core services in at least one
comprehensive One-Stop Career Center in the local workforce area. Provide the name
of each organization (required and additional) that provides services in your local One-
Stop Career Center system. Include with your submittal, a copy of the executed
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) required under WIA Section 121(c). If an MOU
has not been fully executed with a partner, notice instructions are included in
Directive WIAD05-6, Notification Requirement Relating to Lack of One-Stop MOUs.
A separate form should be completed for each One-Stop Career Center in your local
area that meets this requirement.
1. LWIB Please enter all information requested
Today’s Date: 6/12/13
Name of Local Workforce Investment Board: Workforce Development Board of Contra
Costa County
Counties covered: Contra Costa
Center’s complete physical address: 281 Pine Street, Brentwood, CA 94513
Mailing address (if different): see above
One-Stop Career Center hours of operation: Mon - Fri 8:30am - 5pm
Public phone number: 925-634-2195
Public fax number: 925-516-0762
TTY number:
Website URL: www.eastbayworks.com
Office Manager/Administrator:
(Name and Title)
Richard Cox, Site Coordinator
Phone number and email: 925-753-3203 rcox@ehsd.cccounty.us
Public contact email address:
Number of staff: 6
2. Required Partner Programs Partner Providing the Core Services
Programs authorized under WIA Title I
(Public Law 105-220);
Contra Costa County Employment and Human
Services Department
Programs authorized under
the Wagner-Peyser Act
(29 U.S.C. 49 et seq.);
Employment Development Department
Adult education and literacy activities
authorized under WIA Title II
(Public Law 105-220);
Pittsburg Adult Education Center
FWSD12-14G Page 2 of 2 5/13
Programs authorized under Title I of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973
(29 U.S.C. 720 et seq.);
California Department of Rehabilitation
Programs authorized under Section
403(a)(5) of the Social Security Act
(42 U.S.C. 603(a)(5), as added by
Section 5001 of the Balanced Budget
Act of 1997);
Contra Costa County Employment and Human
Services Department
Activities authorized under Title V of the
Older Americans Act of 1965
(42 U.S.C. 3056 et seq.);
Senior Community Service Employment
Program/Workforce Development Board
Postsecondary vocational education
activities authorized under the Carl D.
Perkins Vocational and Applied
Technology Education Act
(20 U.S.C. 2301 et seq.);
Pittsburg Adult Education Center and Liberty
Adult School
Activities authorized under Chapter 2 of
Title II of the Trade Act of 1974
(19 U.S.C. 2271 et eq.);
Employment Development Department
Activities authorized under Chapter 41
of Title 38, U.S.C.;
Employment Development Department
Employment and training activities
carried out under the Community
Services Block Grant Act
(42 U.S.C. 9901 et seq.);
Contra Costa County Employment and Human
Services Department
Employment and training activities
carried out by the Department of Housing
and Urban Development; and,
Contra Costa County Department of Conservation &
Development
Programs authorized under State
unemployment compensation laws
(in accordance with applicable federal
law).
Employment Development Department
Additional Partner Programs Organization
Migrant & Seasonal Farm Worker Programs California Human Development Corporation
ATTACHMENT 8
FWSD12-14G Page 1 of 2 5/13
WIA Local Plan Program Years 2013-17
Comprehensive One-Stop Center Partner Listing
The Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Section 121(b) identifies all the required partner
programs that must be part of the local One-Stop Career Center system. Those
programs are listed below. The Chief Local Elected Official may also include additional
partners to enhance the services provided locally. The Final Rule Section 662.250
requires these same partners to offer their program’s core services in at least one
comprehensive One-Stop Career Center in the local workforce area. Provide the name
of each organization (required and additional) that provides services in your local One-
Stop Career Center system. Include with your submittal, a copy of the executed
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) required under WIA Section 121(c). If an MOU
has not been fully executed with a partner, notice instructions are included in
Directive WIAD05-6, Notification Requirement Relating to Lack of One-Stop MOUs.
A separate form should be completed for each One-Stop Career Center in your local
area that meets this requirement.
1. LWIB Please enter all information requested
Today’s Date: 6/12/13
Name of Local Workforce Investment Board: Workforce Development Board of Contra
Costa County
Counties covered: Contra Costa
Center’s complete physical address: 4071 Port Chicago Hwy,Suite 250,
Concord,CA 94520
Mailing address (if different): see above
One-Stop Career Center hours of operation: M-F 8:30am-5pm / Tues 8:30am-7:00pm
Public phone number: 925-671-4500
Public fax number: 925-646-5563
TTY number:
Website URL: www.eastbayworks.com
Office Manager/Administrator:
(Name and Title)
Claire Marchiano, Site Coordinator
Phone number and email: 925-671-4515
cmarchiano@ehsd.cccounty.us
Public contact email address:
Number of staff: 7
2. Required Partner Programs Partner Providing the Core Services
Programs authorized under WIA Title I
(Public Law 105-220);
Contra Costa County Employment and Human
Services Department
Programs authorized under
the Wagner-Peyser Act
(29 U.S.C. 49 et seq.);
Employment Development Department
Adult education and literacy activities Mount Diablo Adult School
FWSD12-14G Page 2 of 2 5/13
authorized under WIA Title II
(Public Law 105-220);
Programs authorized under Title I of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973
(29 U.S.C. 720 et seq.);
California Department of Rehabilitation
Programs authorized under Section
403(a)(5) of the Social Security Act
(42 U.S.C. 603(a)(5), as added by
Section 5001 of the Balanced Budget
Act of 1997);
Contra Costa County Employment and Human
Services Department
Activities authorized under Title V of the
Older Americans Act of 1965
(42 U.S.C. 3056 et seq.);
Senior Community Service Employment
Program/Workforce Development Board
Postsecondary vocational education
activities authorized under the Carl D.
Perkins Vocational and Applied
Technology Education Act
(20 U.S.C. 2301 et seq.);
Mount Diablo Adult School and Diablo Valley
College
Activities authorized under Chapter 2 of
Title II of the Trade Act of 1974
(19 U.S.C. 2271 et eq.);
Employment Development Department
Activities authorized under Chapter 41
of Title 38, U.S.C.;
Employment Development Department
Employment and training activities
carried out under the Community
Services Block Grant Act
(42 U.S.C. 9901 et seq.);
Contra Costa County Employment and Human
Services Department
Employment and training activities
carried out by the Department of Housing
and Urban Development; and,
Contra Costa County Department of Conservation &
Development
Programs authorized under State
unemployment compensation laws
(in accordance with applicable federal
law).
Employment Development Department
Additional Partner Programs Organization
ATTACHMENT 8
FWSD12-14G Page 1 of 2 5/13
WIA Local Plan Program Years 2013-17
Comprehensive One-Stop Center Partner Listing
The Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Section 121(b) identifies all the required partner
programs that must be part of the local One-Stop Career Center system. Those
programs are listed below. The Chief Local Elected Official may also include additional
partners to enhance the services provided locally. The Final Rule Section 662.250
requires these same partners to offer their program’s core services in at least one
comprehensive One-Stop Career Center in the local workforce area. Provide the name
of each organization (required and additional) that provides services in your local One-
Stop Career Center system. Include with your submittal, a copy of the executed
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) required under WIA Section 121(c). If an MOU
has not been fully executed with a partner, notice instructions are included in
Directive WIAD05-6, Notification Requirement Relating to Lack of One-Stop MOUs.
A separate form should be completed for each One-Stop Career Center in your local
area that meets this requirement.
1. LWIB Please enter all information requested
Today’s Date: 6/12/13
Name of Local Workforce Investment Board: Workforce Development Board of Contra
Costa County
Counties covered: Contra Costa
Center’s complete physical address: 2300 El Portal Dr, Suite B, San Pablo,CA
94806
Mailing address (if different): see above
One-Stop Career Center hours of operation: Mon - Fri 8:30am - 5pm
Public phone number: 510-412-6740
Public fax number: 510-374-7454
TTY number:
Website URL: www.eastbayworks.com
Office Manager/Administrator:
(Name and Title)
Patience Ofodu, Site Coordinator
Phone number and email: 510-412-6743 pofodu@ehsd.cccounty.us
Public contact email address:
Number of staff: 7
2. Required Partner Programs Partner Providing the Core Services
Programs authorized under WIA Title I
(Public Law 105-220);
Contra Costa County Employment and Human
Services Department
Programs authorized under
the Wagner-Peyser Act
(29 U.S.C. 49 et seq.);
Employment Development Department
Adult education and literacy activities
authorized under WIA Title II
West Contra Costa Unified School District
FWSD12-14G Page 2 of 2 5/13
(Public Law 105-220);
Programs authorized under Title I of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973
(29 U.S.C. 720 et seq.);
California Department of Rehabilitation
Programs authorized under Section
403(a)(5) of the Social Security Act
(42 U.S.C. 603(a)(5), as added by
Section 5001 of the Balanced Budget
Act of 1997);
Contra Costa County Employment and Human
Services Department
Activities authorized under Title V of the
Older Americans Act of 1965
(42 U.S.C. 3056 et seq.);
Senior Community Service Employment
Program/Workforce Development Board
Postsecondary vocational education
activities authorized under the Carl D.
Perkins Vocational and Applied
Technology Education Act
(20 U.S.C. 2301 et seq.);
Contra Costa College
Activities authorized under Chapter 2 of
Title II of the Trade Act of 1974
(19 U.S.C. 2271 et eq.);
Employment Development Department
Activities authorized under Chapter 41
of Title 38, U.S.C.;
Employment Development Department
Employment and training activities
carried out under the Community
Services Block Grant Act
(42 U.S.C. 9901 et seq.);
Contra Costa County Employment and Human
Services Department
Employment and training activities
carried out by the Department of Housing
and Urban Development; and,
Contra Costa County Department of Conservation &
Development
Programs authorized under State
unemployment compensation laws
(in accordance with applicable federal
law).
Employment Development Department
Additional Partner Programs Organization
ATTACHMENT 9
FWSD12-14H Page 1 of 1 5/13
WIA Local Plan Program Years 2013-17
Memorandums of Understanding
Local Workforce Investment Boards are required to establish a Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU) with each partner that provides services through the local
One-Stop System. Complete the information below and attach a copy of each MOU with
your local plan under this cover sheet.
Local Partner Name MOU Expiration Date
1. California Employment Development Department N/A
2. California Human Development Corporation N/A
3. Contra Costa Adult & Community Education N/A
4. Contra Costa Community College District N/A
5. Contra Costa County Department of Conservation &
Development N/A
6. Contra Costa County Employment & Human Services
Department N/A
7. California Department of Rehabilitation June 30, 2015
ATTACHMENT 10 FWSD12-14I Page 1 of 1 5/13 WIA Local Plan Program Years 2013-14 Local Area Grant Recipient Listing Instructions: Enter the name of the Local Workforce Investment Area (local area), organization, contact person’s name and title, mailing address, telephone and fax numbers, and e-mail address. Obtain the appropriate signature of the Chief Local Elected Official(s), or their officially designated alternates. (Note: Alternates must be designated by official action of their respective boards or by locally approved policy.) If you have more than one Chief Local Elected Official who must sign the local plan, add an additional signature page. Enter their respective names, titles, and the dates of signature. [WIA Sections 117(d)(3)(B)(i) and 118(b)(8)] Name of local area: Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County ENTITY ORGANIZATION CONTACT (NAME/TITLE) MAILING ADDRESS (STREET, CITY, ZIP) TELEPHONE, FAX, E-MAIL Grant Recipient (or Subrecipient if applicable) Contra Costa County Employment and Human Services Department Kathy Gallagher, Director Employment and Human Services Department 40 Douglas Drive, Martinez 94553 925-313-1579 kgallagher@ehsd.cccounty.us Fiscal Agent Contra Costa County Employment and Human Services Department Kathy Gallagher, Director Employment and Human Services Department 40 Douglas Drive, Martinez 94553 925-313-1579 kgallagher@ehsd.cccounty.us Local Area Administrator Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County Stephen Baiter, Executive Director 300 Ellinwood Way, 3rd Floor Pleasant Hill, CA 94523 925-602-6820 sbaiter@ehsd.cccounty.us Local Area Administrator Alternate Federal D. Glover, Chair Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors Chief Local Elected Official Signature Date If a Local Grant Subrecipient has been designated, please submit a copy of the agreement between the Chief Local Elected Official and the Subrecipient. The agreement should delineate roles and responsibilities of each, including signature authority.
ATTACHMENT 11
FWSD12-14J Page 1 of 1 5/13
WIA Local Plan Program Years 2013-17
Local Workforce Investment Board Bylaws
Local Workforce Investment Boards are required to submit a copy of their bylaws as
an attachment to the local plan. Include the bylaws under this cover page. As a
reminder, the local board’s composition should include a minimum of 15 percent of its
membership from labor organizations and should also include a Business Council. If
an existing body of the local board already includes the required membership, that
information should be included in the local plan narrative.
Workforce Development Board Of Contra Costa County
Organization Bylaws
ARTICLE I - NAME
The name of this organization shall be the Workforce Development Board (WDB) of Contra Costa County.
ARTICLE II - SCOPE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
As set forth in the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 and subsequent actions by the Contra Costa County Board
of Supervisors, the responsibilities of the WDB are:
A. Develop and submit a local workforce investment plan to the Governor, in partnership with the County
Board of Supervisors, for the Contra Costa County Local Workforce Investment Area (LWIA), whose
boundaries include the entirety of Contra Costa County, exclusive of the City of Richmond.
B. With the agreement of the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors, designate one-stop
operator(s) and terminate the eligibility of such operator(s) for cause; identify eligible provider(s) of
youth activities in the Contra Costa County LWIA by awarding grants or contracts on a competitive
basis, based on recommendations of the Youth Council; identify eligible providers of training services
for adults and dislocated workers; and identify eligible providers of intensive services by awarding
contracts which may be on a competitive basis if the one-stop operator does not provide such
intensive services in the LWIA.
C. Develop a budget for purposes of carrying out the duties of the WDB subject to the approval of the
Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors. The WDB may solicit and accept grants and donations
from sources other than federal funds.
D. In partnership with the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors, conduct oversight with respect to
local programs of youth activities and local employment and training activities for employers, adults,
and youth at the one-stop centers in the LWIA.
E. Negotiate and reach agreement on Workforce Investment Act local performance measures with the
Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors and the Governor, and certify comprehensive One Stop
Center(s).
F. Assist the Governor in the development of a statewide employment statistics system (e.g., labor
market information system pursuant to the Wagner-Peyser Act).
G. Coordinate workforce development activities carried out in the LWIA with economic development
strategies and develop other employer linkages.
H. Promote the active participation of the private sector in the local workforce investment system.
ARTICLE III - MEMBERSHIP
A. Members of the WDB shall be appointed by the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors in
accordance with federal and state law, and as further described below in Article II, Paragraphs B, C,
and D.
WDB Bylaws –Adopted January 17, 2012 Page 1 of 7
Workforce Development Board Of Contra Costa County
Organization Bylaws
B. Seat terms shall be staggered and of four years’ duration. The term of each seat will commence on
July 1st and terminate on June 30th four calendar years later.
C. The WDB will be comprised of at least 50% plus one of business members. The majority of these
members shall 1) be owners of businesses, chief executives or operating officers of businesses, and
other business executives or employers with optimum policy-making or hiring authority, and 2)
represent businesses with employment opportunities that reflect the employment opportunities of the
local area. WDB membership shall include small businesses and minority-owned and women-owned
businesses.
D. The non-business membership shall include members who are representative of categories set forth in
Workforce Investment Act and related federal, state or local law. Representatives shall be
individuals with optimum policymaking authority within the organizations, agencies, or entities they
represent.
E. Members of the WDB shall either reside in or be representatives of businesses, organizations or
agencies located within the LWIA.
F. The WDB may recommend to the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors changes to the size and
composition of its membership, provided that two-thirds of its members have voted to recommend the
change. Recommended changes to size and composition of the WDB membership must be approved
by the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors.
G. The members of the WDB shall be reimbursed for mileage for their attendance at meetings in
accordance with Contra Costa County travel reimbursement policies, if not otherwise reimbursed by
their employer or by another source. A member shall make a request for reimbursement to the WDB
Executive Director.
H. Members attending pre-arranged outside special functions on behalf of the WDB shall be reimbursed
for expenses in accordance with Contra Costa County travel reimbursement policies, if not otherwise
reimbursed by virtue of their job or by another source.
ARTICLE IV - STANDARD OF CONDUCT
Members of the Workforce Development Board will:
A. Avoid situations which give rise to a suggestion that any decision was influenced by prejudice, bias,
special interest, or personal gain by recusing themselves from the discussion and action taken.
B. Exercise due diligence to avoid situations which may give rise to an assertion that favorable
treatment is being granted to friends and associates.
C. Disclose potential financial conflict of interest by filing Form 700 and all other necessary and
required documents
D. Not solicit or accept money or any other consideration from any person for the performance of an act
reimbursed in whole or part with Workforce Investment Act funds.
E. Not participate nor vote on contracts or grants relating to services provided by that member or the
WDB Bylaws –Adopted January 17, 2012 Page 2 of 7
Workforce Development Board Of Contra Costa County
Organization Bylaws
entity he or she represents, if the member or the entity financially benefits from the decision.
F. Abide by all conflict of interest codes and attend requisite training.
ARTICLE V - TERMINATIONS
Any member may be terminated from membership on the WDB by one of the following actions:
A. Resignation.
B. Failure to attend three consecutive regularly scheduled full WDB and/or committee meetings,
excessive excused absences from regularly scheduled WDB and/or committee meetings, or failure to
resign when he/she ceases to be a representative of the group from which he/she was selected. Said
conduct shall automatically be reviewed by the WDB Executive Committee, which in turn shall present
a recommendation to the WDB. A majority vote of the WDB membership is needed to affirm the
recommendation.
C. For conduct, activities, or interest detrimental to the purpose of the WDB. Said conduct is subject to
review by the Executive Committee, which in turn shall present a recommendation to the WDB. An
affirmative vote of fifty percent (50%) rounded-up, plus one (1) of the full membership is needed to
ratify the recommendation.
ARTICLE VI - OFFICERS AND DUTIES
A. The number of officers shall be determined by the WDB. At a minimum, there shall be a Chairperson
and Vice-Chairperson. Any two officer positions, except those of the Chairperson and Vice-
Chairperson, may be held by the same person. Whenever possible, the outgoing Chair will continue
to serve as an active board member as the Past Chair for at least one year.
B. Officers’ terms will commence on July 1 and end on June 30 of the following calendar year.
C. The Chairperson shall preside at all WDB meetings, represent the WDB whenever the occasion
demands, appoint members to committees, and call special meetings at any time necessary.
D. The Vice-Chairperson(s) shall assist the Chairperson and assume all the obligations and authority of
the Chairperson in his/her absence, and shall chair the Executive Committee. In the event that the
Vice-Chairperson(s) are not available, the Past Chair shall serve in this capacity.
E. The Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson(s) of the WDB will be selected from among members of the
WDB who are representative of the business sector. In the event that there is not at least one WDB
member currently sitting as Vice Chairperson, the Chair shall appoint a Vice Chairperson on a
quarterly rotating basis. In making such appointments, the Chair will give preference to eligible
Committee Co-Chairs.
F. A WDB member may serve as Chairperson for a period of no longer than two (2) years and as a
Vice-Chairperson for no longer than three (3) years.
G. Any officer may be removed from office by the affirmative vote of fifty percent (50%) rounded-up,
plus one (1) of the full membership for conduct, activities or interest detrimental to the interest of the
WDB Bylaws –Adopted January 17, 2012 Page 3 of 7
Workforce Development Board Of Contra Costa County
Organization Bylaws
WDB, in accordance with Article V, section C.
ARTICLE VII - ELECTIONS
A. A Nominating Committee shall be convened each fiscal year to designate a new slate of officers for
the following fiscal year. The Nominating Committee shall be chaired by the Immediate Past
Chairperson who shall appoint at least two (2) other Board members, a majority of whom shall
represent the business community. In the event the position of Immediate Past Chairperson is vacant,
the Chairperson shall appoint the Chair of the Nominating Committee.
B. The period for officer nominations shall commence upon the establishment of the Nominating
Committee and will close 30 days prior to the final regularly scheduled full board meeting of the
fiscal year.
C. A report from the Nominating Committee on selection of officers shall be provided to the members in
advance of officer elections and made available to the public.
D. An election of officers shall be held no later than the final regularly scheduled full WDB meeting of
the fiscal year. Officers shall be elected by a majority vote of the members present. Terms of office
shall begin at the beginning of each fiscal year.
ARTICLE VIII - VACANCIES
A. The WDB or its Executive Committee shall review scheduled and unscheduled membership vacancies
as they occur and assess associated needs with appointing a replacement. The WDB and Executive
Committee shall consider applicable federal and state membership guidelines in formulating a
recommendation for review. A majority vote of members present at a WDB or WDB Executive
Committee meeting is needed to affirm the recommendation.
B. The WDB Chairperson shall immediately report to the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors any
unscheduled vacancy. The WDB may recommend a replacement for each unscheduled vacancy to the
Board of Supervisors no sooner than ten working days after the Clerk of the Board posts the special
notice announcing the unscheduled vacancy.
C. A vacancy in any officer position may be filled by the WDB for the unexpired term of the position by
a majority vote of the members attending a called meeting of the full board or the Executive
Committee.
D. Nominations for appointment to the WDB shall be made in accordance with the Workforce Investment
Act. Nominees will be presented by the WDB to the appropriate committee of the Contra Costa
County Board of Supervisors’ for review and advancement to the Board of Supervisors for final
appointment to the WDB.
ARTICLE IX – QUORUM REQUIREMENTS
A. Fifty percent (50%) rounded-up of the authorized number of seats will constitute a quorum of the full
WDB or a WDB committee. In the absence of 50 percent rounded-up in attendance, the meeting shall
be cancelled no later than thirty (30) minutes after scheduled meeting time provided that entire WDB
has been given proper notice as stated in these bylaws.
WDB Bylaws –Adopted January 17, 2012 Page 4 of 7
Workforce Development Board Of Contra Costa County
Organization Bylaws
B. When issues arise that require members to recuse themselves from the voting process, this action will
not count against the quorum count.
C. When a quorum is present, each regular voting member shall have one (1) vote when present. No
proxies or absentee votes shall be permitted.
ARTICLE X - COMMITTEES
A. The WDB Chairperson may establish Standing Committees, Ad Hoc Committees and Advisory Panels
as necessary and shall designate the chairpersons.
B. The size and purpose of each Standing or Ad Hoc Committee shall be determined by the WDB
Chairperson, in consultation with the designated Committee Chairpersons. Every effort shall be made
to ensure that each Standing committee is comprised of five (5) or more members of the WDB, the
majority of whom are representative of the business sector.
C. Each WDB Standing Committee will have two (2) Co-Chairpersons with responsibility for conducting
the regular business of that respective committee.
D. Any WDB member may serve as a Committee Chairperson or Co-Chairperson. WDB members may
serve as Chairs of a single WDB Standing Committee for a period or no more than four (4) years.
E. There shall be an Executive Committee composed of the WDB Chairperson, the Vice-Chairperson(s),
and a past WDB Chairperson, one (1) to two (2) voting members-at-large, and the Chairpersons of
Standing Committees. In the event a past Chairperson is not available, the Chair may appoint an
additional member-at-large. At least fifty percent (50%) plus one of the Executive Committee
members shall be representatives of the private sector.
F. The Executive Committee shall meet monthly at a regularly scheduled time and is authorized to act
on behalf of the Workforce Development Board on those matters delegated to it by the WDB. For
those matters not delegated to it by the WDB, the Executive Committee is authorized to meet and
act on behalf of the Workforce Development Board at such times as may be determined necessary
by the Chairperson, provided that such actions taken by the Executive Committee shall be ratified by
the WDB at its next regularly scheduled meeting.
The responsibilities of the Executive Committee shall include:
Approving annual budgets and forwarding to the WDB for review;
Obligating and approving awards of funding related to programmatic and/or operational
objectives (requires a 2/3 vote of Executive Committee members present for approval);
Hearing all budget related matters and forwarding appropriate items to the WDB
Developing legislative/advocacy platforms and position statements
Developing operational and policy objectives
Recommending membership appointments and resignations from the WDB to the Board of
Supervisors as necessary
At least once a year the Executive Committee will be charged with examining WDB planning
documents and priorities. The Executive Committee will coordinate committee activities, review
WDB Bylaws –Adopted January 17, 2012 Page 5 of 7
Workforce Development Board Of Contra Costa County
Organization Bylaws
committee reports and provide recommendations and advice to the WDB on all matters within the
jurisdiction of the bylaws.
G. There shall be a Youth Council established in accordance with the Workforce Investment Act to plan
for a comprehensive year-round youth services system and carry out those duties required under the
Act.
Appointment: Youth Council members who are not WDB members are appointed to and terminated
from the Youth Council by the WDB Executive Committee. These members may vote on matters put
forth to the Youth Council, but they are not voting members of the WDB.
Membership: Youth Council members shall serve in seats that have terms of four years.
Quorum: Quorum requirements for the Youth Council are identical to other WDB committees as
outlined in Article IX, Paragraph A. Fifty percent (50%) rounded-up of the authorized number of
seats will constitute a quorum of the Youth Council.
ARTICLE XI - RULE OF PROCEDURE
A. All meetings of the WDB and its committees shall be guided by the current edition of Roberts Rules of
Order, Revised.
B. The WDB shall be governed in its activities by all applicable laws, regulations and instructions.
ARTICLE XII - MEETINGS AND MEETING NOTICES
A. Meetings of the WDB may be held anywhere within the Contra Costa County LWIA, as determined
by the officers and staff of the WDB, at which reasonable accommodations for the disabled shall be
provided.
B. Regular meetings of the WDB shall be held at least once each calendar quarter, and shall be
conducted in accordance with all applicable federal, state and local laws.
C. Notices of regular meetings of the WDB and its committees shall comply with applicable local and
State meeting laws and board packets shall be mailed, e-mailed, or faxed to each member. These
notices shall include, at a minimum, the agenda for the upcoming meeting and the summary minutes of
the past meeting.
D. Special or emergency meetings of the WDB may be called at any time by the Chairperson, the
Executive Committee, or upon written request of at least a majority of WDB members. Notice of a
special or emergency meeting will include the time, date, place, and purpose. The notice, time
permitting, shall be not less than one working day before such meeting date. All meetings will be
subject to the Ralph M. Brown Act and all other applicable laws and ordinances.
ARTICLE XIII - AMENDMENTS
These bylaws may be altered, amended or repealed at any regular meeting of the WDB by a vote of two-
thirds (2/3) of the voting members present where there is a quorum, provided notice of the proposed change
shall have been mailed, e-mailed, or faxed to each representative no less than seven (7) days prior to such
WDB Bylaws –Adopted January 17, 2012 Page 6 of 7
Workforce Development Board Of Contra Costa County
Organization Bylaws
WDB Bylaws –Adopted January 17, 2012 Page 7 of 7
meeting.
Adopted by Workforce Development Board on September 18, 2000
Amendment to Article VIII, Section A on November 18, 2002
Amendment to Article III, Section J; Article IV, Sections B & C; Article V, Section E; Article VI, Sections A, B, C &
D; Article VII, Section A; Article VIII, Sections A, C & D; Article IV, Sections A, B, D; Article XIII – on September 22,
2003
Amendment to Bylaws on May 29, 2007
Amendment to Bylaws on January 17, 2012
ATTACHMENT 12 WIA Local Plan Program Years 2013-15 Local Workforce Investment Board Recertification Request Local Board Name: Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County Contact Person: Stephen Baiter Telephone: (925) 602-6820 Date: June 12, 2013 Local Workforce Investment Board Membership Certification The Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Section 117(a)(b) and (c) provides for the requirements for nominating and selecting members in each membership category. The WIA Section 117(b)(4) requires that business members constitute a majority of the Local Workforce Investment Board (local board). Per WIA Section 117(b)(5), the chairperson shall be a business representative. The required membership categories follow. I certify that the below listed members of the _Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County. Local Workforce Investment Board were appointed in the manner required by WIA Section 117. Martin Aufhauser Local Workforce Investment Board Chair Signature Date FWSD12-14K Page 1 of 12 5/13
INSTRUCTIONS: If the Chief Local Elected Official has approved additional membership categories, enter the information under “ADDITIONAL PARTNERS and ADDITIONAL ONE-STOP PARTNERS.” If the additional members are non-business, then a sufficient number of additional business members are required to maintain the business majority. If an individual represents multiple categories, after the first time s/he is identified (subsequent to the first notation), please asterisk his/her name at all subsequent entries. If a required membership category (program or activities) does not exist in your local area, simply indicate “does not exist” in the “Name” column for that category. Add extra lines as needed. Address any vacancies under “CORRECTIVE ACTION COMMENTS.” BUSINESS: WIA Section 117(b)(2)(A) – shall include (i) representatives of business in the local area, who (I) are owners of businesses, chief executives or operating officers of businesses, and other business executives or employers with optimum policy-making or hiring authority; (II) represent businesses with employment opportunities that reflect the employment opportunities of the local area; and (III) are appointed from among individuals nominated by local business organizations and business trade associations. Please identify the local board chairperson by typing CHAIR after his/her name. Name Title Entity Appointment DateTerm End Date Robert Rivera Branch Manager StaffMark 2/28/2012 6/30/2014 Mike McGill President/Principal Engineer MMS Design Associate 3/15/2011 6/30/2014 Vin Rover President Private Island Homes 6/25/2013 6/30/2014 April Treece Owner Opus Communications 6/25/2013 6/30/2017 Glen Zamanian Business Consultant Glen Zamanian Consulting 6/28/2011 6/30/2014 Joseph McCormack Community Advisory Panel Member Tesoro Refining 3/15/2011 6/30/2014 Yolanda Vega Performance & Learning Consultant SF Bay Area Transit District 11/10/2009 6/30/2013 Martin Aufhauser Sr. VP Wealth Advisor Morgan Stanley Smith Barney 6/28/2011 6/30/2013 Michael DePoortere Global Mfg Dir & Pittsburg Operation Dir. DOW Chemical Company 4/09/2013 6/30/2013 Jeff Stemke President Stemke Consulting Group 12/11/2012 6/30/2016 FWSD12-14K Page 2 of 12 5/13
Jeffery Hudson Chief Operating Officer Kaiser Foundation Hospitals, Inc. 9/20/2011 6/30/2015 Anne Quick Educ. Outreach VP ABC Northern CA Chapter 9/12/2011 6/30/2014 Teresa Lachenbruch Sr. VP - Div. Manager Wells Fargo Bank 9/11/2012 6/30/2016 Linda Backens Advisor, Policy & Operational Excellence Chevron Corporation 6/28/2011 6/30/2014 Tom Waller Principal Leadership Solutions 6/28/2011 6/30/2013 Jason Cox Manager of Training & Technical Recruiting USS Posco 6/25/2013 6/30/2016 David Parker Learning & Development Manager Shell Oil 6/25/2013 6/30/2016 Norm Hattich Consultant Norm Hattich Consultant 6/28/2011 6/30/2014 Gerard Ross Branch Manager - Tri Valley Manpower Group 6/26/2012 6/30/2014 LOCAL EDUCATION ENTITIES: WIA Section 117(b)(2)(A) – shall include (ii) representatives of local educational entities, including representatives of local educational agencies, local school boards, entities providing adult education and literacy activities, and postsecondary educational institutions (including representatives of community colleges, where such entities exist), selected from among individuals nominated by regional or local educational agencies, institutions, or organizations representing such local educational entities. A minimum of two appointments is required. Name Title Entity Appointment DateTerm End Date 1. Brenda King-Randle Coordinator/Principal West Contra Costa Unified School District 3/15/2011 6/30/2014 2. Joanne Durkee Director Mount Diablo Unified School District 9/14/2004 N/A 3. Helen Benjamin Chancellor CC Community College District 3/15/2011 N/A FWSD12-14K Page 3 of 12 5/13
LABOR ORGANIZATIONS: WIA Section 117(b)(2)(A) – shall include (iii) representatives of labor organizations (for a local area in which employees are represented by labor organizations), nominated by local labor federations, or (for a local area in which no employees are represented by such organizations), other representatives of employees. A minimum of two appointments is required. California Unemployment Insurance Code Section 14202(c) further requires representatives of labor organizations nominated by local labor federations, including a representative of an apprenticeship program and that at least 15 percent of local board members shall be representatives of labor organizations unless the local labor federation fails to nominate enough members. If this occurs, then at least 10 percent of the local board members shall be representatives of labor organizations. Name Title Entity Appointment DateTerm End Date 1. Charles Carpenter Training Safety Manager Contra Costa Central Labor Council, Carpenters 152 9/12/2011 6/30/2013 2. Mary Harms Community Service Director United Way of the Bay Area Labor Community 9/12/2011 6//30/2014 3. Michael Aidan Senior Union Rep Medical Professionals & Optometry Units, ESC Local IFPTE, AFL-CIO & CLC 6/28/2011 6/30/2014 4. John Roe Shop Stewart & Special Proj. Rep. United Food & Commercial Workers Local 5 9/11/2012 6/30/2014 5. Scott Stephan Asst. Bus. Manager IBEW Local 302 9/11/2012 6/30/2016 6. John May Union Representative United Food & Commercial Workers Local 5 6/25/2013 6/30/2017 FWSD12-14K Page 4 of 12 5/13
COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS: WIA Section 117(b)(2)(A) – shall include (iv) representatives of community-based organizations (including organizations representing individuals with disabilities and veterans, for a local area in which such organizations are present). A minimum of two appointments is required. Name Title Entity Appointment DateTerm End Date 1. Bob Brewer VP - Workforce Goodwill Industries of the Greater Bay Area 11/10/2009 6/30/2013 2. Will Sanford Executive Director Futures Explored, Inc 6/28/2011 6/30/2014 3. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AGENCIES: WIA Section 117(b)(2)(A) – shall include (v) representatives of economic development agencies, including private sector economic development entities. A minimum of two appointments is required. Name Title Entity Appointment DateTerm End Date 1. John Montagh Redevelopment & Housing Manager City of Concord 11/10/2009 6/30/2013 2. Cecelia Nichols-Fritzler Economic Development Coordinator/Human Resources Administrator City of Oakley 6/25/2013 6/30/2016 FWSD12-14K Page 5 of 12 5/13
ONE-STOP PARTNERS: WIA Section 117(b)(2)(A) – shall include (vi) representatives of each of the One-Stop partners. The required One-Stop partners are identified in WIA 121(b)(1). PROGRAMS AUTHORIZED UNDER THIS TITLE: WIA Section 121(b)(1)(B)(i) – Please check “yes” below if programs are operated anywhere within the local area; check “no” if not. The programs authorized under WIA Title I include: Program Yes No WIA Youth (Chapter 4) x WIA Adult and Dislocated Workers (Chapter 5) x Job Corps (Subtitle C) x National Programs (Subtitle D), including: Native American Programs (Section 166) x Migrant and Seasonal Farmworker Programs (Section 167) x Veterans’ Workforce Investment Programs (Section 168) x Youth Opportunity Grants (Section 169) x Demonstration, Pilot, Multiservice, Research, and Multistate Projects (Section 171) x National Emergency Grants (Section 173) x Of the programs identified as “yes” above, please complete name, title, entity and program(s), appointment date, and term end date below. If one individual represents more than one program, please include all programs in the Entity and Program(s) box. Name Title Entity and Program(s) Appointment DateTerm End Date Kathy Gallagher Director WIA Youth, Adult & NEG 4/09/2013 N/A Lily Aman Director Migrant & Seasonal Farmworkers 8/09/2005 N/A FWSD12-14K Page 6 of 12 5/13
PROGRAMS AUTHORIZED UNDER THE WAGNER-PEYSER ACT: WIA Section 121(b)(1)(B)(ii) Name Title Entity Appointment DateTerm End Date ADULT EDUCATION AND LITERACY ACTIVITIES AUTHORIZED UNDER WIA TITLE II: WIA Section 121(b)(1)(B)(iii) Name Title Entity Appointment DateTerm End Date Joanne Durkee Director CC Adult & Continuous Educ 9/14/2004 N/A PROGRAMS AUTHORIZED UNDER TITLE I OF THE REHABILITATION ACT OF 1973: WIA Section 121(b)(1)(B)(iv) Name Title Entity Appointment DateTerm End Date Carol Asch District Administrator Department of Rehabilitation 9/11/2012 N/A PROGRAMS AUTHORIZED UNDER SECTION 403(a)(5) OF THE SOCIAL SECURITY ACT (42 U.S.C. 603(a)(5)) (AS ADDED BY SECTION 5001 OF THE BALANCED BUDGET ACT OF 1997): WIA Section 121(b)(1)(B)(v) Name Title Entity Appointment DateTerm End Date Kathy Gallagher Director Contra Costa County Employment & Human Services Department 4/9/2013 N/A ACTIVITIES AUTHORIZED UNDER TITLE V OF THE OLDER AMERICANS ACT OF 1965: WIA Section 121(b)(1)(B)(vi) Name Title Entity Appointment DateTerm End Date Kathy Gallagher Director CCC Employment & Human Services Dept. 4/09/2013 N/A FWSD12-14K Page 7 of 12 5/13
POSTSECONDARY VOCATIONAL EDUCATION ACTIVITIES AUTHORIZED UNDER THE CARL D. PERKINS VOCATIONAL AND APPLIED TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION ACT: WIA Section 121(b)(1)(B)(vii) Name Title Entity Appointment DateTerm End Date Joann Durkee Director Mount Diablo Unified School District 9/14/2004 N/A Helen Benjamin Chancellor CC Community College District 3/15/2011 N/A ACTIVITIES AUTHORIZED UNDER CHAPTER 2 OF TITLE II OF THE TRADE ACT OF 1974: 121(b)(1)(B)(viii) Name Title Entity Appointment DateTerm End Date ACTIVITIES AUTHORIZED UNDER CHAPTER 41 OF TITLE 38, UNITED STATES CODE: WIA Section 121(b)(1)(B)(ix) – Job Counseling, Training, and Placement Service for Veterans. The local Employment Development Department Disabled Veterans Outreach Program (DVOP) and Local Veterans Employment Representatives (LVER) provide these services. Name Title Entity Appointment DateTerm End Date EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ACTIVITIES CARRIED OUT UNDER THE COMMUNITY SERVICES BLOCK GRANT ACT: WIA Section 121(b)(1)(B)(x) Name Title Entity Appointment DateTerm End Date Kathy Gallagher Director CCC Employment & Human Services 4/09/2013 N/A FWSD12-14K Page 8 of 12 5/13
EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ACTIVITIES CARRIED OUT BY THE DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT: WIA Section 121(b)(1)(B)(xi) Name Title Entity Appointment DateTerm End Date Robert Calkins Program Manager Contra Costa County Dept. of Conservation & Development 3/15/2011 N/A PROGRAMS AUTHORIZED UNDER STATE UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION LAWS: WIA Section 121(b)(1)(B)(xii) Name Title Entity Appointment DateTerm End Date FWSD12-14K Page 9 of 12 5/13
ADDITIONAL PARTNERS: WIA Section 117(b)(2)(B) – may include such other individuals or representatives of entities as the Chief Local Elected Official in the local area may determine to be appropriate. (These do not have to be One-Stop partners.) Name Title Entity Appointment DateTerm End Date Brian Cook Associate Vice President, Continuing and International Education CA State University, East Bay 8/21/2012 6/30/2016 ADDITIONAL ONE-STOP PARTNERS: WIA Section 121(b)(2)(A) IN GENERAL – In addition to the entities described in paragraph (1), other entities that carry out a human resource program described in subparagraph (B) may – (i) make available to participants, through the one-stop delivery system, the services described in WIA Section 134(d)(2) that are applicable to such program; and (ii) participate in the operation of such system consistent with the terms of the memorandum described in subsection (c), and with the requirements of the federal law in which the program is authorized; if the local board and Chief Local Elected Official involved approve such participation. WIA Section 121(b)(2)(B) PROGRAMS – The programs referred to in subparagraph (A) may include – (i) programs authorized under Part A of title IV of the Social Security Act; (ii) programs authorized under section 6(d)(4) of the Food Stamp Act of 1977; (iii) work programs authorized under section 6(o) of the Food Stamp Act of 1977; (iv) programs authorized under the National and Community Service Act of 1990; and (v) other appropriate federal, State, or local programs, including programs in the private sector. Name Title Entity Appointment DateTerm End Date Kathy Gallagher Director CCC Employment & Human Services Dept 4/09/2013 N/A FWSD12-14K Page 10 of 12 5/13
CORRECTIVE ACTION COMMENTS: Explain any vacant appointment(s) regarding the required membership composition only. Include the length of time the appointment(s) has been vacant, efforts made to fill the vacant appointment(s), and dates by which the vacant appointment(s) should be filled. Business Seats: We have recently filled all but two vacant business seats on our board, with several new high-profile individuals from driving industries in our region joining our board within the past few months. The remaining two vacant seats should be filled no later than September 2013. Wagner Peyser, Trade Act, and Unemployment Compsensation: Due to the retirement of the regional EDD Manager for Contra Costa County in early May 2013, this seat is temporarily vacant until the new appointee is seated, which is estimated to occur by July 2013. CBO: Due to the layoff of a staff person from a CBO serving veterans, one CBO seat is temporarily vacant and should be filled no later than September 2013. FWSD12-14K Page 11 of 12 5/13
FWSD12-14K Page 12 of 12 5/13 COMPLIANCE WITH MAJORITY OF BUSINESS REPRESENTATIVES: Total number of individuals currently sitting on local board = 37 Number of vacancies currently on local board = 4 Total local board membership = 41 Total number of business representatives currently sitting on local board = 19 Number of business representative vacancies currently on local board = 2 Total local board Business Members = 21 Divide total local board business members by total local board membership = 51% (must be greater than 50%) COMPLIANCE WITH LABOR REPRESENTATIVES Total number of labor representatives currently sitting on local board = 6 Number of labor representatives vacancies currently on local board = 0 Total local board Labor Representatives = 6 Divide total local board labor representatives by total local board membership = 15% (must be at least 15% unless not enough nominated by local labor federation, then at least 10%)
ATTACHMENT 13
FWSD12-14L Page 1 of 1 5/13
WIA Local Plan Program Years 2013-17
Program Administration Designee and Plan Signatures
This local plan represents the Contra Costa County Local Workforce Investment
Board’s efforts to maximize and coordinate resources available under Title I of the
Workforce Investment Act (WIA) of 1998.
This local plan is submitted for the period of July 1, 2013 through June 30, 2017 in
accordance with the provisions of the WIA.
Local Workforce Investment Board Chair Chief Local Elected Official
Signature Signature
Martin Aufhauser Federal D. Glover
Name Name
Chair/ Workforce Development Board of
Contra Costa County
Chair / Contra Costa County Board of
Supervisors
Title Title
Date Date