HomeMy WebLinkAboutBOARD STANDING COMMITTEES - 04222019 - FHS Cte Agenda Pkt
FAMILY & HUMAN SERVICES
COMMITTEE
SPECIAL MEETING
April 22, 2019
Note change in time : 2:00 P.M.
651 Pine Street, Room 101, Martinez
Supervisor Candace Andersen, Chair
Supervisor John Gioia, Vice Chair
Agenda
Items:
Items may be taken out of order based on the business of the day and preference
of the Committee
1.Introductions
2.Public comment on any item under the jurisdiction of the Committee and not on this
agenda (speakers may be limited to three minutes).
3. CONSIDER accepting status report on the Employment and Human Services
Department's implementation of the CalFresh benefits expansion. (Kathy Gallagher,
EHS Director; Wendy Therrian, EHS Workforce Services Bureau Director)
4. CONSIDER accepting status report from the Employment and Human Services
Department and the Workforce Development Board on implementation of the
Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act local and regional plans. (Donna Van Wert,
Workforce Development Board Executive Director)
5.The next meeting is currently scheduled for Monday, May 13, 2019.
6.Adjourn
The Family & Human Services Committee will provide reasonable accommodations for persons
with disabilities planning to attend Family & Human Services Committee meetings. Contact the
staff person listed below at least 72 hours before the meeting.
Any disclosable public records related to an open session item on a regular meeting agenda and
distributed by the County to a majority of members of the Family & Human Services Committee
less than 96 hours prior to that meeting are available for public inspection at 651 Pine Street, 10th
floor, during normal business hours.
Public comment may be submitted via electronic mail on agenda items at least one full work day
prior to the published meeting time.
For Additional Information Contact:
Julie DiMaggio Enea, Interim Committee Staff
Phone (925) 335-1077, Fax (925) 646-1353
julie.enea@cao.cccounty.us
FAMILY AND HUMAN SERVICES
COMMITTEE - Special Meeting 3.
Meeting Date:04/22/2019
Subject:SNAP/CalFresh (Food Stamp) Program Follow-up Report
Submitted For: Kathy Gallagher, Employment & Human Services Director
Department:Employment & Human Services
Referral No.: FHS #103
Referral Name: SNAP/CalFresh (Food Stamp) Program
Presenter: Kathy Gallagher Contact: Wendy Therrian, Director,
Workforce Svcs Bureau
Referral History:
The SNAP Program was originally referred to the Family and Human Services Committee by the
Board or Supervisors on February 15, 2011. This program was formerly known as Food Stamps
and is currently known as the Federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). In
California, the name of the program is CalFresh.
On September 24, 2018, Workforce Services Director Wendy Therrian presented an annual status
report to the FHS Committee. Wendy reported that applications increased by 121% over a ten
year period but that that CalFresh applications and disbursements had decreased from the prior
year likely due to higher employment. She expressed concern about the Federal Administration's
forthcoming guidelines that will restrict eligibility for cash aid and permanent housing to
permanent residents.
Supervisor Gioia observed that we are at nearly a 20% poverty level and that Devorah Levine had
done work to apply what the definition of "poverty level" is for Contra Costa County. The
Committee requested information on how this is affecting Contra Costa County specifically.
Supervisor Gioia asked why usage has decreased, and what staff are doing to address the different
reasons (other than unemployment decreasing) for the decrease. He suggested greater outreach.
Staff advised that they conduct cross-sector outreach through Meals on Wheels packets, for
example, but are always battling stigma.
Lisa Arnold spoke during the public comment period about the need to close the gap between jail
release and cash aid receipt, saying it can take as long as two weeks. She suggested that the
Medi-Cal application be initiated while a person is still incarcerated so he/she does not come out
desperate and the re-offend. Staff verified that they work with parolee entities and Rubicon center
on this.. Supervisor Andersen suggested that staff network with the Office of Re-entry and Justice
to obtain information about jail inmates who are preparing to emancipate.
Mariana Moore offered three recommendations from the CalFresh Partnership in pertinence to the
long wait times experienced by clients in County offices and call centers, which she attributed to a
lack of frontline staff in County offices:
Lift the hiring freeze on the Workforce Services Bureau so they can hire more frontline CalFresh staff.1.
Commit any augmented allocation this year to fund additional front line staff so that people can receive the
customer service they need to navigate the benefits process.
2.
In reference to customer service, access to benefits, and fighting hunger, create transparency about where the
resources for the CalFresh allocation are being used within the County to ensure that the best use of taxpayer
dollars. To do so, engage an independent contractor to conduct an impartial analysis of how CalFresh and
other public benefits administrative dollars are allocated, and share the results with the public.
3.
On December 3, 2018, Wendy Therrian presented a status update and response to the
recommendations previously made by the CalFresh Partnership.
Mariana Moore expressed frustration about the long wait times for food stamps. She
acknowledged the department's efforts but said more should be done to reduce wait times and that
a bolder response is needed. She requested an estimate of the number of staff that would be
needed to address the problem.
Larry Sly expressed concern about the additional workload associated with the "tsunami of
people" that will be wanting services due to pending SSI changes. He wanted to know how the
County was preparing for this workload spike. He opined that the County's Single Audit report is
incomprehensible and not a good substitute for clear department reporting or an independent
analysis. He stated that he was requesting only a one-time funding allocation.
Kathy Gallagher responded that not all who are eligible for SSI will actually apply, and that
Mathematica (policy research) makes estimates at the state level. She noted that these estimates
have no relation to the State dollar allocation to the County. She acknowledged that there is a
tight window during which to hire and train staff. EHS planned to hire in January, as applications
will be accepted in May, to be effective June 1. She consented to having an independent analysis
conducted if private funding were made available to fund such an analysis.
Community organization representatives commented that the strategies necessary to expedite the
process, such as flexible interviews and telephone signatures, will require additional staff, and that
the homeless and mentally ill are unable to complete the benefits applications nor can they
store/file the information.
Gigi Crawford suggested drop-in sites vs. telephone interviews and suggested that new staff
training include curriculum on mentally ill recipients. Carly Finkle suggested that staff need to be
trained by May 1 and that the State's estimate was an additional 10,000 applicants, a 33% increase
over the County's current workload.
Supervisor Gioia acknowledged that in lieu of lifting the hiring freeze, EHS is reassigning staff
internally to address workload shifts. He suggested starting the hiring process early in anticipation
of the SSI changes. He acknowledged the needs and explained that the County Budget is a
zero-sum exercise and the Board has the challenge of balancing all of the County's needs within
the limited resources available. He described some of the other critical County needs, including
the need to curtail staff turnover occurring due to hard-to-afford employee health benefits.
The Committee accepted the staff report with direction to the EHS Director to report back again in
2019.
Referral Update:
Please see attached report from EHS Director Kathy Gallagher providing an update on the
department's implementation of the CalFresh benefits expansion.
Recommendation(s)/Next Step(s):
ACCEPT status report on the Employment and Human Services Department's implementation of
the CalFresh expansion. (Kathy Gallagher, Employment and Human Services Director)
Attachments
EHSD WFS CalFresh Expansion Implementation Update 4-10-19
Family and Human Services Report April 22, 2019
Page 1
Report to the
Family and Human Services Committee
April 22, 2019
CalFresh Expansion to Include SSI Recipients
An Update as of April 15, 2019
Kathy Gallagher, EHSD Director
Family and Human Services Report April 22, 2019
Page 2
Contra Costa County Employment & Human Services Department
CalFresh Expansion Implementation Update
As Of April 15, 2019
A. What is CalFresh Expansion?
Effective June 1, 2019, individuals receiving or authorized to receive Supplemental Security Income/
Supplementary Payments (SSI/SSP) through the Social Security Administration are now eligible for
CalFresh or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). CalFresh and SNAP are commonly
referred to as “Food Stamps”.
Individuals who are blind, disabled or over the age of 65 with limited income and resources are eligible
for SSI/SSP. Many of these SSI/SSP individuals will now be authorized to receive CalFresh providing all
other eligibility criteria are met.
Similar to Health Care Reform, CalFresh Expansion adds a large newly eligible group of people to an
existing program under the administration of EHSD. Most of this SSI group are already known to EHSD
as MediCal, IHSS and General Assistance recipients.
B. How Many New CalFresh Applicants do we expect and how do they apply?
The following are projections received from the State of California Department of Social Services (CDSS)
of those Contra Costa residents who are eligible and will likely seek CalFresh benefits under the SSI Cash-
Out program.
Total number of Contra Costa County residents on SSI in June 2018: 24,841
Of the total number of County SSI recipients, the estimated number to be CalFresh Eligible: 10,045
Total SSI recipients CalFresh Eligible and expected to participate (75% participation rate): 7,533
Current IHSS recipients (6,527)
SSI recipients expected to apply, and those who will be added to an existing CalFresh household 2,512
The above numbers provided by CDSS only address eligible applicants. We anticipate a significant number of
ineligible individuals will submit applications as well due to the wide outreach being conducted.
Applications for CalFresh can be submitted in a variety of ways: phone; mail; on-line portals via the
Internet; in person at EHSD offices and at staffed sites such as the Food Bank, Family Justice Centers, et.al.
Home visits can be scheduled for application processing.
Family and Human Services Report April 22, 2019
Page 3
C. What is the internal service delivery plan that will be used to provide services to this
new population in the initial 4-6 months?
Both the Department’s Aging and Adult Services (AAS) Bureau as well as the Workforce Services (WFS)
Bureau will provide initial CalFresh application processing as well as eligibility determination for the new
SSI CalFresh population.
We expect to begin receiving applications in May, with heaviest influx in June, July and August. Workload
will be handled by existing staff in the WFS and IHSS bureaus through the use of overtime, and with the
assistance of up to 19 additional staff (14 temporary and 5 permanent).
Automation of the CalWIN system will not be available until May 13 which is delaying the training of staff.
Staff Development is ready to train, and has begun training existing CalFresh workers, who are already
familiar with the CalWIN system, in the new SSI processes.
As new applications level out we will review the data in order to revise and reset our estimates and staffing
plans. The State expects that many of the CalFresh applications from IHSS recipients would be processed
at their annual IHSS reassessment, however if an application is submitted prior to that date, it must be
processed regardless.
D. What will be the service delivery model for the SSI and pending SSI population?
EHSD will be combining the caseloads of SSI recipients into a separate eligibility division, under one
manager. These program caseloads include General Assistance, IHSS MediCal and CalFresh eligibility
cases (not IHSS program cases handled by social workers), non-IHSS CalFresh cases, and the SSI Advocacy
program. Workers in this division will have assigned cases and will be the primary case management
point of contact for their recipients. We plan to have this division fully established no later than October
2019.
E. What are current risks and concerns?
Under Federal law, the eligibility determination for CalFresh must be completed within 30 day of the
application date. If there is an influx of applications beyond our capacity to meet this requirement, the
county will be at risk of sanctions due to non-compliance.
Because of the vulnerable nature of this population, we expect to see an increased incidence of lost EBT
cards which will have an impact on the recipient, and, an impact on EHSD workload which to date has
not been anticipated by the State in their funding premises.
Likewise, an increased incidence of fraud perpetrated on some of our vulnerable elderly and mentally
challenged recipients will have similar impacts.
Funding: FY 18/19 State/Federal funding was provided in December 2018 in the amount of $973,280 to
cover planning and implementation costs. Because the implementation of the CalFresh Expansion
begins in May, this may not be sufficient funding to address the anticipated high numbers of applications
in the early months of the program. The CAO is making available up to $300,000 ($600,000 with Federal
match) to fill the gap until September when the FY 19/20 CalFresh/SSI allocations are known.
FAMILY AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE -
Special Meeting 4.
Meeting Date:04/22/2019
Subject:Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (Follow Up Report)
Submitted For: Kathy Gallagher, Employment & Human Services Director
Department:Employment & Human Services
Referral No.: FHS #109
Referral Name: Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (Follow Up Report)
Presenter: Donna Van Wert, Workforce Development
Board- Executive Director
Contact: Tish Gallegos (925)
608-4808
Referral History:
On January 6, 2015 the Board of Supervisors referred oversight and receipt of updates on the
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) to the Family and Human Services
Committee (FHS).
WIOA was signed into law on July 22, 2014. WIOA is designed to help job seekers access
employment, education, training, and support services to succeed in the labor market and to match
employers with the skilled workers they need to compete in the global economy. Congress passed
the Act by a wide bipartisan majority; it is the first legislative reform in 15 years of the public
workforce system. WIOA was expected to significantly impact the Employment and Human
Services Department (EHSD) and the way the Workforce Development Board does its work.
Therefore, updates on the impacts and changes was referred to FHS.
The most recent status update was provided to the FHS Committee on September 24, 2018, at
which Workforce Development Board Executive Director Donna Van Wert highlighted the
number of people serviced and the specialized programs and business partners. She advised that
significant State funding would soon become available and that the WDB was updating the
regional and local plans, due in March 2019.
WDB Chair Bhupen Amin commented that the new WDB was active and working cohesively.
WDB Vice Chair Yolanda Vega thanked the board of supervisors for approving the Rubicon
Program collaboration. The Workforce Collaborative through Rubicon was implemented because
of a decrease in funding. The Collaborative has streamlined services and made all assistance
available in each location. Four sites have grown to ten, and are being well-received by patrons
and the press.
Donna advised that the budget decreased by a few hundred thousand from the prior year but by
30%-40% over four years. She also advised that the program typically places 70-80% of
participants.
participants.
Referral Update:
Please see the attached report for an update on the Workforce Development Board and Workforce
Innovation and Opportunity Act.
Recommendation(s)/Next Step(s):
ACCEPT the report from the Employment and Human Services Department on the Workforce
Development Board and Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act updates and DIRECT staff
to forward it to the Board of Supervisors for their information.
Fiscal Impact (if any):
None. This is an informational report.
Attachments
EHSD WDB April 22, 2019 Report
Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County (WDBCCC)
March 2019
Page 1 of 4
Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act (WIOA) Update
Regional and Local Plans
Under WIOA, a biennial update of regional and local plans is required in order to ensure plans remain
current and account for “changes in labor market and economic conditions or in other factors affecting
the implementation of the local plan” (29 U.S. Code § 3123). The California Workforce Development Board
(State Board) has also made changes to the State Plan which require that Local Boards update their plans
to keep them consistent with the policy direction of the State Plan. Pursuant to the State Plan
modifications submitted to the U.S. Department of Labor in the spring of 2018 and approved on June 11,
2018, the State Board is providing guidance to Local Boards on the requirements associated with local and
regional planning modifications. EDD Directive WSD18‐01, provides specific guidance and instructions on
both required and elective modifications to local and regional plans.
Both Regional and Local plans were completed, listed for public comment and delivered to the State Board
by 5:00 pm on March 15, 2018. Board of Supervisor approval/signature is required by August 1, 2019.
MOUs
The WDB is in the process of updating and combining both MOU Phase I & Phase II, and the cost
allocation methodology, per state directive. The updated MOU is due to the State board by June 30th
with BOS approval.
An MOU mandated partner meeting to review the updated MOU was held on March 11th, from 10‐12 at
the Concord AJCC. Partners are reviewing and working on signature process. The MOU is being
reviewed by County Counsel and will be need to be approved and signed by both the local board and the
County Board of Supervisors by the June 30, deadline.
Adult & Dislocated Worker Career Services/AJCC Transition
Transition of AJCC and career services to Rubicon Programs and the Contra Costa Workforce
Collaborative is going extremely well. While enrollments and training expenditures are a bit low, with all
access sites up and fully operational we are positive that enrollments/deliverables are catching up.
Business Services
The WBD business services team continues to work closely with our local chambers, our city offices and
economic development entities throughout the county, our identified regional sector partnerships and
other programs and partnerships.
Highlights include:
Disability Employment Accelerator Grant Forum
We hosted "Hidden Workforce Forum, Inclusion Builds Innovation " Employer Forum with local
partners, Futures Explored, DOR, MT. Diablo Adult School, and EDD at Mt. Diablo Adult School’s
Loma Vista Adult Center on Tuesday, February 19, 2019, from 8:30am – 11:00am. We had 80+
attendees including employers, CBO’s and partner staff. We had great employer and job seeker
panels. The WDB hosted a resource table along with other partners. Feedback from the event
shows that employers and partners found the event to be very useful. Some employers,
including Bio‐Rad and Ramar Food, reached out to express gratitude for the opportunity and
Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County (WDBCCC)
March 2019
Page 2 of 4
requested additional information to promote inclusion in their workplace. City of Concord
invited an employer panelist to visit the city for further conversation.
West Contra Costa Career Fair – See report attached
The link for the full‐length video is here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcnYm0znb7s&feature=youtu.be
Small Business Development Center
Partially funded by the Small Business Administration (SBA), this program, hosted by the WDBCCC, delivers
individualized advising and group training to current and aspiring business owners in English and Spanish
throughout the County. The SBDC actively partners with myriad public, nonprofit, and private sector
organizations to attract “high‐impact” employers as well as community‐based agencies to reach and serve
low‐to‐moderate income (LMI) residents. Approximately 75% of our clients self‐identify as 80% below the
area median income.
February/March Trainings: 26 workshops delivered to 137 participants
February/March Advising: 175 Individuals and 104 business owners
On‐going projects
Director participated final board retreat with California Association of Micro‐Enterprise
Organizations (CAMEO) as the out‐going board president (2019)
Noteworthy developments:
SBA 2019 allocation increased from $191k to $210k: Same as last year, required the first of two
budget modifications for this year (second in October).
Director participated in the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) consortium focus
group for sub-recipients. Working with a sub-group of “economic development” programs,
identified problems and potential solutions for the clients we all serve. Was a great partnership
meeting with complimentary programs (CoCo Kids, Renaissance, Opportunity Junction)
Successes:
Center concluded second Request for Interest (RFI #677) process to solicit and procure several
new service providers
Center partnered with Procurement Technical Assistance Program of Northern California (PTAC)
a Dept. of Defense‐funded program similar to SBDC to host two workshops with the highest
attendance (31) we’ve enjoyed in years
Center on-boarded a dozen new service providers. It will take a few months to mobilize and
assimilate them into the Team, but the expansion expected from the state tied to the new
funding is underway
Regional Initiatives, Organizing and Training
East Bay Regional Planning Unit (EBRPU)
We are still serving as the fiscal lead for the regional funds that the East Bay RPU is receiving from the
designated to support regional efforts and were recently awarded another $468,000 ($300,000 and
168,000) on behalf of the RPU. The EBRPU is in the process of developing an MOU between the 4 WDBs
Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County (WDBCCC)
March 2019
Page 3 of 4
for the purpose of codifying the process, work, and funding that will be coordinated and shared
between the 4 WDBs.
East Bay Slingshot
While initial funding for this initiative has expired, Contra Costa and the East Bay Region continues to be
recognized for our SlingShot model and successes. The EBRPU funds will have an element of SlingShot
and regional work is intended to support sector strategies and partnerships. To that end, the EBRPU
funds have continued to support 3 of the 5 designated priority sectors in the East Bay: Advanced
Manufacturing, Healthcare and ICT, to support specific sustainability models they are working on. Some
of the regional funds are dedicated to training cohorts with earn & learn components in the healthcare
industry; specifically, the EBRPU has contracted with JVS to deliver a dental assisting training for 20
participants throughout Alameda and Contra Costa which will started in February of 2019.
Most of the new $300,000 EBRPU 2.0 award will be designated for the Advanced Manufacturing Sector
Partnership, the Healthcare Sector Partnership and Earn & Learn to continue to support sustainability
planning.
Prison 2 Employment Initiative (P2E)
As part of Governor Brown's efforts to improve California’s criminal and juvenile justice systems and
reduce recidivism through increased rehabilitation, the California Workforce Development Board (State
Board), California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), California Prison Industry
Authority, and California Workforce Association have finalized a partnership agreement that is included
in amendments to the California WIOA Unified Strategic Workforce Development Plan 2016‐2020.
The partnership agreement is intended to strengthen linkages between the workforce and corrections
systems in order to improve the process by which formerly incarcerated and justice‐involved1
individuals reenter society and the labor force. The partnership agreement will inform policies specific to
Local Workforce Development Boards (Local Board) and how they serve the state's formerly
incarcerated and justice‐involved population
The EBRPU submitted their proposal asking for $2.4 million to be allocated between the 4 local boards.
We have received notification that we have been conditionally awarded the full amount of our proposal
(one of the few regions in the state to be awarded their full ask).
Alameda WDB will serve as the lead on this funding. The first round of funding is set to be available by
May/June of 2019.
Economic Development, EC2 and the Northern Waterfront Initiative
The WDB remains actively involved with local economic development efforts including EC2 and the
Northern Waterfront Initiative, local Chambers and meeting regularly with city economic development
managers. WDB staff are currently working with the county economic development manager to assist
with, and will be co‐sponsoring, the Norther Waterfront Forum 2019: Bringing the Jobs to the People on
May 10th at the Antioch Community Center.
Budget/Grants/Funding Opportunities
Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County (WDBCCC)
March 2019
Page 4 of 4
The WDB budget appears stable at this point and we are moving forward based on the assumption of
level funding for 2019‐2020. The WDB has prioritized pursing additional funding opportunities to
support the important work we are tasked with. The WDB has or is considering pursing the following
opportunities:
AB 109: The WDBCCC will continue to receive $208,000 annually from AB 109 funding for PY
2018‐2019. These funds have primarily been used for two purposes: 1) to deepen connections
between the re‐entry community and businesses/employers; 2) to strengthen partnerships
between the WDBCCC and other public agencies, as well as the contracted nonprofit service
providers that are helping AB 109 participants reenter the community.
The EBRPU applied for and was awarded $300,000 for additional regional/SlingShot activites. In
addition, all regions were awarded additional funding to support regional organization. The
EBRPU was awarded $168,000 for this purpose. Contra Costa continues to serve as the lead.
EDD Disability Employment Accelerator: The WDB was awarded $250,000 on behalf of the East
Bay Region to support training, work experience and employment for people with disabilities.
The East Bay RPU is working with Futures Explored, East Bay Innovations, EDD and our Adult
Education partners on this project. An employer education forum was held February 19th.
The AB1111 RFA (barriers to employment state funding) is due to be released Mid‐March and
the WDB is working with several CBO’s to develop a proposal.
501c3: At the February 5th Full Board meeting, the board approved an action item directing WDB
staff to actively pursue creating a 501c3 to support a more robust and diverse funding capacity.
Staff are in the process of developing a timeline and report to submit to the BOS for approval.
WDB Board & Staff
With 25 seats, The WDB is almost fully seated with the exception of three labor seats. WDB staff are
working with labor organizations to fill these important seats.
Two WDB Staff are participating in the California Workforce Association Bootcamp training from
December 2018 through September 2019.
The WDB is down a staff member with the exit of a Workforce Services Specialist as of March 1st. The
assist to fill has been approved for a cert and bid; we anticipate interviewing to fill this position late
April.
WDB ED, 2 staff and 2 board members participate in our state association (CWA) day at the capitol on
March 6th and meet with Senators Steve Glazer and Nancy Skinner and Assembly members Buffy Wicks
and Jim Frazier’s staff.
The ED, 1 staff, and 2 board member attended the National Association of Workforce Boards
Conference March 22 through the 26th and did a “hit the hill” visit, visiting Senator Kamala Harris,
Senator Diane Feinstein and Congressmen DeSaulnier’s staff.
Presentation to
Family & Human Services Committee
April 22, 2019
2
3
4
5
GO-Biz Technical Assistance Expansion Program (launched
October 1, 2018) increased support for no-cost advising, workshops,
outreach to disadvantaged areas and populations with focus on
Richmond and Bay Point
Solicited for, procured and on-boarded 12 new service providers in
last quarter and developing webinars (online trainings via Zoom)
FY 18-19 Performance (current fiscal year):
546 individuals (316 in business) advised, 382 trained
115 jobs created
25 new business starts
$3,198,718 in debt/equity invested in small businesses
$ 4,471,169 in annualized sales increases
Business Services
Economic Development:
Continued support for Northern Waterfront including May 10th Summit
Ambassador to California Association for Local Economic Development for
CALED 2019 Conference in Anaheim
Event Planning Committee for State Labor Building Workforce Partnership
Conference including facilitating sessions
Supporting San Ramon City Center Businesses on Recruitment
Supporting East Bay EDA: judge/sponsor of 2019 Innovations Awards
Collaborations: Leveraging resources by coordinating Integrated Business
and Employment Services Team (iBEST) to support businesses and job
seekers in Contra Costa. Partners include EDD, Rubicon & CCCEAC,
Working closely with chambers of commerce and other CBO’s.
Rapid Response: Outreach to 5 Payless Shoes locations in Contra Costa
affected by the closure per WARN notice; General Electric WARN for
172 effective June 2019; Staying connected to PG&E should Rapid
Response become necessary.
Business Services Events
Untapped Talent Forum, Fall 2018 -CENTRAL
150+ attendees inc. 80+ employers
Next event will be held in East County in Fall 2019
Disability Employment Forum, Winter 2019 -WEST
80+ attendees
Several businesses (e.g., Bio-Rad) reached out for further info post-event
West Contra Costa Career Fair, Spring 2019 -WEST
50+ employers, 12+ providers; 218 job seekers including 110 students
In collaboration with Contra Costa College, San Pablo EDC, EDD, Lao Family
Community Development; sponsored by Chevron and Phillip 66
Reentry Career Fair, Spring 2019 -WEST & EAST
Partnering Contra Costa Office of Education and Sheriff’s Office and others
7
East Bay Regional Planning Unit
14 State-wide Regional Planning Units
Contra Costa is Lead for East Bay (EBRPU)
Alameda, Oakland, Richmond and Contra Costa
EBRPU has received $1,000,000+and has:
Supported industry partnerships in advanced manufacturing, healthcare and ICT
Provided professional development for staff and regional partners
Provided a regional training program dental assisting for 19 participants
Supported growth of Earn & Learn East Bay
EBRPU was awarded a $250,000 Disability Employment Accelerator Grant
EBRPU was awarded $463,000 regional funds as of April 2019
EBRPU was awarded $2,400,000 Prison to Employment Initiative of which
Contra Costa will receive $491,785 over a 2-year period
EBRPU is in the process of developing a Regional MOU
TT 8
9
Watch for these upcoming
BOS Agenda Items…
We are in another phase of local governance requirements which will be
coming before the Board of Supervisors for approval in addition to other
important items listed below:
Initial/Subsequent Designation and Local Board Certification (June 30)
WIOA AJCC MOU renewal of Phases I & II combined (June 30)
Regional and Local plan modifications (Aug 1)
Updated agreement/MOU between the Workforce Development Board
and the County Board of Supervisors
Establish a 501c3
East Bay Regional Planning Unit MOU
10
Thank You and Questions?
3/28/19
Job Seeker Feedback for Career Fair 2019
This report analyzes survey results from job seekers who attended the March 20th Career Fair.
Included is feedback from community-based agencies that participated in the fair. In terms of
numbers for the fair, we documented 218 attendees.
Feedback shows that the majority of respondents believed the Career Fair to be a huge success.
Our analysis shows that job seekers were “very satisfied” with the fair in regards to the event’s
accessibility, staff assistance, employers and resources, and their overall satisfaction. Agencies
were also pleased in their feedback. A number commented on how well the fair was organized.
In addition, these agencies represent hard to serve populations, which include returning citizens,
low-income seniors, the disabled, veterans, and disadvantage youth. They indicated that their
clients also had a positive experience.
Attendance
How many people attended? 218
How many registered on Eventbrite? 237
How many of those were CCC Students? 110
How many of those were community members? 108
How many were surveyed? 130
Customer Survey Results
Of 218 job seekers who attended the Career Fair, 130 completed the Satisfaction Survey. The
survey was provided to job seekers as they left the fair. On the survey, job seekers rated the fair
on 1) event accessibly, 2) staff helpfulness, 3) the employer and agency resources, and 4) overall
satisfaction. Their choices for response were: very satisfied; satisfied; dissatisfied; and very
dissatisfied. The survey also provided job seekers and opportunity to add comments or
suggestions.
Chart 1 shows that the majority job seekers who completed the survey were “very satisfied” on
all areas they were asked to rate. Job seekers viewed the fair as accessible, in terms of location
and hours.
CHART 1: Job Seeker Survey Results
Total: 130 Very
Satisfied
Satisfied Dissatisfied Very
Dissatisfied
a. Event accessibility: location, parking, hours, computer,
Internet 85 42 2 0
b. Helpfulness of staff during the event 98 29 0 0
c. Effectiveness of businesses/agencies in meeting your
needs 84 38 4 0
d. Overall how satisfied were you with the event? 91 32 3 0
3/28/19
1. Event accessibility: location, parking, hours, computer, internet?
Very Satisfied: 65%
Satisfied: 32%
Dissatisfied: 1.5%
Very Dissatisfied: 0.0%
2. Helpfulness of staff during the event?
Very Satisfied: 75%
Satisfied: 22%
Dissatisfied: 0%
Very Dissatisfied: 0%
3. Effectiveness of business/agencies in meeting your needs?
Very Satisfied: 64%
Satisfied: 29%
Dissatisfied: 3%
Very Dissatisfied: 0%
4. Overall how satisfied were you with the event?
Very Satisfied: 70%
Satisfied: 24%
Dissatisfied: 2.3%
Very Dissatisfied: 0%
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Event accessibility:
location, parking, hours,
computer, Internet
Helpfulness of staff during
the event
Effectiveness of
businesses/agencies in
meeting your needs
Overall how satisfied were
you with the event?
Chart Title
Very Satisfied Satisfied Dissatisfied Very Dissatisfied
3/28/19
Customer Survey Results (Qualitative)
Job seekers were also asked to provide comments or suggestions. Due to change of venue from
Fireside/Outside to Gym for weather many items addressed were due to capacity challenges.
Responses from all 130 surveys were reviewed. Here is a snapshot of both positive/negative
feedbacks.
Direct Positive feedback:
1. I love how the set up was, it made job searching convenient.
2. Thank for setting this up! I was able to make some good connections and learn about
other careers.
3. The event was a success! It really helps people see their options and realize they have
lots of opportunity.
4. It was very great to meet with employers face to face. It built my confidence and geared
me up to find employment. Thank you!
Direct Negative feedback:
1. Parking was very difficult to be found.
2. Very hard to find parking. Some companies looking for people with bachelor’s degrees
which makes it hard to find jobs appropriate for college level students. Came in looking
for environmental/civil engineering internships but did not find any.
3. Should include a map showing where each company is located. Not enough entry level
positions.
4. Employers aren’t asking the most important questions like, “how will you afford to work
with the extreme housing costs?” Not many offered childcare for workers. None could
point to a CCC hire they knew. At last, no Amazon/UPS/Starbucks, work with no future.
Response to Feedback
The concerns job seekers had regarding event location parking was something we had no control
over due to the career fair being moved to the Gym in 48 hours’ notice due to rain in the weather
forecast. Contra Costa College Annex Parking was reserved for employers and vendors, general
parking was limited as the college continues daily student flow and operations. Despite
challenges with space and venue all employers, job seekers and resource providers were flexible
and we still made it work. In regards to having a map showing the layout of the event, a map was
created for the original employer vendor tabling list inside/outside but needed to be removed due
to quick change of venue and set up.
280 organizations were contacted for the event.
50 organizations registered to attend.
12 organizations that were not previously registered showed up to participate.
61 exhibitor surveys were collected.
Survey Results:
Event accessibility: location, parking, hours, computer, internet
Very Satisfied: 70%
Satisfied: 21%
Dissatisfied: 5%
Very Dissatisfied: 3%
Helpfulness of staff during the event
Very Satisfied: 84%
Satisfied: 16%
Dissatisfied: 0%
Very Dissatisfied: 0%
Quality of job seekers in meeting your needs
Very Satisfied: 48%
Satisfied: 41%
Dissatisfied: 7%
Very Dissatisfied: 0%
Overall how satisfied were you with the event?
Very Satisfied: 64%
Satisfied: 34%
Dissatisfied: 2%
Very Dissatisfied: 0%
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
Event accessibility:
location, parking, hours,
computer, Internet
Helpfulness of staff during
the event
Quality of job seekers in
meeting your needs
Overall how satisfied were
you with the event?
Employer Survey Summary
Very Satisfied Satisfied Dissatisfied Very Dissatisfied
Employer Survey Results (Qualitative)
Employers were also asked to provide comments or suggestions. There was a last minute change of
venue from Fireside/Outdoors, to Gym due to rain forecast so that may be reflected in the survey.
Direct Positive feedback:
1. It was very well put together and organized. Thank you for allowing me to be here.
2. This is one of the better job fairs that I have been too. There are diverse employers here.
3. The whole event was outstanding! Even with the last minute change, due to the weather.
Staff was awesome as well. Looking forward to the next event!
4. Volume of smart job seekers were exceptionally good. Access to list of employers and
encouragement networking can be helpful. I established many useful contacts among
other employers. We look forward to attending again.
5. Easy parking. The Staff was lovely about finding me a spot as my boss forgot to send in
our paperwork. Great turnout! And best food/drink ever!!
Direct Negative feedback:
1. More signs to indicate location would be helpful. Unable to connect to WIFI.
2. There were not a lot of students interested in political science. However, we expected
that and I am still glad I came.
3. More external advertising for more traffic. More clearly signed parking for event.
Attendees (general public & employers). Thanks for having us!
4. We would have liked to see more students from the Health Department. Students are
interested in starting as Caregivers and getting that experience on their resume as
they move up the medical ladder. It was good to have a consistent crowd.
5. Maybe test WIFI connection next time before the event.
Response to Feedback
We had no control regarding event location parking as the career fair was moved to the Gym in 48
hours’ notice due to rain in the weather forecast. Contra Costa College Annex Parking was reserved for
employers and resource providers; general parking was limited as the college continued classes and
operations. Signage was also affected due to the location change.
With regards to having a vendor map showing the layout of the event, maps were created for the
original location but removed due to last minute venue change.
Employers were notified the day before that there would not be any outlets available inside the gym.
The WIFi did not operate well due to technical difficulties, possibly the rain or being inside the gym.
The career fair was advertised extensively through the college and community partner network. We
added 20, $50 gift certificates as an incentive to attract job seekers. The rain did not help with the
attendance number. Despite all the challenges, employers and resource providers were flexible, and we
made it work.