Campaign for Tomorrow’s Workforce

From the NYC Workforce Weekly:

Senior staff of the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance previewed upcoming training-related funding opportunities and policy changes at NYCETC’s Workforce Development Summit on May 2. These include a new $5 million career pathways program, improved access to contexturalized literacy services, and streamlined vocational college programs.

Russell Sykes, deputy commissioner of OTDA’s Center for Employment and Economic Supports, said that the state Economic Security Cabinet — the body comprised of 17 agency heads set up by former Gov. Eliot Spitzer last summer — has made strides on several initiatives and has “lots of energy” behind it from Gov. David Paterson.

Some of the initiatives that the cabinet plans to further hone and implement include:

• A new $5 million career pathways program — The 2008-09 enacted state budget will include an additional $2.5 million for a new career pathways program, bringing the grand funding total to $5 million. Funding will support partnerships between non-profit community-based organizations and employers in certain sectors to provide the credential, degree or diploma needed for job entry and advancement. The request for proposals (RFP) is currently in development and will be released this summer.
• Improved access to literacy services - Sykes said that OTDA is committed to integrating basic education and skills training, with job placement and retention activities. The agency expects to issue a policy amendment soon that would require that a minimum number of public assistance recipients are enrolled in adult basic education and contextualized literacy activities.
• Sector strategies — New York joins just six other states selected to participate in the National Governors Association’s Sector Strategies Academy. The Academy will enable New York to further develop programs targeting specific industry sectors. OTDA also plans to integrate sectoral approaches into TANF activities.
• Streamlined college programs — The Cabinet is working with the SUNY/CUNY systems to help colleges design shorter vocational training programs.
• An online benefits calculator and food stamp application - OTDA provided an early look at “myBenefits,” an online benefi ts eligibility calculator, which will be rolled out in 6 to 12 months and will include online applications for food stamps, HEAP and other programs.
• A new collaboration between OTDA and the Empire State Development Corporation - They are developing an on-site benefits enrollment package that employers can use to sign their eligible employees up for certain work supports.
• A new collaboration between OTDA and the NYS Banking Department - The agencies are striving to connect low-income individuals with financial literacy and asset development services.

And, besides the new career pathways program, providers should watch for these other funding opportunities coming soon:

• A $3 million food stamp employment and training RFP will be released next month to expand access to work-focused education and training offered by nonprofits to food stamp work registrants;
• A $4 million wage subsidy RFP will be released later this month; and
• In the fall, an educational resources RFP will be released to support vocational education, adult literacy, workplace literacy, and family literacy services that also include a job placement and retention component. The total funding level is unknown at this time, but is expected to be upwards of $10 million.

“This is not the full package of (education and training-related) changes,” explained Sykes. “We do hope to announce more in the next few months.”