safe sites for all        showers and day centers        overnight shelter        coordinated entry locations  

Presentation Minutes

Workforce Central - https://workforce-central.org/

  • Sara Irish, Community Engagement Ambassador, Worksource Pierce - sarairish@careerteam.com (I want ambassador in my job title – that sounds so cool –ed).
  • Jesse Becerra, Young Adult Program Coordinator, Workforce Central - jbecerra@workforce-central.org
  • One of 12 local workforce boards in Washington – one of 600 in the United States, starting in 1982
  • Provide education and training with employment to get family sustainable wages (a family wage is a “wage sufficient to raise a family” – a concept used in contemporary wage discussions that many attribute to Catholic Social Teaching.  I think it should be a wage that you can live comfortably on, afford a trip to Disneyland every 3 years, put your kids through college, and afford to retire by age 68.  But, as usual, no one asked me. –ed)
  • Work with business and industry that need to hire and job seekers that need an extra boost.

Power Up Pierce Initiative – (info at  https://workforce-central.org/power-up-pierce/ , although they don’t mention my favorite power-ups, which are the triple-banana and the triple green shell – if those don’t bring a mischievous smile to your face, I don’t know what to say. -ed)

  • We work with everyone
  • Focus work on 2 demographics –
    • Disconnected young adults – 16-24 – homeless, not working, not in school, etc.
    • Adults without a General Education Development (GED) or High School Diploma.  This includes some 40,000 people in Pierce County.  Even though economy booming, good to be recession proof – usually people without diplomas lose jobs first.
  • Sara - Community engagement is very important.  Have a community Engagement task force – to better serve client and have wrap around services
    • Next week is the next meeting – we partner with different community services
    • Use 211 community referral system to better serve our customer
  • Young adult development internship
    • Spent about a year talking to young adults about what they want in an experience and what employment they want
    • Bruce Dammeier (Pierce County Executive), Victoria Woodards (City of Tacoma Mayor), elected involved in this work
    • 16 week program – focused on interests of the Young adults
      • Career
      • Education
      • Individualized environments with supportive services
      • Advocacy
    • Pay above minimum wage
    • 20 hours/week at site –$14/hour
    • Go before work force development councils
      • Transportation is a challenge - can provide orca passes
    • Can provide interview clothes, boots, car repair. 
    • Community employer partners - Tacoma, Parkland and Spanaway (while there is some controversy around the true origins of the name Spanaway, I think the mangling of Spanueh Lake, a Salish word for “Dug Roots”, is probably correct.  Dug roots is a reference to the plentiful camas in the area around the lake - the camas root bulb being a sweet potato like staple.  It is usually harvested when the flower is  in bloom, because then you know it is the blue flowered Camas, and not the white flowered deathcamas, which, as it turns out, looks like camas bulbs but will kill you. It even kills the bees trying to pollinate it – all except the Deathcamas bee, which likes it just fine. Interesting historical note – the Lewis and Clark expedition accidentally made some camas beer when  their camas root got wet during their canoe journey down the Clearwater river.  And there was much rejoicing.-ed)
    • Joy – you’ll reach out to Key? Jesse – yes
    • Video about eligibility (video at https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=742701409518864 – cute video, but as long as I’m riffing on my time on the Commission on Disabilities, I might point out that videos need captioning and narration – something I couldn’t find on this video. Basically, all video content should be understandable audibly, and all audible content close-captioned – that makes it accessible for everyone, both those with sight and hearing impairments. Anyway, some notes from the video below –ed)
      • Jane is a Pierce County resident and job seeker
      • Jane struggles where to begin
      • WIOA – at Worksource could help
      • What is WIOA?    Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act
      • Built for Long term unemployment, low income, veterans, etc.
      • Jane does not have to be so frustrated navigating services because Worksource is here to help navigate through those barriers. 
      • Services?
        • Job readiness
        • Work-based learning
        • Career workshops
        • more
      • More info http://www.worksourcewa.com/    
  • James Hughes – Executive Director at Career TEAM - https://careerteam.com/
    • Worksource
      • A big mall with lots of organizations that work in Worksource.  We identify as Worksource (I’m still generally confused about Worksource vs. Workforce, but I think that is a me problem, not a you problem. Heck, I can’t even tell  the difference between camas and deathcamas –ed) .
      • One thing we’ve been working on – how to rebrand messaging of services for job seekers and employers – employers and partners are a huge part of worksource.
      • Change from transactional to transformational – in the past – transaction is how we offered things – need this or that and we’ll pay for it. 
      • Trying to listen better to what our customers need.  We get return customers, and we don’t want that.
    • Marybeth – used to have orientation once a week – James –every Wednesday at 9am (at 2121 State Street, Tacoma, WA, I’m imagining. -ed)– can come in and hear about everything we have to offer in the whole center
    • Sara - In folder – shows what is going on for the week and for the month.  Not yet have the events for the month
  • Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act - WIOA –
    • Federal government sets money aide for people to go back to work
    • Career edge online portal – help  build resumes, career ready models, career cluster assessment, personality assessment (or lack-of-personality assessment – important as well –ed)
    • On-on-one career counseling – customized labor market information, networking.  How to find the hidden job market (one must go through the Leaky Cauldron to a rear courtyard and tap a brick in the wall, found by counting three up and two across, three times .-ed).
    • We want people, even if they only work with us for a week or two, to have the skills they need
  • Individualized Services for adults
    • Life Coaches – three life coaches working with young adults and adults.
    • Connect to training
    • Internships
    • On the job training
    • Career boost – how do we boost people opportunities to employment – bringing employers, trainers and job seekers into a room.  This isn’t new, but we are keeping it going.  Employers say for every job seeker there are 10 openings – but they aren’t’ training.  Charge to get people trained and have places to work.
    • Had a fellow who went through training in June – got a job through a conversation at subway – we offer a transformational service
  • Brooklyn – Young Adult Services
    • Case manager for 16-24 year olds
    • Rewarding experience – good time for youth to find out what they are doing
    • Partners
      • Tacoma Community college
      • Goodwill YouthBuild
      • REACH
      • Job Corps
      • Eatonville community Center
      • (something else I didn’t catch. –ed)
    • Work with youth on what they want to do. 
      • Finding what we can help them with to build experience to get job
      • REACH has a GED program, and we have an online one.
      • Job Development – interview skills, resume help, job search
      • Transportation assistance
      • Interview and work clothing
      • Teach what being presentable looks like
    • Al – what type of transportation?  Brooklyn – as needed - full month of an ORCA card, for instance
  • Emily Archer – Basic Education Navigator
    • Partners
      • Tacoma Community College
      • Tacoma Community House
      • Bates Technical College
      • Clover Park
      • Pierce
    • Connect to the 5 above options
    • Adult high school completing – HS21 – over 21, take high school credit and get diploma with credits from year they should have graduated.  At TCC, Pierce and bates
    • GED – Clover Park, Tacoma Community House – once pass practice test or complete faculty requirement -  can take the test – some assistance to cover the $125 cost
    • English language instructions – so can learn English and then get their GED.
    • I-BEST integrated Basic Education and Skill Training.  CNA is popular – so ready to take the test
      • Theresa – instead of GED?  Need GED to get in?  Emily -  don’t need GED, and class work can apply to GED. Theresa – new GED is hard to test.  HS21 IS A GOOD Option for folks since there is no test at the end.  New GED test is getting harder.  Marybeth – can use life experience to work  on that.  Emily - HS21 can take up to 2 years if no HS credit. 
    • Do outreach in the community – send them to me or send referrals to me and Ill connect with the student. 
    • When meeting with student, discuss barriers and career goals (like become a railroad magnate. –ed)– want something they can succeed with (OK, maybe train engineer then. –ed). 
      • Provide transportation assistance as needed.  (like a train ticket? –ed)
      • Discuss funding options – if low cost will find funding so they can be no cost
      • Refer to other community resources
      • Follow up after 2 weeks and beyond
  • Jenny Capella – workforce Central – community Services
    • How many are employers – anyone who employs is a business.  All of you can benefit from workforce services
    • Our business are a vital part of workforce.  We have different services we provide – at no cost to employers
      • Work experience – paid internships. For youth and young adults that have some barriers or displaced homemakers – DV survivor or recent divorcee – how to build skill and resume and get them into a paid internship – workforce pays 4-6 weeks of pay and such- little cost to employer
    • Need to get an employee upskilled – if has employer and employee – can subsidize wages employer paid to get an employee upskilled – for youth, young adults and adults
    • Recruitment – can post your jobs.  You fill out a form and send it to us – something that would cost employers – through the government we can post ads on indeed and craigslist and subsidize it in many cases.
    • Hiring event – we spotlight employers – one employer came in recently – had 4 people come and he hired them all
    • Send resumes to you for free
    • Rapid response – when a company lays people off, provide a safety net – also work to avert layoffs.  Do career fairs and such.
      • Questions – do you do the rapid response all the time – Jenny  - when we have the need.  Question – is there a size of company you work with?  Jenny – no minimum.
    • Question – how do you support employees during layoffs. Or employers during layoff
    • Al – what services are available to undocumented immigrants – how integrates with ICE?  James – WIOA – program all have to be legal.  Otherwise, workforce services are free to anyone else – no limits with workshops or job clubs.  We don’t give away information without a judicial order.  We offer them to whoever we can.
    • Question – I-10 number – no permit to work so can’t use WIOA – but can use services – up to employer what to do. 
  • Locations- job center at 2121 S State Street
  • Bud Hawk transition center
  • Goodwill
  • Pierce college
  • Tacoma urban league
  • (Something else –ed.)
  • Marybeth – at TCC one challenge is employers flexible with student schedules.  How about a job fair for employers able to work with student schedule.  Jenny – we can ask employers about that.  James – we don’t do that, but what a great idea. 
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