Workforce Development System

Description of the Workforce Development System

Core programs

WFS Cameron supports the strategy identified in the State Plan under WIOA §102(b)(1). In partnership with the Workforce Center contractor, service providers, and other contractors, the Board offers services to employers, workers, job seekers, and youth throughout Cameron County. The workforce center offers vital tools that help workers secure employment and assist employers to hire a skilled workforce to grow their businesses. WFS Cameron, in collaboration with core and one-stop partners, including community colleges, adult education & literacy providers, independent school districts, economic development groups, and other state agencies, delivers innovative services and leverages additional funding sources to support employers and workers. Collaboration and coordination across these partners play a critical role in the success of the local workforce system.

WFS Cameron operates under the umbrella of the Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act (WIOA). This allows us to provide fully integrated workforce investment activities through the one-stop system that increase participant employment, retention, and earnings. This workforce system was designed to enable the attainment of recognized postsecondary credentials by workforce participants, and, as a result, improve the quality of the workforce, reduce dependency on government assistance, increase economic self-sufficiency, meet the skills requirements of employers, and enhance productivity and the competitive advantage in the region.

The Board is committed to supporting the strategies outlined in the State Plan including strengthening existing partnerships and forging new ones to provide high-quality career services including, but not limited to, education and training. The following “Core Program” partners under WIOA provide expanded services as part of the one-stop system: WIOA Adult, WIOA Dislocated Worker, WIOA Youth, Adult Education & Literacy, Wagner-Peyser Employment Service, and Vocational Rehabilitation (VR).

WFS Cameron has successfully integrated most core partners into the one-stop system. The only core partner that does not have a physical presence within the workforce centers is the Adult Education & Literacy Partner. However, the Board continues to collaborate with AEL to leverage resources and provide AEL services to workforce participants to achieve their overarching goal of employment. A two-way referral system was established along with TWIST system access for aligning program services and outcomes. Direct linkages to AEL services are provided electronically through the Board’s website or at the workforce centers in hard copy in the form of program brochures.

Other One-Stop partners co-located in comprehensive workforce centers include: Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Employment & Training (SNAP E&T), CHOICES Non-Custodial Parent, Veteran’s Employment Services / Texas Veteran’s Leadership Program (TVLP), Trade Adjustment Act (TAA), Migrant Seasonal Farm Workers (MSFW), Child Care Services, and the Texas Veteran’s Commission staff. Before COVID-19, SCSEP had a limited presence.

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The Board executes MOUs with core and optional workforce partners that are not linked through a contractual obligation. The MOUs outline respective responsibilities for achieving successful outcomes for target populations and shared customers such as veterans, individuals with disabilities, foster youth, migrant and seasonal farmworkers, and ex-offenders. These formal partnerships facilitate the referral process and enable the Board to leverage partner resources and services for a truly seamless customer-focused service delivery network. WFS Cameron staff sit on various boards and engage with partners in addressing workforce system issues.

The following Core and/or One Stop partners entered into formal agreements through an executed Memorandum of Understanding:

• Adult Education and Literacy Provider (WIOA, Title II) with Brownsville Independent School District (BISD)

• YouthBuild Program • Apprenticeship Programs

• Senior Community Service Employment Program

The Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 provides an increased focus on the academic achievement of career and technical education students, strengthens the connections between secondary and postsecondary education, and improves state and local accountability. WFS Cameron continues to explore strategies to strengthen collaborations with local Career and Technology Education (CTE) programs for the purpose of increasing interest and participation in STEM and middle skilled jobs for youth and adults.

WFS Cameron supports the state goals for the alignment of CTE with workforce services by: • Identifying and targeting STEM and middle-skills career pathways

• Supporting the attainment of skills and credentials

• Providing work-based learning such as internships in STEM and middle-skill occupations • Strengthening employer engagement

• Aligning processes to achieve mutual performance

• Strengthening linkages with partners for resource sharing and reducing redundancies To support the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006, WFS Cameron works with the following entities on special initiatives formalized through MOUs or other workforce agreements or systems:

• Brownsville ISD • Harlingen CISD • La Villa ISD

• Texas State Technical College-Harlingen • Texas Southmost College

• Housing Authority of the City of Brownsville • Housing Authority of the City of Harlingen

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• Preparation for Adult Living Program / Child Protective Services • Senior Texans Employment Program

It is through these existing and newly established partnerships that WFS Cameron will support the strategies identified in the State Plan and work with the entities carrying out core programs and workforce development programs. Post-Secondary partners are linked to the workforce system through the Eligible Training Provider (ETP) system.

The Board also collaborates with some of these partners to educate the future workforce on STEM and middle-skill occupations. The Board co-hosts a Career Expo every year that brings together industry, education, and community partners to provide high school students with an opportunity to explore careers in-demand as they begin to consider their choices on college and/or career options after high school. Over 1,500 youth from throughout the region attend the event each year and over 60 education entities and employers set up demonstrations and exhibits to promote their industries. One of the goals is to highlight local training programs and identify employers hiring graduates of those programs. Through this Expo, the Board hopes to expose youth to various career pathways by listening to local professionals share their success stories and share related educational backgrounds.

The Board also collaborates with the Vocational Rehabilitation Services (VRS) Program to help individuals with disabilities transition from school-to-work and to obtain and retain employment. This collaboration has been strengthened with the creation of the Student HireAbility Navigator (SHN). In support of VRS, the SHN is charged with the following:

• Convene partners, including school districts and Education Service Centers, to identify strategies, services, gaps, and opportunities

• Increase community and system awareness of resources and activities

• Promote the use of career exploration, postsecondary education planning, and work readiness tools

• Develop and coordinate events and campaigns

• Collaborate with partner agencies to develop work-based learning opportunities

The colocation of VRS has facilitated the referral process between partners, sharing of resources, including assistive technology, labor market information, and business services, to facilitate the customers’ employment or career goals.