ANNUAL REPORT /1/12 6/30/13

BRIAN M. HUGHES ♦ COUNTY EXECUTIVE

Elizabeth Maher Muoio ♦ Director, Economic Development and Sustainability Beverly Mills ♦ WIB Director

Virgen Velez ♦ One-Stop Director

ANNUAL REPORT 2012

CUSTOMERS

Through the following activities…

 Training orientations  Resource room  Testing

 Occupational counseling

 Workforce Learning Link (WLL)

Labor Exchange

 OS services orientation  Employability workshops  Employment counseling

 Individual job search assistance Jersey Job Clubs (JJC)

DVR (Div. of Vocational Rehabilitation) UI (Unemployment Insurance)

Public assistance employment-directed programs (TANF and GA)

*Represents number of customers visiting the One Stop on a daily basis, some of whom make

multiple visits (i.e. WLL and Resource Room customers)

 In the upcoming year, the Mercer WIB will use any and all criteria established by the State Employment and Training Commission regarding skill level and competency guidelines to be used as a basis for the selection of skill training programs and competency curriculum in the local area.

SUCCESS STORIES, SPECIAL EVENTS, AND INITIATIVES

 Five customers passed the GED!

 One of the customers that passed is now enrolled at Mercer County Community College and is also a volunteer with Trenton Cats Rescue where she has become a very valuable asset.

 One of the customers who was an ESL student had a background in child care. She began the process of becoming a certified provider of child care for Child Care Connection. She was approved and is now running that service from her home.

 Another student started as an ESL student in the Link. She completed the lessons in Rosetta Stone and is now continuing reading lessons in Aztec. She obtained a bus driver’s license and is now working in the morning for Rick Bus Company and is continuing her lessons in the afternoon.

 A former student completed the Microsoft Office package in the Link at the end of last year. She is now working for a State agency in the building next to ours. She said knowing Word, Excel and Access were a key factor in getting her the job!

Veterans Unit

 Vet visited the One Stop needing assistance with job search. Staff worked diligently with customer providing extensive information and assistance on general One Stop and Veteran Services including numerous job websites. Post 911 Veteran obtained a job with Sensor Technologies as an Operations Specialist as of April 2013, making a six figure salary!

 Staff worked diligently with customer providing extensive information and assistance on general One Stop and Veteran Services including numerous job websites. Vet obtained a job with SEPTA regional rail division in Philadelphia as an Asst. Conductor earning $16 per hour. Vet thanked staff for assisting him with his job search and VRAP.

 Vet visited the One Stop facing numerous problems with UI and needing assistance with job search. His UI issues were addressed. He attended the Hiring Our Heroes Job Fair at Rider University on March 21, 2013 and enrolled in the Jersey Jobs Club. Vet was hired in April 2013 by Easter Seals of NJ as a result of the Hiring Our Heroes Job Fair.

United States Postal Service (USPS) Hiring Initiative

In May 2013, the USPS approached LWD with the need to hire 300+ part time (30-40 hours) employees for their City Carrier Assistant positions for the central Jersey region. It was decided that Mercer would be the best place to start. Requirements for the position included 21 years+, 7 years of verifiable work/school history, current valid driver’s license with a good driving record, and no criminal background.

We initiated daily 10:00 a.m. “Information & Pre-screening Sessions” which began immediately. The sessions were facilitated by the JJC (Jersey Jobs Club) coordinator, assisted by the Business Services Manager. We also offered regularly scheduled Learning Link/computer lab space on Wednesdays, between 1:00 – 4:30 p.m. for those who needed it as all applications processes could only be completed electronically. The application

process included completion of the employment application (profile), if profile is accepted customer is provided a link to take a pre-screen test (within 7 days); if qualified individual will receive information to select

time/place for a proctored test; if they pass they are contacted for an onsite interview.

To date, we have served approximately 285 individuals. Included in this count are those who attended the information sessions that filled out the Pre-Screening Forms and professed an interest in applying for the jobs by completing the Profile, Pre-Screen test and, hopefully, the Proctored test.

Results have been nominal. According to information received from customers approximately 20 were hired, pending hire, pending results of the pre-screen and/or proctored test. The USPS has no method to count applicants sourced from us unless the applicants independently identify the Mercer County One-Stop as the place they heard about the jobs.

OCCUPATIONAL TRAINING SERVICES

Related

Average Wage PY 12 255 46 44 (96%) 31 (70%) $15.65

COMMON MEASURES PERFORMANCE

Measure Achievement % Plan % %age Achieved

Adult Entered Employment 90.2 72.9 123.7 - E Job Retention 71.5 66.3 107.9 - E Average Earnings $12,290 $12,011 102.3 - E Dislocated Worker Entered Employment 91.4 89.7 101.9 - E Job Retention 70.9 72.9 101.9 - M Average Earnings $13,883 $12,177 114 - E Wagner Peyser Entered Employment 46.5 45 103.2 – M Job Retention 74.4 77 96.6 - M Average Earnings $17,556 $16,435 106.8 - E Veterans

WORKFIRST SERVICES

WFNJ TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Family) Services for PY 10 & 11 included job search,

job readiness, CWEP (Community Work Experience Program), education related to employment, ESL related to employment, sanction compliance, and on site child care referral.

Funded agencies included:

LOS Referral Served Employment

PY 12 1,058 1,859 1,172 252* (21%)

WFNJ GA (General Assistance) Services for PY 12 included job readiness, supported work,

ABE/GED/ESL, work experience, and sanction compliance.

LOS Referral Served Employment

PY 12 1,115 1,749 1,394 113* (9%) *Percentage of employment of total enrollments

BUSINESS SERVICES

Positive Recruitments – In PY 12, there were 32 Positive Recruitments that served a total of 664 customers,

from which 204 were hired (30.7%)

OJT Development

Contracts Served Completed Retained/Hired Wage Range

PY 12 3 3 3 3 $9.00 - $ 16.82

YOUTH SERVICES

Youth Common Measures Performance PY 12 (7/1/12-6/30/13) ►Exceeded all measures

Measure Achieved Plan

% Achieved

Attain Degree/Certificate (10/11/11-9/30/12) 91.7% 59.0% 155.4%

Placement in Employment/Education (10/11/11-9/30/12) 69.7% 59.0% 118.0%

Literacy/Numeracy Gains (calculated in real time) 64.29% 45.0% 142.8%

In-School Youth (ISY) - services requested in the RFP were designed to assist high school seniors who

were at risk of dropping out of school to obtain their high school diploma/GED and to obtain unsubsidized employment or enroll into post-secondary education. ISY services are being provided by the following: Boys & Girls Club, Mercer County Jr./Sr. High School, and Mercer County Community College.

Out-of-School (OSY) - services requested in the RFP were designed to provide intensive life skills/job

readiness skills to complement the Youth Employment Partnership (YEP) program administered by the One Stop. Contracted services are part of a pilot program to assess the effectiveness of supplementing job

readiness and/or occupational training with work experience as a means of better preparing youth for employment. This initiative will assist dropouts obtain their high school diploma/GED and obtain

unsubsidized employment or enroll into post-secondary education, and/or improve their literacy skills to a minimum 8.9 grade level. Similar services are designed for high school graduates or those that possess a GED but are unemployed or under-employed.

 PY 12 Summer Employment Opportunities – In response to President Obama’s Summer Jobs + initiative, we worked with local employers to identify summer job opportunities. At the same time we worked with the local schools to offer job readiness seminars on site to prepare youth for those

opportunities.

 2012 Six Flags Great Adventure - Transportation was provided through the County (rather than a subcontractor) making the program more cost & program effective. Transportation was provided Monday – Friday for an 8-week period from July 2nd to August 31st. A total 50 youth were served - not every youth rode the vans every day. Priority was given to those who were re-hired from last year. Others were served as available. The majority of youth (if not all) would have been unable to work at Great Adventure if this transportation service was not available.

Workforce Investment Board Committee Highlights

 PY 12 Literacy Consortium served 1032 students which was 109% of contracted goal of 949 -- funded with $536,801 from Title II grant

 Formation of Marketing Subcommittee – goal to use WIB Business Initiative grant to produce two videos (one to businesses and the other for students) advocating the benefits of improving adult literacy skills

 Formation of Transition Committee – goal to gather information from proprietary schools where many One Stop students receive occupational training. Invitations extended to representatives of schools to present at Literacy Committee meetings

 Two Professional Development Days held 2/8/13 and 4/26/13 (requirement of Title II grant)  Literacy Videos completed and viewed by Committee for final approval --videos extremely well

received by WIB and Committee members  4th

Annual Early Mercer Reads held on April 12, 2013. 37 Child Care Centers Participated (100+ classrooms), 82 volunteer readers from private sector, organizations and government

 Notice of Grant Opportunity issued for FY 13Title II funding – MCCC will continue as lead agency of Consortium; submitted grant proposal

 Notification of Title II grant for Consortium to receive $823,200, allowing 1,392 students to be served in PY 13

• GED closeout underway – Committee devoted to raising awareness in community about changes in

GED test effective January, 2014. Demand for testing extremely high; MCCC scheduled out to maximum capacity

Healthcare Committee

 The WIB, Technical School, Mercer County Community College and Henry J. Austin Health Center collaborated on a grant application from RCHN (non-profit foundation to support federally qualified health center to serve underserved populations) requesting funds to support a cohort of 30 incumbent and newly trained CNA’s to train as Community Healthcare Workers

 Mercer Healthcare Academy continues to build with 86 students applying. Almost every school district in county has students attending. Three students out of eight state officers are from Mercer County and attended Washington Leadership Conference (HOSA).

 Committee focused on educational initiative for community in Alzheimer’s Disease and dementia care for families. Committee to look at Opportunities4Jersey grant as a vehicle to train CNA’s with

additional credential in Alzheimer’s and dementia training. One Stop Career Center to be used as the sourcing agent for students and incumbent workers.

Youth Investment Council

 YIC Goals identified – main goal to host a Youth Symposium on October 8, 2013 to expose high school students to occupations within the NJ Talent Networks

 Individual Training Accounts (ITA) served out-of-school youth; subsidized employment for 11 offered in areas of interest

 Committee collaborated with One Stop on criteria for Youth RFP for in-school and out-of-school youth services.

Disabilities Issues Committee

 Award Ceremony conducted during October, 2012 WIB meeting to present county business partners and employees in honor of Disability Awareness Month

 Talent Coordinators and Mercer County Technical School staff collaboration-- how employment opportunities can be increased in the talent sectors for the disabled in Mercer County.

 Talent Coordinators and Technical Staff began developing Strategic Plan framework. Committee agreed to a “two stream” Strategic Plan; a “now” pilot plus a strategy for connecting to 9th graders.

MERCER COUNTY EXECUTIVE Brian M. Hughes

MERCER COUNTY BOARD OF CHOSEN FREEHOLDERS

John A. Cimino – Chair Andrew Koontz – Vice Chair

Ann M. Cannon Anthony P. Carabelli Pasquale “Pat” Colavita, Jr.

Samuel T. Frisby Lucylle R.S. Walter

Beverly Mills, Director

McDade Administration Building McDade Administration Bldg. - Room 408

Trenton, NJ 08611 Telephone (609) 989-6827

Virgen Velez, Director

26 Yard Avenue Trenton, NJ 08608 Telephone (609) 989-6523